公开(公告)号：MX171879B

公开(公告)日：1993-11-22

申请号：MX2205990

申请日：1990-08-22

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： DAYAN RICHARD ALAN ,  KINNEAR SCOTT GERARD ,  KOVACH GEORGE D ,  PALKA MATTHEW STEPHEN JR ,  SCHSENMAIER ROBERTO ,  DIXON KEVIN MARSHALL ZYVOLOSKI ,  MACNEILL ANDREW BOYCE ,  WACHTEL EDWARD IRVING ,  BEALKOWSKI RICHARD ,  BLACKLEDGE JOHN WILEY JR ,  CRONK DOYLE STANFILL

IPC: G06F9/445 ,  G06F13/10 ,  G06F12/14 ,  G06F21/22 ,  H04L9/32

Abstract: An apparatus and method for protecting BIOS stored on a direct access storage device (62) into a personal computer system (10). The personal computer system (JO) comprises a system processor (26), a system planar (24), a random access main memory (32), a read only memory (36), a protection means and at least one direct access storage device (62). The read only memory (36) includes a first portion of BIOS and data representing the type of system processor (26) and system planar (24) I/O configuration. The first portion of BIOS initializes the system (10) and the direct access storage device (62), and resets the protection means in order to read in a master boot record into the random access memory (32) from a protectable partition on the direct access storage device (62). The master boot record includes a data segment and an executable code segment. The data segment includes data representing system hardware and a system configuration which is supported by the master boot record. The first BIOS portion confirms the master boot record is compatible with the system hardware by verifying that the data from the data segment of the master boot record agrees with the system processor (26), system planar (24), and planar (24) I/O configuration. If the master boot record is compatible with the system hardware, the first BIOS portion vectors the system processor (26) to execute the executable code segment of the master boot record. The executable code segment confirms that the system configuration has not changed and loads in the remaining BIOS portion from the same protectable partition on the direct access storage device (62) into random access memory (32). The executable code segment then verifies the authenticity of the remaining BIOS portion and vectors the system processor (26) to begin executing the BIOS now in random access memory. BIOS, executing in random access memory (32), then activates the protection means to prevent further access to the protectable partition. BIOS boots up the operating system to begin operation of the personal computer system.

公开(公告)号：DE4017902A1

公开(公告)日：1990-12-20

申请号：DE4017902

申请日：1990-06-02

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： MACNEILL ANDREW BOYCE ,  NEWSOM THOMAS HAROLD ,  OSBORN NEAL ALLEN ,  REID EDDIE MILLER

IPC: G06F3/00 ,  G06F13/40 ,  G06F15/00 ,  H01R9/00 ,  H01R29/00

Abstract: A plug-in feature board (10) for a computer system has special circuitry to permit the board to customise itself to the particular slot into which it is inserted. Computers of the type intended for individual use or use in small networks typically provide insertion slots including connectors to permit feature boards to be added and connected to a bus of the computer for adding new function or capacity. As the computing power of such systems has increased there have been increases in the size of portions of the connecting bus to permit improvements in data transfer performance. In a given computer system there are often two or more bus connector (32) configurations presented in respective slots. By so converting electrical states at selected connector positions as to provide signal information for determining bus configuration for the slot, special logic provided on the board is enabled to determine the characteristics of the slot in which the board is placed and customises the board to respond or limit response in accordance with the requirements for that configuration. By so adapting to the slot the board achieves enhanced applicability and avoids certain system disabling malfunctions which can occur when a board is plugged into a slot for which it is not configured.