| US 7,502,942 B1 | ||
| System and method for authentication of embedded raid on a motherboard having input/output processor | ||
| Fadi A. Mahmoud, Livermore, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Adaptec, Inc., Milpitas, Calif. (US) | ||
| Filed on Dec. 19, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/741,234. | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. H04L 9/32 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 713—189 [713/168; 726/34] | 20 Claims |
| 1. A method for authenticating software associated with a motherboard of a computer, the motherboard having at least one protected
firmware including an embedded Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) controller, and an input/output processor (IOP)
for managing read and write operations to a RAID storage array, the method comprising:
maintaining a binary word including a plurality of bits, the binary word is maintained at a location known to a BIOS of the
computer and the at least one protected firmware is represented by at least one bit in the plurality of bits;
generating a unique authentication code (UAC) based on a serial number for the motherboard;
providing the UAC to the computer;
determining whether the UAC is valid for the motherboard, wherein once a determination is made that the UAC is valid, one
of the plurality of bits corresponding to the embedded RAID controller in the binary word is set to indicate that the RAID
controller has been authenticated and the UAC need not be provided to the computer each time the computer boots; and
allowing the IOP to execute program instructions for the embedded RAID controller when the UAC is valid for the motherboard,
and preventing the IOP from executing the program instructions for the embedded RAID controller, thereby disabling the embedded
RAID controller, when the UAC is invalid.
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