Platform based verification of contents of input-output devices

Abstract

A platform to support verification of the contents of an input-output device. The platform includes a platform hardware, which may verify the contents of the I/O device. The platform hardware may comprise components such as manageability engine and verification engine that are used to verify the contents of the I/O device even before the contents of the I/O device are exposed to an operating system supported by a host. The platform components may delete the infected portions of the contents of I/O device if the verification process indicates that the contents of the I/O device include the infected portions.

1 . A method to verify contents of an input-output (I/O) device in a computing system comprising:
 verifying the contents of the I/O device using hardware components before the contents of the I/O device are exposed to an operating system for auto-play.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  comprises sending a request for hardware based scanning of the contents of the I/O device in response to receiving an interrupt from the I/O device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the contents of the I/O device are provided to a local anti-virus agent after receiving a grant signal to the request, wherein the operating system is to support the local anti-virus agent. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the contents of the I/O device are provided to a local anti-virus agent after receiving a grant signal to the request, wherein the hardware components is to support the local anti-virus agent. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  further comprises storing the contents of the I/O device based on a file allocation table FAT-32 format. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2  further comprises receiving information from the local anti-virus agent, wherein the information indicates infected portions of the contents of the I/O device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprises deleting the infected portion even before the infected portions are exposed to the operating system. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the contents of the I/O device are provided to an agent supported by a remote console, wherein an out-of-band communication technique is used to provide the contents to the agent supported by the remote console. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6  comprises,
 storing the contents of the I/O device based on a file allocation table FAT-32 format, and 
 compressing the contents of the I/O device stored in the FAT-32 format. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  further comprises receiving information from the agent supported by the remote console, wherein the information indicates infected portions of the contents of the I/O device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprises deleting the infected portions even before the infected portions are exposed to the operating system. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus to verify contents of an input-output (I/O) device comprising:
 a platform hardware coupled to the I/O device, wherein the platform hardware is to verify the contents of the I/O device before the contents of the I/O device are exposed to an operating system for an auto-play.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , the platform hardware further comprises,
 an input-output controller coupled to the I/O device, wherein the input-output controller is to provide an interrupt signal in response to receiving an interrupt in response to the I/O device being plugged in, and   a virtualizer engine coupled to the input-output controller, wherein the virtualizer engine is to send a request for a hardware based scanning of the contents of the I/O device in response to receiving the interrupt signal.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , the platform hardware further comprises a manageability engine coupled to the virtualizer engine, wherein the manageability engine includes a manageability engine controller, wherein the manageability engine controller is to provide the contents of the I/O device to a local anti-virus agent supported by the operating system in response to receiving a grant signal to the request. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , the platform hardware further comprises a manageability engine coupled to the virtualizer engine, wherein the manageability engine includes a manageability engine controller, wherein the manageability engine controller is to provide the contents of the I/O device to a local anti-virus agent supported by the platform hardware in response to receiving a grant signal to the request. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the manageability engine controller is to store the contents of the I/O device based on a file allocation table FAT-32 format. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the manageability engine controller is to receive information from the local anti-virus agent, wherein the information is to indicate infected portions of the contents of the I/O device. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the manageability engine controller is to delete the infected portions even before the infected portions are exposed to the operating system. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the manageability engine controller is to provide the contents of the I/O device to an agent supported by a remote console, wherein the manageability engine controller is to use an out-of-band communication technique to provide the contents to the agent supported by the remote console. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the manageability engine controller is to,
 store the contents of the I/O device based on a file allocation table FAT-32 format, and   initiate compression of the contents of the I/O device stored in the FAT-32 format.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the manageability engine controller is to receive information from the agent supported by the remote console, wherein the information is to indicate infected portions of the contents of the I/O device. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the manageability engine controller is to delete the infected portions from the contents even before the infected portions are exposed to the operating system.