Creating Customer Value Core System Innovations, EFI and Windows Longhorn

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Creating Customer Value - Core System
Innovations, EFI and Windows Longhorn

• Tim Lewis
• CTO - SPED
• Phoenix Technologies, Ltd

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Session Outline

• The Basics Making The Platform Work
• The Experience Making Longhorn Work
• The Innovation The Emerging Pre-OS World
• The Tools Leverage Existing Expertise

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Session Goals

• Attendees should leave this session with the
  following
• A better understanding of how firmware and
  standards such as UEFI affect their ability to
  deliver Longhorn platforms
• Places where pre-OS drivers and applications can
  enhance the users Longhorn experience

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Make The Platform Work

• Platform must work before Windows can start
• Delay in firmware means delay in WHQL and launch
• No one-size-fits-all PC firmware
• Non-enumerable devices
• Motherboard-specific configuration
• Limited chances to upgrade
• Industry practices slow down time-to-market
• Motherboard silicon vendors have unique methods
  of silicon-related code delivery (reference code,
  binaries)
• Limited silicon coverage (no USB host, PCI-E root
  bridge, SATA, etc.)
• Real-mode x86 assembly code means no tools, no
  engineers

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Silicon Delivery Process (Industry)

• Silicon Vendor Delivers Code To Phoenix
• Phoenix Integrates Into Its Library
• Phoenix Delivers To Vendor
• Vendor Customizes For Specific Platform
• Platform Enters WHQL Certification
• As well as FIPS, etc.

Delay!
Delay!
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Silicon Delivery Process (TrustedCore)

• Path 1 Phoenix Silicon Library
• Silicon Vendor Delivers Code to Phoenix
• Phoenix Performs QA/Integration
• Push-Model Notification Of Platform Vendors
• Path 2 Direct Customer Delivery
• Time-to-market direct delivery for bugs
  features
• Tools-based configuration for platform

Faster!
Faster!
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How Do We Get There?

• Move PC Silicon to Industry Specification
• Silicon Firmware Vendors Must Support
• Specifies interfaces, environment and delivery
  format
• Separate from UEFI/doesnt require UEFI
• UEFI handles boot, video and input devices
• TrustedCore Starts with PEI/DXE Foundation CIS
• Electronic Delivery
• Web-based
• E-mail Notification of Component Updates
• Knowledge Base Engineering Change Notification
• CoreArchitect
• Single environment for CSS driver development
• Component-based Delivery

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Silicon Component Delivery

• Component-ize A single file containing all code
  necessary for a single chip, industry standard or
  initiative
• Configure A standard way of exposing
  platform-related configuration options for
  editing using a tool
• Certify Each class of components can be tested
  for compliance
• Requires in-box testing for some components

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Making Longhorn Work

• Longhorn enables UEFI transition in PC industry
• UEFI Under Control Of Industry Group
• www.uefi.org
• Phoenix on Board of Directors
• UEFI Has Significant Impact on PC firmware
• X32/x64/Both vs. Real-Mode (Can Use Std. Tools)
• GUID Partition Table (2 Terabyte Beyond)
• Expanded Boot Options
• Not Just Boot To Device, But Partitions and EXEs
  on Devices
• Driver Model For Boot, Display Input Devices
• Has To Coexist With Legacy For Years
• Bigger (C/C ASM, 32/64-bit 16-bit)
• 30 bigger than hand-written 16-bit x86 assembly
  code

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Transitioning Value To UEFI

• Transition to UEFI Must Maintain Compatibility,
  Innovation, Cost
• UEFI Current Services Must Attach to Same
  Underlying Operating Environment
• Otherwise feature support requires two separate
  efforts
• TrustedCore Strategy Allows Each Functional Block
  To Transition Separately
• Services are transitioned gradually, so that
  cost/risk is mitigated

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UEFI Before Transition
Longhorn
Provided by
Industry Standards
Legacy Interfaces
UEFI
ACPI 3.0
SMBIOS
Microsoft
Phoenix
OEM
Phoenix TrustedCore Core System Software
Core (Fixed) System hardware
Add-On Hardware
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UEFI After Transition
Longhorn
Provided by
Industry Standards
Legacy Interfaces
UEFI
ACPI 3.0
SMBIOS
Microsoft
Phoenix
OEM
Phoenix TrustedCore Core System Software
Core (Fixed) System hardware
Add-On Hardware
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The Pre-OS World

• With The Unified EFI (UEFI) Forum
• Industry Control of the OS/Firmware Interface
• Legitimizes The Pre-OS Environment
• Sets Key Standards For Pre-OS Applications
• Support from all PC firmware vendors means broad
  market for 3rd party pre-OS apps
• Security, recovery, management, provisioning,
  configuration, diagnostics, manufacturing
• Security from the start through Windows launch
• Consistent UI through Windows launch

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The Pre-OS World - Security

• New Standard Introduces Security Challenges
• Makes PC Firmware New Target
• Downloadable Pre-OS Apps Makes Support Headache
• Expansion Slots Introduce EXEs to Closed Systems
• Digital Signing of UEFI Applications Limits
  Customer Support Risk
• Secure Execution Environment (Ring 0/3) Limits
  UEFI Application Damage Potential
• Security Policy Engine Limits Access To External
  Ports
• Security Device SDK Adds Smart Card, Biometric
  Support to Pre-OS Resources

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The Pre-OS World User Interface
Valid Password
Power Off
Invalid Password
Continuing Booting (once corrected)
Halt
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The Pre-OS World UI (2)
Panel Buttons
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Leverage Existing Expertise

• CoreArchitect Brings the Visual Studio .NET
  2003 experience to PC firmware development
• Opens the door for 3 million VS developers
• Same look and feel extended to PC firmware
  development
• Intellisense
• Outlining
• Source code control integration
• Support for x86-32, x86-64, ASL, C/C

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Call To Action

• Read the UEFI Specification (www.uefi.org)
• Chapters 1-5 are a good overview
• Sign up as a UEFI adopter or contributor
• Talk with Phoenix about extending your Windows
  system application into the pre-OS space

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Additional Resources
Email talewis_at_phoenix.com

• Web Resources
• Specs www.uefi.org
• Phoenix TrustedCore www.phoenix.com