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Firmware. Firmware is commonly stored in an EEPROM, which makes use of an I/O protocol such as SPI. In computing, firmware is software that provides low-level control of computing device hardware. For a relatively simple device, firmware may perform all control, monitoring and data manipulation functionality. For a more complex device, firmware ...
UEFI. In computing, BIOS ( / ˈbaɪɒs, - oʊs /, BY-oss, -ohss; Basic Input/Output System, also known as the System BIOS, ROM BIOS, BIOS ROM or PC BIOS) is firmware used to provide runtime services for operating systems and programs and to perform hardware initialization during the booting process (power-on startup). [ 1]
Hypervisor. A hypervisor, also known as a virtual machine monitor ( VMM) or virtualizer, is a type of computer software, firmware or hardware that creates and runs virtual machines. A computer on which a hypervisor runs one or more virtual machines is called a host machine, and each virtual machine is called a guest machine.
They can use different I/O protocols, but SPI is the most common. Unified Extensible Firmware Interface ( UEFI, / ˈjuːɪfaɪ / or as an acronym) [ b] is a specification that defines the architecture of the platform firmware used for booting the computer hardware and its interface for interaction with the operating system.
Trusted Platform Module ( TPM) is an international standard for a secure cryptoprocessor, a dedicated microcontroller designed to secure hardware through integrated cryptographic keys. The term can also refer to a chip conforming to the standard ISO/IEC 11889. Common uses are to verify platform integrity (to verify that the boot process starts ...
Firmware is given its name because it is treated like hardware and run ("executed") by other software programs. Firmware often is not accessible for change by other entities but the developers' enterprises. Shrinkware is the older name given to consumer-purchased software, because it was often sold in retail stores in a shrink wrapped box.
By contrast, software is the set of instructions that can be stored and run by hardware. Hardware is so-termed because it is hard or rigid with respect to changes, whereas software is soft because it is easy to change. Hardware is typically directed by the software to execute any command or instruction.
A software appliance is a software application combined with just enough operating system (JeOS) to run optimally on industry-standard hardware (typically a server) or in a virtual machine. It is a software distribution or firmware that implements a computer appliance. Virtual appliances are a subset of software appliances. The main distinction ...