A method and mechanism for enabling access to a protected register in a
client. A system including multiple clients, such as components and
devices, is coupled to a service processor which is configured to manage
the system. Clients which are managed by the service processor include
control and status registers which are protected from access by
unauthorized entities. Access rights for particular registers may be
restricted to only the service processor. Clients include a timer which
the service processor periodically updates. In the event communication is
lost between the service processor and a client, the timer is not
updated. In response to detecting the timer was not updated, the client
is configured to alter the access rights of the register in order to
permit an alternate entity to access the protected register. The service
processor may then utilize the alternate entity as a proxy in order to
transfer the client state to another client and configure the affected
client out of the system.