Automatic firmware update of processor nodes

• US 20020091807A1
• Filed: 01/05/2001
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Goodman, Brian Gerard
• Granted Patent: US 6,904,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration

Abstract

Provided is a method, system, and program for updating the firmware in a nodal system. The nodal system includes at least two nodes, wherein each node includes a processing unit and a memory including code. The nodes communicate over a communication interface. At least one querying node transmits a request to at least one queried node in the nodal system for a level of the code at the node over the communication interface. At least one node receives a response from the queried node receiving the request indicating the level of code at the queried node over the communication interface. The node receiving the response determines whether at least one queried node has a higher code level.

Claims

1. A method for updating code in a nodal system including at least two nodes, wherein each node includes a processing unit and a memory including code, and wherein the nodes communicate over a communication interface, comprising:

transmitting, with at least one querying node, a request to at least one queried node in the nodal system for a level of the code at the node over the communication interface;

receiving, with one node, a response from the queried node receiving the request indicating the level of code at the queried node over the communication interface; and

determining, with the node receiving the response, whether at least one queried node has a higher code level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving, with the node receiving the response, a copy of the code at the higher code level queried node if one queried node has the determined higher code level; and

updating, with the node retrieving the copy of the code, the memory with the retrieved copy of the code at the higher code level from the queried node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the node receiving the response from the queried node and determining whether the queried node has the higher code level comprises the querying node or a node that did not transmit the request to the queried node.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

broadcasting, with the queried node having the highest code level, the code to multiple nodes over the communication interface, wherein the nodes retrieve the copy of the code by reading the broadcast of the code on the communication interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether one queried node has a higher code level is performed each time the nodal system is reset or the querying node is reset independently.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple querying nodes transmit the request for the code level to one queried node, and wherein the queried node broadcasts information on the code level to the nodes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the queried node serially broadcasts the code level information to the nodes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein all nodes in the nodal system transmit the request to the at least one queried nodes and determine whether the queried nodes have the higher code level.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each node has the same code set, wherein a portion of the code includes instructions used by all the nodes in the system and wherein the code includes instructions for functions used exclusively by each of the nodes.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a first node is capable of controlling an accessor in a storage library system to access storage cartridges and wherein a second node is capable of interfacing with a host system and communicating commands from the host system to the first node to execute.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one querying node executes a routine to transmit the requests to the at least one queried node, receive the response from the at least one queried node, and determine whether the at least one queried node has a higher code level than a code level indicated in a parameter in the memory, wherein the parameter is initially set to the code level of the querying node.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the nodes further perform:

maintaining a parameter indicating the code level at the node;

initializing the parameter with the code level at the querying node before transmitting the requests for the code level at the other nodes; and

updating the parameter with the code level at the queried nodes if the queried nodes have the higher code level.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the program logic is further capable of causing the node processing units that receive the response from the queried node to perform:

retrieving a copy of the code at the higher code level queried node if one queried node has the determined higher code level; and

updating the memory with the retrieved copy of the code at the higher code level from the queried node.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the node receiving the response from the queried node and determining whether the queried node has the higher code level comprises the querying node or a node that did not transmit the request to the queried node.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the program logic is further capable of causing the queried node processing units to perform:

broadcasting, with the queried node having the highest code level, the code to multiple nodes over the communication interface, wherein the nodes retrieve the copy of the code by reading the broadcast of the code on the communication interface.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein determining whether one queried node has a higher code level is performed each time the nodal system is reset or the querying node is reset independently.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the program logic is further capable of causing the queried node processing units to perform serially broadcasts the code level information to the nodes.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein all nodes in the nodal system transmit the request to the at least one queried nodes and determine whether the queried nodes have the higher code level.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein each node has the same program logic code set, wherein a portion of the code includes instructions used by all the nodes in the system and wherein the code includes instructions for functions used exclusively by each of the nodes.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein a first node is capable of controlling an accessor in a storage library system to access storage cartridges and wherein a second node is capable of interfacing with a host system and communicating commands from the host system to the first node to execute.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the program logic is further capable of causing the querying node processing units to perform:

executing a routine to transmit the requests to the at least one queried node, receive the response from the at least one queried node, and determine whether the at least one queried node has a higher code level than a code level indicated in a parameter in the memory, wherein the parameter is initially set to the code level of the querying node.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the program logic is further capable of causing the node processing units to perform:

maintaining a parameter indicating the code level at the node;

initializing the parameter with the code level at the querying node before transmitting the requests for the code level at the other nodes; and

updating the parameter with the code level at the queried nodes if the queried nodes have the higher code level.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the article of manufacture code is further capable of causing the node processing units to perform:

retrieving, with the node receiving the response, a copy of the code at the higher code level queried node if one queried node has the determined higher code level; and

updating, with the node retrieving the copy of the code, the memory with the retrieved copy of the code at the higher code level from the queried node.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the node receiving the response from the queried node and determining whether the queried node has the higher code level comprises the querying node or a node that did not transmit the request to the queried node.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the article of manufacture code is further capable of causing the node processing units to perform:

broadcasting, with the queried node having the highest code level, the code to multiple nodes over the communication interface, wherein the nodes retrieve the copy of the code by reading the broadcast of the code on the communication interface.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein determining whether one queried node has a higher code level is performed each time the nodal system is reset or the querying node is reset independently.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein multiple querying nodes transmit the request for the code level to one queried node, and wherein the queried node broadcasts information on the code level to the nodes.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the article of manufacture code is further capable of causing the queried node serially broadcasts the code level information to the nodes.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the article of manufacture code is further capable of causing all nodes in the nodal system to transmit the request to the at least one queried nodes and determine whether the queried nodes have the higher code level.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein each node has the same code set, wherein a portion of the code includes instructions used by all the nodes in the system and wherein the code includes instructions for functions used exclusively by each of the nodes.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein a first node is capable of controlling an accessor in a storage library system to access storage cartridges and wherein a second node is capable of interfacing with a host system and communicating commands from the host system to the first node to execute.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the article of manufacture code is further capable of causing the querying node to execute a routine to transmit the requests to the at least one queried node, receive the response from the at least one queried node, and determine whether the at least one queried node has a higher code level than a code level indicated in a parameter in the memory, wherein the parameter is initially set to the code level of the querying node.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the article of manufacture code is further capable of causing the nodes to perform:

maintaining a parameter indicating the code level at the node;

initializing the parameter with the code level at the querying node before transmitting the requests for the code level at the other nodes; and

updating the parameter with the code level at the queried nodes if the queried nodes have the higher code level.

13. A system for updating code in a nodal system, comprising:

at least two nodes, wherein each node includes a processing unit and a memory including code;

a communication interface, wherein the nodes communicate over the communication interface;

program logic in a computer readable medium for causing the node processing units to perform;

(i) transmitting a request to at least one queried node in the nodal system for a level of the code at the node over the communication interface;

(ii) receiving a response from the queried node receiving the request indicating the level of code at the queried node over the communication interface; and

(ii) determining whether at least one queried node has a higher code level.

18. The system of claim, wherein multiple querying nodes transmit the request for the code level to one queried node, and wherein the queried node broadcasts information on the code level to the nodes.

25. An article of manufacture for updating code in a nodal system including at least two nodes, wherein each node includes a processing unit and a memory including code, wherein the nodes communicate over a communication interface, and wherein the article of manufacture comprises code in a computer readable medium capable of causing the node processing units to perform:

transmitting, with at least one querying node, a request to at least one queried node in the nodal system for a level of the code at the node over the communication interface;

receiving, with one node, a response from the queried node receiving the request indicating the level of code at the queried node over the communication interface; and

determining, with the node receiving the response, whether at least one queried node has a higher code level.