Mechanism to safely perform system firmware update in logically partitioned (LPAR) machines

• US 20020124166A1
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Van Hoa, Nulu, Sayileela
• Granted Patent: US 6,834,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method for managing system firmware in a data processing system having a plurality of logical partitions is provided. Responsive to a request to update the system firmware from a first logical partition within the plurality of logical partitions in the data processing system, a determination is made whether the first logical partition within the plurality of logical partitions is present in the data processing system. Responsive to the determination that the first logical partition within the plurality of logical partitions is present in the data processing system, the system firmware is updated from the first logical partition in the data processing system. Then starting of additional partitions within the plurality of logical partitions in the data processing system is inhibited until the firmware update from the first logical partition is complete.

Claims

1. A method for managing system firmware in a data processing system having a plurality of logical partitions, the method comprising the steps of:

responsive to a request to update the system firmware from a first logical partition within the plurality of logical partitions in the data processing system, determining whether the first logical partition within the plurality of logical partitions is present in the data processing system;

responsive to determining a first logical partition within the plurality of logical partitions is present in the data processing system, updating the system firmware from the first logical partition in the data processing system; and

inhibiting starting of additional partitions within the plurality of logical partitions in the data processing system until the system firmware update from the first logical partition is complete.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to completion of the system firmware update from the first logical partition, receiving a request to reboot the data processing system from the first logical partition; and

activating a reboot signal for a processor assigned to the first logical partition.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein rebooting the logical partition is performed by a hypervisor.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request to update the system firmware from the first logical partition is received from a remote terminal.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request to update the system firmware from the first logical partition is received from a hypervisor.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein updating the system firmware from the first logical partition in the data processing system is performed by a hypervisor.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the hypervisor ensures that only the first logical partition in the data processing system performs the system firmware update.

8. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, the memory including a set of instructions; and

a processor connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions from the memory to determine whether a first logical partition within the plurality of logical partitions is present in the data processing system in response to receiving a request to update the system firmware from a first logical partition within the plurality of partitions, updates the system firmware from the first logical partition in the data processing system in response to determining a first logical partition within the plurality of logical partitions is present in the data processing system, and inhibits starting of additional partitions within the plurality of logical partitions in the data processing system until the system firmware update from the first partition is complete.

9. A data processing system for managing system firmware in a data processing system having a plurality of logical partitions, comprising:

determining means, responsive to a request to update the system firmware from a first logical partition within the plurality of logical partitions in the data processing system, for determining whether a first logical partition within the plurality of logical partitions is present in the data processing system;

updating means, responsive to determining a first logical partition within the plurality of logical partitions is present in the data processing system, for updating the system firmware from the first logical partition in the data processing system; and

inhibiting means for inhibiting starting of additional partitions within the plurality of logical partitions in the data processing system until the system firmware update from the first logical partition is complete.

10. The data processing system as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

receiving means, responsive to completion of the system firmware update from the first logical partition, for receiving a request to reboot the data processing system from the first logical partition; and

activating means for activating a reboot signal for a processor assigned to the first logical partition.

11. The data processing system as recited in claim 10, wherein rebooting the logical partition is performed by a hypervisor.

12. The data processing system as recited in claim 9, wherein the request to update the system firmware from the first logical partition is received from a remote terminal.

13. The data processing system as recited in claim 9, wherein the request to update the system firmware from the first logical partition is received from a hypervisor.

14. The data processing system as recited in claim 9, wherein updating the system firmware from the first logical partition in the data processing system is performed by a hypervisor.

15. The data processing system as recited in claim 14, wherein the hypervisor ensures that only the first logical partition in the data processing system performs the system firmware update.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

third instructions, responsive to completion of the system firmware update from the first logical partition, for receiving a request to reboot the data processing system from the first logical partition; and

fourth instructions for activating a reboot signal for a processor assigned to the first logical partition.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 17, wherein rebooting the logical partition is performed by a hypervisor.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 16, wherein the request to update the system firmware from the first logical partition is received from a remote terminal.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 16, wherein the request to update the system firmware from the first logical partition is received from a hypervisor.

21. The computer program product as recited in claim 16, wherein updating the system firmware from the first logical partition in the data processing system is performed by a hypervisor.

22. The computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the hypervisor ensures that only the first logical partition in the data processing system performs the system firmware update.

16. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for managing system firmware in a data processing system having a plurality of logical partitions, comprising:

first instructions, responsive to a request to update the system firmware from a first logical partition within the plurality of logical partitions in the data processing system, for determining whether a first logical partition within the plurality of logical partitions is present in the data processing system;

second instructions, responsive to determining a first logical partition within the plurality of logical partitions is present in the data processing system, for updating the system firmware from the first logical partition in the data processing system; and

third instructions for inhibiting starting of additional partitions within the plurality of logical partitions in the data processing system until the system firmware update from the first logical partition is complete.