Method and system for maintaining firmware versions in a data processing system

• US 20030236970A1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pruett, Gregory Brian, Vila, Ileana, Rhoades, David Benson, Palmer, Rodney Wendell
• Granted Patent: US 7,243,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A data processing method and system according to the present invention in which a mass storage device (DASD) of a data processing system is partitioned to include a service partition. The service partition is typically located on a portion of the DASD beyond the highest address accessible to the operating system and application programs. The service partition will typically include the current versions of peripheral device firmware, any BIOS extensions, and device drivers. During a system boot, the boot code will invoke a peripheral device call that reports the device'"'"'s firmware version level to compare the firmware versions of all the peripheral devices against the archived firmware versions stored in the service partition. If a mismatch is detected, the system boot will typically force an update of the peripheral device firmware to the level that is known to be good. Any such firmware updates are recorded in a log that is accessible to system management applications. Any revisions to firmware may be imaged into the service partition so that the revised version will be incorporated into the peripheral device itself during the next subsequent system boot.

Claims

1. A method of maintaining firmware revisions in a data processing system, comprising:

imaging the current firmware of at least one peripheral device associated with the system into a portion of non-volatile storage accessible to the system;

during a boot sequence, comparing the firmware versions on each of the at least one peripheral devices to the corresponding versions imaged in the system'"'"'s non-volatile storage; and

responsive to detecting a mismatch between a device'"'"'s firmware version and the corresponding imaged version, updating the firmware of the respective peripheral device to conform to the imaged version.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein imaging the current firmware includes partitioning the system storage into at least a user partition and a service partition and storing the firmware images in the service partition.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the service partition is inaccessible to the system'"'"'s operating system and applications.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the service partition is implemented according to the PARTIES specification.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein updating the firmware includes booting into the service partition such that the service partition may validate the firmware versions of each of the peripheral devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording each updating of the firmware in a log that is accessible to management software.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral devices include at least one device selected from a network interface device, a DASD controller, and a service processor.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium configured with computer executable instructions for maintaining firmware revisions in a data processing system, the, comprising:

computer code means for imaging the current firmware of at least one peripheral device associated with the system into a portion of non-volatile storage accessible to the system;

computer code means for comparing, during a boot sequence, the firmware versions on each of the at least one peripheral devices to the corresponding versions imaged in the system'"'"'s non-volatile storage; and

computer code means for updating the firmware of the respective peripheral device to conform to the imaged version responsive to detecting a mismatch between a device'"'"'s firmware version and the corresponding imaged version.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the code means for imaging the current firmware includes code means for partitioning the system storage into at least a user partition and a service partition and storing the firmware images in the service partition.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the service partition is inaccessible to the system'"'"'s operating system and applications.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the service partition is implemented according to the PARTIES specification.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the code means for updating the firmware includes code means for booting into the service partition such that the service partition may validate the firmware versions of each of the peripheral devices.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising code means for recording each updating of the firmware in a log that is accessible to management software.

14. A data processing system including at least one processor connected to a system memory and at least one peripheral device accessible to the processor, the system further comprising:

means for imaging the current firmware of at least one peripheral device associated with the system into a portion of non-volatile storage accessible to the system;

means for comparing, during a boot sequence, the firmware versions on each of the at least one peripheral devices to the corresponding versions imaged in the system'"'"'s non-volatile storage; and

means for updating the firmware of the respective peripheral device to conform to the imaged version responsive to detecting a mismatch between a device'"'"'s firmware version and the corresponding imaged version.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for imaging the current firmware includes means for partitioning the system storage into at least a user partition and a service partition and storing the firmware images in the service partition.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the service partition is inaccessible to the system'"'"'s operating system and applications.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the service partition is implemented according to the PARTIES specification.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for updating the firmware includes means for booting into the service partition such that the service partition may validate the firmware versions of each of the peripheral devices.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for recording each updating of the firmware in a log that is accessible to management software.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the peripheral devices include at least one device selected from a network interface device, a DASD controller, and a service processor.