Firmware architecture supporting safe updates and multiple processor types

• US 20040049669A1
• Filed: 09/09/2002
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: OʼDonnell, Amy L., OʼShea, David J., Lovelace, John V., Schelling, Todd A., Valine, Craig M., Greene, William R., Elkhoury, Bassam N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,036,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44547 Fat binaries

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention provides a firmware architecture which splits firmware modules to support safe updates of specific modules as well as supporting multiple different processors. A firmware image is partitioned into several different binaries based on their update requirements and processor/platform dependence. A firmware interface table enables safe updates by enabling the option of redundant copies of specific modules as well as supporting systems with different and/or multiple processor types, mixed processors from the same family, and/or fault resilient firmware updates.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a generic firmware module which includes instructions that are executable by multiple different processor types;

providing one or more processor-specific firmware modules; and

providing a firmware interface table which includes one or more searchable references to one or more processor-specific firmware modules, the generic firmware module capable of searching the firmware interface table for the one or more processor-specific firmware modules.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more processor-specific firmware modules are updateable.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein a processor-specific firmware module is updateable by

maintaining a first and a second instance of the processor-specific firmware module,

updating the first instance of the processor-specific firmware module.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the processor-specific firmware module is further updateable by

validating the content of the updated first instance of the processor-specific firmware module.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the processor-specific firmware module is further updateable by

updating the second instance of the processor-specific firmware module.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein updating the first instance of the processor-specific module includes,

replacing the first instance of the processor-specific firmware module with a different module for the same processor type.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the generic firmware module includes one or more instructions for initializing the multiple different processor types.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a processor-specific firmware module includes one or more instructions for initializing a particular processor type.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the firmware interface table includes one or more addresses which reference the starting location of the one or more processor-specific firmware modules.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein a processor-specific firmware module is updateable by inserting an updated processor-specific module starting at a corresponding address referenced in the firmware interface table.

11. The device comprising:

an electronic storage device including,

a generic firmware module which includes instructions that are executable by multiple different processor types,

one or more processor-specific firmware modules, and

a firmware interface table which includes one or more searchable references to one or more processor-specific modules, the generic firmware module capable of searching the firmware interface table for the one or more processor-specific firmware modules.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the one or more processor-specific firmware modules are updateable.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein a processor-specific firmware module is updateable by

maintaining a first and a second instance of the processor-specific firmware module,

updating the first instance of the processor-specific firmware module, and

modifying the firmware interface table to refer to the modified first instance of the processor-specific firmware module.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the processor-specific firmware module in the electronic storage device is further updateable by

validating the content of the updated first instance of the processor-specific firmware module.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein the processor-specific firmware module in the electronic storage device is further updateable by

updating the second instance of the processor-specific firmware module.

16. The device of claim 13 wherein updating the first instance of the processor-specific firmware module includes,

replacing the first instance of the processor-specific firmware module with a different module for the same processor type.

17. The device of claim 11 wherein the generic firmware module in the data storage device includes

one or more instructions for initializing the multiple different processor types.

18. The device of claim 11 wherein a processor-specific firmware module includes one or more instructions for initializing a particular processor type.

19. A system comprising:

an electronic storage device including,

a generic firmware module which includes instructions that are executable by multiple different processor types,

one or more processor-specific firmware modules, and

a firmware interface table which includes one or more searchable references to one or more processor-specific modules, the generic firmware module capable of searching the firmware interface table for the one or more processor-specific firmware modules; and

a processor coupled to the electronic storage device, the processor to execute one or more instructions in the generic firmware module, and one or more instructions in a corresponding processor-specific firmware module from the one or more processor specific firmware modules.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein a processor-specific firmware module is updateable by

maintaining a first and a second instance of the processor-specific firmware module,

updating the first instance of the processor-specific firmware module, and

modifying the firmware interface table to refer to the modified first instance of the processor-specific firmware module.

21. The device of claim 19 wherein the processor-specific firmware module in the electronic storage device is further updateable by

validating the content of the updated first instance of the processor-specific firmware module, and

updating the second instance of the processor-specific firmware module.

22. A machine-readable medium having one or more instructions for initializing a system, which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

providing a generic firmware module which includes instructions that are executable by multiple different processor types;

providing one or more processor-specific firmware modules; and

providing a firmware interface table which includes one or more searchable references to one or more processor-specific firmware modules, the generic firmware module capable of searching the firmware interface table for the one or more processor-specific firmware modules.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein a processor-specific firmware module is updateable by one or more instructions which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

maintaining a first and a second instance of the processor-specific firmware module,

updating the first instance of the processor-specific firmware module, and

modifying the firmware interface table to refer to the modified first instance of the processor-specific firmware module.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 23 wherein a processor-specific firmware module is updateable by one or more instructions which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations further comprising:

validating the content of the updated first instance of the processor-specific firmware module.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 23 wherein a processor-specific firmware module is updateable by one or more instructions which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations further comprising:

updating the second instance of the processor-specific firmware module.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 23 wherein updating the first instance of the processor-specific firmware module includes one or more instructions which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

replacing the first instance of the processor-specific firmware module with a different module for the same processor type.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the generic firmware module in the data storage device includes

one or more instructions for initializing the multiple different processor types.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein a processor-specific firmware module includes one or more instructions for initializing a particular processor type.