Information processing apparatus for changing firmware data

• US 20060053274A1
• Filed: 09/07/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Information Technology Co. Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Information Technology Co. Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Osano, Nakaba, Kishida, Takeshi, Kobayashi, Atsuo, Nyuugaku, Masahito, Abe, Daiki
• Application Number:
  US11/219,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20060053274A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/441 Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded

Abstract

An information processing apparatus is characterized in that firmware is easily replaced in the case where a booting operating system is changed for another to improve the operational efficiency associated with the changing of the operating system; plural pieces of firmware, each of which is compatible with each of plural operating systems of different kinds, types or versions, are stored in a storage unit and each piece of firmware is provided with compatible information indicating which of the operating systems each pieces of firmware conforms to; and the type or version of operating system to boot is determined when booting the operating system, and firmware compatible with compatible information is selected from the storage unit for replacement on the basis on a determination result.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus including storage means for storing firmware compatible with an operating system, and a central processing apparatus for performing data processing by allowing the operating system and the firmware to operate, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a storage unit for storing a plurality of pieces of firmware, each of which is compatible with each of a plurality of operating systems of different kinds;

determination means for determining the kind of operating system to boot;

selection means for selecting one of the plurality of pieces of firmware, which is compatible with the operating system to boot, on the basis of a result obtained by the determination means; and

replacing means for reading the firmware selected by the selection means from the storage unit for replacement.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of operating systems of different kinds include a plurality of operating systems of different types or a plurality of operating systems of different versions, and each of the plurality of pieces of firmware includes compatible information that indicates the firmware is compatible with at least one of the type of operating system and the version of operating system.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination means is means in which the firmware stored in the main storage unit of the central processing apparatus determines the type of operating system to boot by using a name of a bootloader which boots the operating system.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claims 1, wherein the determination means is means in which the bootloader which boots the operating system notifies the firmware stored in the main storage unit of the central processing apparatus, of at least one of the type of operating system or the version of operating system.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claims 1, wherein, in the determination means, the operating system notifies the firmware stored in the main storage unit of the central processing apparatus, of at least one of the type of operating system or the version of operating system.

3. An information processing apparatus including a main storage unit for storing an operating system and firmware compatible with the operating system, and a processing apparatus for performing data processing by allowing the operating system and the firmware to operate, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a processing apparatus for firmware data management, which includes a storage unit for storing a plurality of pieces of firmware, each of which is compatible with each of a plurality of operating systems of different kinds;

a plurality of central processing apparatuses which are connected to the processing apparatus for firmware data management through a communication channel, and can be operated by the operating systems;

auxiliary storage apparatuses, each of which is provided while corresponding to each of the plurality of central processing apparatuses, and stores one of the operating systems;

determination means which determines the kind of operating system to boot when the operating system stored in the auxiliary storage apparatus is booted in the central processing apparatus;

selection means which selects one of the plurality of pieces of firmware, which is compatible with the operating system to boot, from the storage unit of the processing apparatus for firmware data management on the basis of a result obtained by the determination means; and

auxiliary processing apparatuses which include replacing means for obtaining the firmware selected by the selection means from the processing apparatus for firmware data management to replace the firmware stored in the main storage unit of the central processing apparatus, each of the auxiliary processing apparatuses being provided while corresponding to each of the plurality of central processing apparatuses.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the determination means is means in which the firmware stored in the main storage unit of the central processing apparatus determines the type of operating system to boot by using a name of a bootloader which boots the operating system.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claims 3, wherein

the determination means is means in which the bootloader which boots the operating system notifies the firmware stored in the main storage unit of the central processing apparatus, of at least one of the type of operating system or the version of operating system.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claims 3, wherein, in the determination means, the operating system notifies the firmware stored in the main storage unit of the central processing apparatus, of at least one of the type of operating system or the version of operating system.

10. A method of changing firmware in an information processing apparatus which stores firmware compatible with an operating system in storage means, and performs data processing by allowing the operating system and the firmware to operate in a central processing apparatus, comprising:

storing a plurality of pieces of firmware, each of which is compatible with each of a plurality of operating systems of different kinds, in a storage unit in advance;

determining the kind of operating system to boot in the processing apparatus;

selecting the firmware compatible with the operating system to boot from the storage unit on the basis of a determination result; and

storing the selected firmware in the storage means to run on the operating system.