Syncronized dual-processor firmware updates

• US 20080052699A1
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kestrelink Corp.
• Original Assignee: Kestrelink Corp.
• Inventors: Kogan, Douglas J., Baker, Steven T.
• Application Number:
  US11/497,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20080052699A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method for synchronized dual-processor firmware updates. In one example embodiment, a method includes receiving a combined firmware update file, verifying the source of the combined firmware update file, extracting a master firmware image and a slave firmware image from the combined firmware update file, verifying the data integrity of the master firmware image, sending the slave firmware image to the slave processor, receiving a signal from the slave processor indicating that the slave firmware image has been installed, and installing the master firmware image. In another embodiment, a method includes receiving a slave firmware image from the master processor, verifying the data integrity of the slave firmware image, installing the slave firmware image, and sending a signal to the master processor indicating that the slave firmware image has been installed.

Claims

1. In a computing environment including a master processor and a slave processor, a method for synchronized updating, at the master processor, of the master processor firmware image and the slave processor firmware image using a combined firmware update file, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving a combined firmware update file;

verifying the source of the combined firmware update file;

extracting a master firmware image and a slave firmware image from the combined firmware update file;

verifying the data integrity of the master firmware image;

sending the slave firmware image to the slave processor;

receiving a signal from the slave processor indicating that the slave firmware image has been installed; and

installing the master firmware image.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving a combined firmware update file comprises receiving the combined firmware update file over a wired or wireless network connection.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving a combined firmware update file comprises receiving the combined firmware update file from the slave processor who obtained the combined firmware update file from a CD or a DVD.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein verifying the source of the combined firmware update file at the master processor comprises using a MD5 hash contained within the combined firmware update file to verify the source of the combined firmware update file.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein verifying the data integrity of the master firmware image comprises using a cyclical redundancy check checksum extracted from the combined firmware update file to verify the data integrity of the master firmware image.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein sending the slave firmware image to the slave processor comprises sending the slave firmware image to the slave processor over a storage device protocol.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein installing the master firmware image comprises overwriting a current firmware image corresponding to the master processor with the master firmware image.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the act of verifying the version of the combined firmware update file.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

recording each act of the method as it is completed; and

performing any uncompleted acts of the method upon initialization of the master processor.

10. In a computing environment including a master processor and a slave processor, a method for synchronized updating, at the slave processor, of the master processor firmware image and the slave processor firmware image using a combined firmware update file, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving a slave firmware image from the master processor;

verifying the data integrity of the slave firmware image;

installing the slave firmware image; and

sending a signal to the master processor indicating that the slave firmware image has been installed.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising the act of reading the combined firmware update file from a CD/DVD and sending the combined firmware update file to the master processor, prior to receiving a slave firmware image from the master processor.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein receiving a slave firmware image from the master processor further comprises receiving a cyclical redundancy check checksum corresponding to the slave firmware image from the master processor.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein verifying the data integrity of the slave firmware image comprises using the cyclical redundancy check checksum to verify the data integrity of the slave firmware image.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein receiving a slave firmware image from the master processor comprises receiving a slave firmware image from the master processor over a storage device protocol.

15. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein installing the slave firmware image comprises overwriting a current firmware image corresponding to the slave processor with the slave firmware image.

16. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising the act of locking a memory corresponding to the slave processor prior to verifying the data integrity of the slave firmware image.

17. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising the acts of:

recording each act of the method as it is completed; and

performing any uncompleted acts of the method upon initialization of the slave processor.

18. In a computing environment, one or more computer readable media including a plurality of data fields that make up a combined firmware update file that facilitates the updating of firmware images of dual processors in a dual-processor device in a synchronized fashion, the computer readable media comprising:

a virtual first data structure, the virtual first data structure comprising a first firmware image field configured to contain a first firmware image corresponding to a first processor;

a virtual second data structure, the virtual second data structure comprising a second firmware image field configured to contain a second firmware image corresponding to a second processor; and

a virtual third data structure, the virtual third data structure comprising a security signature field configured which enables the source of the first data structure and the second data structure to be securely verified.

19. The computer readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the computer readable media further comprises:

a virtual fourth data structure, the virtual fourth data structure comprising a cyclical redundancy check field configured to contain a cyclical redundancy check checksum which enables the data integrity of at least one of the first or second firmware images to be verified.

20. The computer readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the computer readable media further comprises:

a virtual fifth data structure, the virtual fifth data structure comprising at least one of the following;

a header version field configured to contain a format of the combined firmware update file;

a header length field configured to contain a total header length of the combined firmware update file;

an image version field configured to contain a version assigned to the combined firmware update file;

a creation date field configured to contain a date and time the combined firmware update file was created;

a manufacturer field configured to contain an identifier of the original equipment manufacturer who provided the first and second firmware images;

a product identifier field configured to contain a model of the dual-processor device;

a product description field configured to contain a description of the first and second firmware images;

a first firmware image length field configured to contain a length of the first firmware image;

or

a second firmware image length field configured to contain a length of the second firmware image.

21. The computer readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the computer readable media further comprises:

a virtual fourth data structure, the virtual fourth data structure comprising a license image field configured to contain a license image; and

a virtual fifth data structure, the virtual fifth data structure comprising a license image length field configured to contain a length of the license image.