SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR APPLYING A DESTRUCTIVE FIRMWARE UPDATE IN A NON-DESTRUCTIVE MANNER

• US 20080126778A1
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bishop, Bradley W., Britson, Wayne A., Spinler, Matthew S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,823,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A system, method, and computer-usable medium for applying a destructive firmware update in a non-destructive manner. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, during operation of a multiprocessor data processing system, a service processor updates firmware in the multiprocessor data processing system from a first firmware setting to a second firmware setting. The service processor iteratively applies the second firmware setting to hardware within the multiprocessor data processing system by de-allocating a first hardware device when the second firmware setting includes at least one destructive operation targeted to the first hardware device, performing the destructive operation on the first hardware device, and re-allocating the first hardware device into the multiprocessor data processing system when the destructive operation is complete.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a firmware update in a multiprocessor data processing system, said method comprising:

updating firmware in said multiprocessor data processing system from a first firmware setting to a second firmware setting; and

iteratively applying said second firmware setting to hardware within said multiprocessor data processing system by;

when said second firmware setting includes at least one destructive operation targeted to a first hardware device, de-allocating said first hardware device;

performing said destructive operation on said first hardware device; and

when said destructive operation is complete, re-allocating said first hardware device into said multiprocessor data processing system.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a boot process in said multiprocessor data processing system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said destructive operation is an operation that takes said first hardware device offline when performed on said first hardware device.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

when said second firmware setting does not include at least one destructive operation, applying said second firmware setting to said first hardware device without said de-allocating and said re-allocating said first hardware device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said de-allocating said first hardware device further comprises:

de-allocating said first hardware device via a hot-removal procedure.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said re-allocating said first hardware device further comprises:

re-allocating said first hardware device via a hot-plug procedure.

7. A system for implementing a firmware update in a multiprocessor data processing system, said system comprising:

a plurality of processors;

a data bus coupled to said plurality of processors;

a computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, said computer-usable medium being coupled to said data bus, said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said plurality of processors and configured for;

updating firmware in said multiprocessor data processing system from a first firmware setting to a second firmware setting; and

iteratively applying said second firmware setting to hardware within said multiprocessor data processing system by;

when said second firmware setting includes at least one destructive operation targeted to a first hardware device, de-allocating said first hardware device;

performing said destructive operation on said first hardware device; and

when said destructive operation is complete, re-allocating said first hardware device into said multiprocessor data processing system.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said instructions are further configured for:

initiating a boot process in said multiprocessor data processing system.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein said destructive operation is an operation that takes said first hardware device offline when performed on said first hardware device.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein said instructions are further configured for:

when said second firmware setting does not include at least one destructive operation, applying said second firmware setting to said first hardware device without said de-allocating and said re-allocating said first hardware device.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein said instructions for said de-allocating said first hardware device are further configured for:

de-allocating said first hardware device via a hot-removal procedure.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein said instructions for said re-allocating said first hardware device are further configured for:

re-allocating said first hardware device via a hot-plug procedure.

13. A computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, said computer program code comprising computer-executable instructions configured for:

updating firmware in a multiprocessor data processing system from a first firmware setting to a second firmware setting; and

iteratively applying said second firmware setting to hardware within said multiprocessor data processing system by;

when said second firmware setting includes at least one destructive operation targeted to a first hardware device, de-allocating said first hardware device;

performing said destructive operation on said first hardware device; and

when said destructive operation is complete, re-allocating said first hardware device into said multiprocessor data processing system.

14. The computer-usable medium according to claim 13, wherein said embodied computer-program code further comprises computer-executable instructions configured for:

initiating a boot process in said multiprocessor data processing system.

15. The computer-usable medium according to claim 13, wherein said destructive operation is an operation that takes said first hardware device offline when performed on said first hardware device.

16. The computer-usable medium according to claim 13, wherein said embodied computer-program code further comprises computer-executable instructions configured for:

when said second firmware setting does not include at least one destructive operation, applying said second firmware setting to said first hardware device without said de-allocating and said re-allocating said first hardware device.

17. The computer-usable medium according to claim 13, wherein said embodied computer-program code comprising computer-executable instructions configured for said de-allocating said first hardware device further comprises computer-executable instructions configured for:

de-allocating said first hardware device via a hot-removal procedure.

18. The computer-usable medium according to claim 13, wherein said embodied computer-program code comprising computer-executable instructions configured for said re-allocating said first hardware device further comprises computer-executable instruction configured for:

re-allocating said first hardware device via a hot-plug procedure.

19. The computer-useable medium of claim 13, wherein the computer executable instructions are deployable to a client computer from a server at a remote location.

20. The computer-useable medium of claim 13, wherein the computer executable instructions are provided by a service provider to a customer on an on-demand basis.