STACKED HARDWARE ABSTRACTION LAYER METHODS FOR MAINTAINING SOFTWARE/HARDWARE BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY
First Claim
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1. A stacked hardware abstraction layer method for maintaining software/hardware backward compatibility for networking equipment and the like, the method comprising:
- given application software and a hardware abstraction layer associated with a newer release and a device comprising firmware associated with an older release, providing one or more shadow hardware abstraction layers for each intervening release;
transferring messages that are supported by the older release between the application software and the device through the one or more shadow hardware abstraction layers;
filtering messages that are not supported by the older release between the application software and the device at the one or more shadow hardware abstraction layers; and
thereby upgrading the firmware of the device to the newer release.
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Abstract
In various exemplary embodiments, the present invention provides methods for maintaining software/hardware backward compatibility across multiple versions in a modular and scalable manner. More specifically, the present invention provides, stacked hardware abstraction layer methods for maintaining software/hardware backward compatibility for networking equipment and the like.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A stacked hardware abstraction layer method for maintaining software/hardware backward compatibility for networking equipment and the like, the method comprising:
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given application software and a hardware abstraction layer associated with a newer release and a device comprising firmware associated with an older release, providing one or more shadow hardware abstraction layers for each intervening release; transferring messages that are supported by the older release between the application software and the device through the one or more shadow hardware abstraction layers; filtering messages that are not supported by the older release between the application software and the device at the one or more shadow hardware abstraction layers; and thereby upgrading the firmware of the device to the newer release. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for the upgrade of firmware on one or more circuit packs, the method comprising:
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performing a general software release upgrade of a network element comprising one or more circuit packs, wherein the general software release upgrade comprises loading firmware images on one or more modules; booting the one or more circuit packs; checking firmware on the one or more circuit packs; for circuit packs of the one or more circuit packs with a firmware revision below the general software release upgrade, running one or more shadow hardware abstraction layers to communicate between each of the circuit packs and the network element; and raising a firmware mismatch for each of the circuit packs with a firmware revision below the general software release upgrade. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A rolling upgrade method for firmware on one or more circuit packs in a network element, the method comprising:
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performing a general software release upgrade of the network element comprising one or more circuit packs; initializing the one or more circuit packs; checking firmware on the one or more circuit packs; for circuit packs of the one or more circuit packs with a firmware revision below the general software release upgrade, running one or more shadow hardware abstraction layers to communicate between each of the circuit packs and the network element; raising a firmware mismatch for each of the circuit packs with a firmware revision below the general software release upgrade; and sequentially upgrading each circuit pack of the circuit packs with a firmware revision below the general software release upgrade to a firmware revision associated with the general software release upgrade. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification