METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FIELD FIRMWARE UPDATES IN DATA STORAGE SYSTEMS

• US 20090271533A1
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Asnaashari, Mehdi
• Granted Patent: US 9,009,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/031 Protect user input by software means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

Data storage devices and methods for updating firmware are disclosed. For example, one such data storage device includes a device firmware and a controller, where the controller operates in accordance with the device firmware. The controller determines whether or not the device firmware can be updated with new firmware at least partially based on whether or not the new firmware meets a criterion related to a configuration profile of the device firmware.

Claims

1. A data storage device, comprising:

a device firmware; and

a controller operating in accordance with the device firmware, the controller operable to determine whether or not the device firmware can be updated with new firmware at least partially based on whether or not the new firmware meets a criterion related to a configuration profile of the device firmware.

2. The data storage device of claim 1 wherein the criterion comprises the configuration profile of the new firmware matching the configuration profile of the device firmware except that a particular characteristic of the configuration profile of the new firmware differs from a corresponding characteristic of the configuration profile of the device firmware.

3. The data storage device of claim 2 wherein the configuration profile of the new firmware and the configuration profile of the device firmware each comprises at least some of controller type, memory type, major version of the firmware, and minor version of the firmware, and wherein the particular characteristic of the configuration profile of the new firmware is the minor version of the new firmware and the corresponding characteristic of the configuration profile of the device firmware is the minor version of the device firmware.

4. The data storage device of claim 1 wherein the controller is operable to check for available instances of new firmware when the data storage device is connected to a host system, wherein the controller is operable to compare a respective configuration profile of each of the available instances of new firmware with the configuration profile of the device firmware to identify which ones of the available instances of new firmware can be used to update the device firmware.

5. The data storage device of claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a device controller coupled to a memory and operable to control data storage in and retrieval from the memory, and wherein the data storage device further comprises a smart card coupled to the device controller.

6. The data storage device of claim 5 wherein the configuration profile is stored in the smart card, and wherein the smart card is operable to determine whether or not the device firmware can be updated with the new firmware at least partially based on whether or not the new firmware meets the criterion.

7. The data storage device of claim 6 wherein the smart card is further operable to update the device firmware with the new firmware if the new firmware meets the criterion.

8. A data storage device, comprising:

a memory;

a device firmware having operating instruction and a plurality of configuration characteristics of the data storage device;

a device controller coupled to the memory and control data storage in and retrieval from the memory; and

a smart card coupled to the device controller, the smart card operable to verify whether or not a new firmware can be used to update the device firmware.

9. The data storage device of claim 8 wherein the smart card operable to verify whether or not a new firmware can be used to update the device firmware comprises the smart card operable to identify a configuration profile of the device firmware and determine whether or not a respective configuration profile of the new firmware meets a criterion related to the configuration profile of the device firmware.

10. The data storage device of claim 9 further comprising the smart card further operable to update the device firmware with the new firmware if the configuration profile of the new firmware meets a criterion related to the configuration profile of the device firmware.

11. The data storage device of claim 8 wherein the smart card operable to verify whether or not a new firmware can be used to update the device firmware comprises the smart card operable to store a configuration profile of the device firmware, and further operable to compare a respective configuration profile of each of at least one instance of new firmware to the configuration profile of the device firmware to identify those of the at least one instance of new firmware that meet a criterion with respect to the configuration profile of the device firmware.

12. The data storage device of claim 11 further comprising the smart card further operable to update the device firmware with one of the identified instances of the new firmware without user intervention.

13. The data storage device of claim 11 further comprising the smart card further operable to update the device firmware with one of the identified instances of the new firmware upon user intervention.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

a device firmware having operating instructions and a configuration profile; and

a controlling unit configured to operate in accordance with a set of firmware update instructions to determine whether or not a new firmware can be used to update the device firmware at least partially based on a criterion related to the configuration profile of the device firmware, the controlling unit further configured to operate in accordance with the set of firmware update instructions to update the device firmware with the new firmware if the new firmware at least satisfies the criterion.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 wherein the set of firmware update instructions is part of the operating instructions of the device firmware.

16. The electronic device of claim 14 further comprising a memory, wherein the controlling unit comprises a device controller coupled to the memory and further operable to control data storage in and data retrieval from the memory, and wherein the set of firmware update instructions is implemented in the device controller.

17. The electronic device of claim 14 further comprising a memory and a device controller coupled to the memory to control data storage in and data retrieval from the memory, wherein the controlling unit comprises a smart card, and wherein the set of firmware update instructions is implemented in the smart card.

18. The electronic device of claim 14 wherein the configuration profile of the device firmware comprises a plurality of configuration parameters, wherein the new firmware has a respective configuration profile having a plurality of configuration parameters, and wherein the criterion comprises all but one of the configuration parameters of the new firmware match corresponding ones of the configuration parameters of the device firmware.

19. A method of updating a current firmware of a data storage device, comprising:

identifying a configuration profile of the current firmware;

determining whether or not a respective configuration profile of a new firmware meets a criterion related to the configuration profile of the current firmware; and

updating the current firmware with the new firmware if the configuration profile of the new firmware meets the criterion.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the criterion comprises a minor version of the new firmware being different from a minor version of the current firmware while other configuration parameters of the new firmware being the same as corresponding configuration parameters of the current firmware.

21. A method of updating a current firmware of an electronic device, comprising:

comparing a respective configuration profile of each of at least one instance of new firmware to a configuration profile of the current firmware to determine whether or not each of the at least one instance of new firmware meets a criterion related to the configuration profile of the current firmware; and

identifying those of the at least one instance of new firmware that meet the criterion so that only the identified instances of the at least one instance of new firmware can be used to update the current firmware.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the criterion comprises all but a particular number of a respective plurality of configuration characteristics in the configuration profile of one of the at least one instance of new firmware matching corresponding ones of a plurality of configuration characteristics in the configuration profile of the current firmware.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the configuration profile of the current firmware includes a minor version of the current firmware and other configuration characteristics of the current firmware, wherein the respective configuration profile of each of the at least one instance of new firmware includes a minor version of the respective new firmware and other configuration characteristics of the respective new firmware, and wherein the criterion comprises the only difference between the configuration profile of the current firmware and the respective configuration profile of one of the at least one instance of new firmware being the minor version of the firmware.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising updating the current firmware with one of those identified instances of the at least one instance of new firmware by a smart card in the electronic device without user intervention.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising updating the current firmware with one of those identified instances of the at least one instance of new firmware by a smart card in the electronic device upon user intervention.