SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FIRMWARE UPDATE FOR NETWORK CONNECTED STORAGE SUBSYSTEM COMPONENTS

• US 20120159142A1
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Jibbe, Mahmoud K., Rossario, Britto, Kannan, Senthil, Sengupta, Dhishankar
• Granted Patent: US 9,146,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A system and method for providing firmware update for network connected storage subsystem components is disclosed. In one embodiment, the storage system is registered via a secured process using a client management module of a firmware update management module residing in a client device associated with the storage system. The storage system includes a plurality of storage subsystems. Further, an inventory list including each storage subsystem component in each of the plurality of storage subsystems along with its associated firmware code level is formed by the client management module. Furthermore, the inventory list along with an associated firmware code level of the storage system is stored by a registration management module of the firmware update management module residing in a registration server coupled to the client device via the network.

Claims

1. A method for providing firmware update to network connected storage subsystem components in a storage system, comprising:

registering the storage system via a secured process using a client management module of a firmware update management module residing in a client device associated with the storage system, wherein the storage system includes a plurality of storage subsystems;

forming an inventory list including each storage subsystem component in each of the plurality of storage subsystems along with its associated firmware code level upon completing the registration of the storage system by the client management module; and

storing the inventory list along with an associated firmware code level of the storage system by a registration management module of the firmware update management module residing in a registration server coupled to the client device via the network upon receiving the formed inventory list from the client management module for any future required firmware update.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more new firmware updates for one or more storage subsystem components by the registration management module;

determining whether the one or more storage subsystem components for which the one or more new firmware updates were received are in the registered storage system by the registration management module; and

if so, updating the firmware associated with the one or more storage subsystem components for which the one or more new firmware updates were received in the storage system by the client management module.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

if not, stopping the update process by the client management module.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein updating the firmware associated with the one or more storage subsystem components comprises:

determining whether the received one or more new firmware updates are already installed in the one or more storage subsystem components by the registration management module;

if the one or more new firmware updates are already installed in the one or more storage subsystem components, then stopping the update process by the client management module;

if the one or more new firmware updates are not already installed in the one or more subsystem components, then updating the firmware associated with the one or more storage subsystem components for which the one or more new firmware updates were received in the storage system by the client management module; and

if the one or more new firmware updates are not already installed in at least some storage subsystem components, then updating the firmware associated with the at least some storage subsystem components and stopping the update process for remaining storage subsystem components by the client management module.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein updating the firmware associated with the one or more storage subsystem components comprises:

notifying each client device having a particular subsystem component when a new firmware update associated with the particular subsystem component is released; and

updating the firmware associated with the particular subsystem component in each client device.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

substantially periodically updating the inventory list along with the firmware code level by reviewing each storage subsystem component in the storage system.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein updating the firmware associated with the one or more storage subsystem components comprises:

transferring, by the client management module, queued IO requests waiting for a particular storage subsystem component to a redundant storage subsystem component, when the client device initiates a remote update for the particular storage subsystem component during IO process;

performing, by the client management module, the remote update to the particular storage subsystem component; and

transferring back, by the client management module, the queued IO requests to the particular storage subsystem component from the redundant storage subsystem component upon updating the particular storage subsystem component.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein registering the storage system via the secured process comprises:

registering the storage system using XML information over hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the inventory list including each storage subsystem component in each of the plurality of storage subsystems along with its associated firmware code level upon completing the registration of the storage system by the client management module comprises:

determining firmware update parameters associated with each storage subsystem component in the inventory list upon receiving the inventory list from the client management module by the registration management module;

comparing the determined firmware update parameters with recommended firmware update parameters for each storage subsystem component in the inventory list by the registration management module; and

updating the firmware for each storage subsystem component in the inventory list based on the outcome of the comparison.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the firmware update parameters are selected from the group consisting of a component type, firmware code level and associated software and hardware information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each storage subsystem comprises a subsystem selected from the group consisting of a generic storage subsystem and an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) storage subsystem.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for providing firmware update to network connected storage subsystem components in a storage system, having instructions that, when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to:

register the storage system via a secured process using a client management module of a firmware update management module residing in a client device associated with the storage system, wherein the storage system includes a plurality of storage subsystems;

form an inventory list including each storage subsystem component in each of the plurality of storage subsystems along with its associated firmware code level upon completing the registration of the storage system by the client management module; and

store the inventory list along with an associated firmware code level of the storage system by a registration management module of the firmware update management module residing in a registration server coupled to the client device via the network upon receiving the formed inventory list from the client management module for any future required firmware update.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions to:

receive one or more new firmware updates for one or more storage subsystem components by the registration management module;

determine whether the one or more storage subsystem components for which the one or more new firmware updates were received are in the registered storage system by the registration management module; and

if so, update the firmware associated with the one or more storage subsystem components for which the one or more new firmware updates were received in the storage system by the client management module.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

if not, stop the update process by the client management module.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein updating the firmware associated with the one or more storage subsystem components comprises:

determining whether the received one or more new firmware updates are already installed in the one or more storage subsystem components by the registration management module;

if the one or more new firmware updates are already installed in the one or more storage subsystem components, then stopping the update process by the client management module;

if the one or more new firmware updates are not already installed in the one or more subsystem components, then updating the firmware associated with the one or more storage subsystem components for which the one or more new firmware updates were received in the storage system by the client management module; and

if the one or more new firmware updates are not already installed in at least some storage subsystem components, then updating the firmware associated with the at least some storage subsystem components and stopping the update process for remaining storage subsystem components by the client management module.

16. A system for firmware update for network connected storage subsystem components, comprising:

a storage system including a plurality of storage subsystems, wherein each of the plurality of storage subsystems includes a plurality of storage subsystem components;

a client device including a client management module of a firmware update management module, wherein the client device is communicatively coupled to the plurality of storage subsystem components via a private network;

a registration management server including a registration management module of the firmware update management module coupled to the client device via a public network; and

a registration storage server coupled to the registration management server, wherein the client management module registers the storage system via a secured process, wherein the client management module forms an inventory list including each storage subsystem component in each of the plurality of storage subsystems along with its associated firmware code level upon completing the registration of the storage system, and wherein the registration management module stores the inventory list along with an associated firmware code level of the storage system in the registration storage server upon receiving the formed inventory list from the client management module for any future required firmware update.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the registration management module upon receiving one or more new firmware updates for one or more storage subsystem components determines whether the one or more storage subsystem components for which the one or more new firmware updates were received are in the registered storage system, and the client management module then updates the firmware associated with the one or more storage subsystem components for which the one or more new firmware updates were received in the storage system if the one or more storage subsystem components for which the one or more new firmware updates were received are in the registered storage system.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the client management module stops the update process if the one or more storage subsystem components for which the one or more new firmware updates were received are not in the registered storage system.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the registration management module determines whether the received one or more new firmware updates are already installed in the one or more storage subsystem components, then the client management module is configured to:

stop the update process if the one or more new firmware updates are already installed in the one or more storage subsystem components;

update the firmware associated with the one or more storage subsystem components for which the one or more new firmware updates were received in the storage system if the one or more new firmware updates are not already installed in the one or more subsystem components; and

update the firmware associated with at least some storage subsystem components and stopping the update process for remaining storage subsystem components if the one or more new firmware updates are not already installed in the at least some storage subsystem components.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the registration management module notifies each client device having a particular subsystem component when a new firmware update associated with the particular subsystem component is released, and the client management module then updates the firmware associated with the particular subsystem component in each client device.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the client management module is further configured to:

transfer queued IO requests waiting for a particular storage subsystem component to a redundant storage subsystem component, when the client management module initiates a remote update for the particular storage subsystem component during IO process;

perform the remote update to the particular storage subsystem component; and

transfer back the queued IO requests to the particular storage subsystem component from the redundant storage subsystem component upon updating the particular storage subsystem component.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein each storage subsystem comprises a subsystem selected from the group consisting of a generic storage subsystem and an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) storage subsystem.