TRANSPARENT UPDATE OF ADAPTER FIRMWARE FOR SELF-VIRTUALIZING INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICE
First Claim
1. A method of updating firmware associated with a self-virtualizing input/output (IO) resource in a logically partitioned data processing system, the method comprising:
- updating at least one firmware image that includes updated resource firmware associated with the self-virtualizing IO resource and adjunct partition firmware associated with an adjunct partition for the self-virtualizing IO resource;
restarting the adjunct partition such that the adjunct partition executes the updated firmware image; and
during restarting of the adjunct partition, maintaining a logical partition that uses the self-virtualizing IO resource in an active state and without deconfiguring the self-virtualizing IO resource from the logical partition.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A firmware update process for a self-virtualizing IO resource such as an SRIOV adapter is incorporated into a platform firmware update process to systematically update the resource firmware in a manner that is for the most part transparent to the logical partitions sharing the adapter. In particular, resource firmware associated with a self-virtualizing IO resource is bundled with firmware for at least one adjunct partition associated with that self-virtualizing IO resource within a common firmware image so that, upon restart of the adjunct partition to use the updated firmware image, the resource firmware is also updated, with a logical partition that uses the self-virtualizing IO resource maintained in an active state during the restart, and without requiring the self-virtualizing IO resource to be deconfigured from the logical partition.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of updating firmware associated with a self-virtualizing input/output (IO) resource in a logically partitioned data processing system, the method comprising:
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updating at least one firmware image that includes updated resource firmware associated with the self-virtualizing IO resource and adjunct partition firmware associated with an adjunct partition for the self-virtualizing IO resource; restarting the adjunct partition such that the adjunct partition executes the updated firmware image; and during restarting of the adjunct partition, maintaining a logical partition that uses the self-virtualizing IO resource in an active state and without deconfiguring the self-virtualizing IO resource from the logical partition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus, comprising:
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at least one processor; and program code configured upon execution by the at least one processor to update firmware associated with a self-virtualizing input/output (IO) resource in a logically partitioned data processing system by updating at least one firmware image that includes updated resource firmware associated with the self-virtualizing IO resource and adjunct partition firmware associated with an adjunct partition for the self-virtualizing IO resource, restarting the adjunct partition such that the adjunct partition executes the updated firmware image, and maintaining a logical partition that uses the self-virtualizing IO resource in an active state and without deconfiguring the self-virtualizing IO resource from the logical partition during restarting of the adjunct partition. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A program product, comprising:
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a computer readable medium; and program code stored on the computer readable medium and configured upon execution to update firmware associated with a self-virtualizing input/output (IO) resource in a logically partitioned data processing system by updating at least one firmware image that includes updated resource firmware associated with the self-virtualizing IO resource and adjunct partition firmware associated with an adjunct partition for the self-virtualizing IO resource, restarting the adjunct partition such that the adjunct partition executes the updated firmware image, and maintaining a logical partition that uses the self-virtualizing IO resource in an active state and without deconfiguring the self-virtualizing IO resource from the logical partition during restarting of the adjunct partition.
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Specification