UPDATING FIRMWARE IN A HYBRID COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20130179870A1
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kelso, Scott E., Li, Jian, Perrin, Steven R., Roper, Matthew P., Strazisar, Bradley P., Zhang, Jianbang
• Granted Patent: US 8,972,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Systems, methods and products directed toward facilitating firmware updates in a hybrid computing environment. One aspect includes providing a primary operating environment and a secondary operating environment in an information handling device; downloading one or more firmware update packages appropriate for the secondary operating environment to the primary operating environment; and executing a firmware update tool from the primary operating environment, the firmware update tool being configured to install the one or more firmware update packages on the secondary operating environment. Other embodiments are described herein.

Claims

1. An information handling device comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memories storing program instructions accessible by the one or more processors; and

wherein, responsive to execution of program instructions accessible to the one or more processors, the one or more processors are configured to;

provide a primary operating environment and a secondary operating environment;

download one or more firmware update packages appropriate for the secondary operating environment to the primary operating environment; and

execute a firmware update tool from the primary operating environment, the firmware update tool being configured to install the one or more firmware update packages on the secondary operating environment.

2. The information handling device according to claim 1, wherein the firmware update tool is executed responsive to a trigger to switch from the primary operating environment to the secondary operating environment

3. The information handling device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to query versions of one or more firmware applications resident on the secondary operating environment.

4. The information handling device according to claim 3, wherein the versions of the one or more firmware applications are stored in one or more registry files of the primary operating environment.

5. The information handling device according to claim 1, wherein one or more flags are configured to indicate that one or more firmware update packages are available.

6. The information handling device according to claim 1, further comprising a primary operating environment installer tool configured to stage the one or more firmware update packages.

7. The information handling device according to claim 6, wherein the primary operating environment installer tool is activated responsive to the downloading of one or more firmware update packages.

8. The information handling device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more firmware update packages are installed on the secondary operating environment responsive to one or more information handling device conditions.

9. The information handling device according to claim 8, wherein the one or more information handling device conditions comprise a power level of a battery being above a predetermined threshold.

10. The information handling device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to provide progress information of the one or more firmware update packages being installed on the secondary operating environment.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more flags are configured to indicate that one or more firmware update packages are available.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a primary operating environment installer tool configured to stage the one or more firmware update packages.

11. A method comprising:

providing a primary operating environment and a secondary operating environment in an information handling device;

downloading one or more firmware update packages appropriate for the secondary operating environment to the primary operating environment; and

executing a firmware update tool from the primary operating environment, the firmware update tool being configured to install the one or more firmware update packages on the secondary operating environment.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the firmware update tool is executed responsive to a trigger to switch from the primary operating environment to the secondary operating environment

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising querying versions of one or more firmware applications resident on the secondary operating environment.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the versions of the one or more firmware applications are stored in one or more registry files of the primary operating environment.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the one or more firmware update packages are installed on the secondary operating environment responsive to one or more information handling device conditions.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the one or more information handling device conditions comprise a power level of a battery being above a predetermined threshold.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising providing progress information for the one or more firmware update packages being installed on the secondary operating environment.

20. A program product comprising:

a storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code comprising;

program code configured to provide a primary operating environment and a secondary operating environment in an information handling device;

program code configured to download one or more firmware update packages appropriate for the secondary operating environment to the primary operating environment; and

program code configured to execute a firmware update tool from the primary operating environment, the firmware update tool being configured to install the one or more firmware update packages on the secondary operating environment.