SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SUPPORTING HOST-BASED FIRMWARE UPGRADE OF INPUT/OUTPUT (I/O) DEVICES IN A MIDDLEWARE MACHINE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20150161391A1
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnsen, Bjrn Dag, Mayhead, Martin Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,665,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories

Abstract

A system and method can support controlled and secure firmware upgrade in a middleware machine environment. The system can provide a boot image of an operating system (OS) in a host node, wherein the host node connects to a shared resource, such as a network fabric, via an input/out (I/O) device. The boot image can receive at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update from the host node, and upgrade firmware in the I/O device associated with the host node. Furthermore, the host-based firmware upgrade can be based on a special boot image that is prevented from accessing local information on the host node, or a normal boot image that is prevented from controlling the I/O device.

Claims

1. A method for supporting controlled and secure firmware upgrade in a middleware machine environment, comprising:

providing a boot image of an operating system (OS) in a host node, wherein the host node connects to a shared resource via an input/out (I/O) device;

receiving, via the boot image, at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update from a host administrator that manages the host node, and

upgrading, via the boot image, firmware in the I/O device associated with the host node.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the I/O device to be a host channel adaptor (HCA), and allowing the shared resource to be a network fabric.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

preventing the boot image from accessing local information on the host node.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

authenticating the boot image with an external resource owner that manages the shared resource.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

containing a password in the boot image, wherein the password is used to upgrade the firmware in the I/O device associated with the host node.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

preventing the boot image from controlling the I/O device.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

allowing said at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update to be encrypted.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

decrypting, via the I/O device, the received at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

allowing a host administrator to store a requested firmware image version in a persisted storage associated with the I/O device.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

allowing the host administrator to control when the firmware upgrade is taking place.

11. A system for supporting controlled and secure firmware upgrade in a middleware machine environment, comprising:

one or more microprocessors;

a boot image of an operating system (OS) in a host node, running on the one or more microprocessors, wherein the host node connects to a shared resource, and

wherein the boot image on the host node operates to

receive at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update from the host node, and

upgrade firmware in the I/O device associated with the host node.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein:

the I/O device is a host channel adaptor (HCA), and the shared resource is a network fabric.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein:

the boot image is prevented from accessing local information on the host node.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein:

the boot image authenticates itself with an external resource owner that manages the shared resource.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein:

the boot image contains a password, wherein the password is used to upgrade the firmware in the I/O device associated with the host node.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein:

the boot image is prevented from controlling the I/O device.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein:

said at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update is encrypted.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein:

the I/O device operates to decrypt the received at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein:

a host administrator is allowed to store a requested firmware image version in a persisted storage associated with the I/O device, and to control when the firmware upgrade is taking place.

20. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed cause a system to perform the steps comprising:

providing a boot image of an operating system (OS) in a host node, wherein the host node connects to a shared resource;

receiving at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update, via the boot image, and

upgrading, via the boot image, firmware in the I/O device associated with the host node.