TECHNOLOGIES FOR REPROGRAMMING NETWORK INTERFACE CARDS OVER A NETWORK

• US 20160188313A1
• Filed: 12/27/2014
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Dubal, Scott P., Connor, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 9,846,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

Technologies for reprogramming/updating non-volatile memory (NVM) for a peripheral, such as a network interface controller (NIC). Communications are provided in the NIC for communicating data to and from a network from a computer node, along with a controller operatively coupled to the communications for controlling the communication of data. A NIC access redirection agent module is configured to accesses a NVM firmware image from the network via the communications to reprogram and/or update the NIC, wherein the accessed NVM firmware image is utilized by the computer node NIC for operation. A network node may include a firmware manager for selecting one of a plurality of NVM firmware images and provide access to the selected NVM firmware image for the computer node to update computer node firmware for the computing device over the computer network.

Claims

1. A computing device for updating firmware for a network interface controller (NIC) for communicating over a network, comprising:

a controller module for controlling the communication of data between the NIC and the network; and

an access redirection agent module, wherein the access redirection agent module accesses a non-volatile memory (NVM) firmware image over the network via the controller module and wherein the accessed NVM firmware image is utilized by the NIC in the computing device for operation.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the access redirection agent module accesses the NVM firmware image via the controller module using Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) over Ethernet.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the access redirection agent module accesses the NVM firmware image via the controller module using NVM over Ethernet.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the access redirection agent module comprises a firmware routine that is executed by the access redirection agent module.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the access redirection agent module comprises an applet that executes in a background of a computing device operating system.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the access redirection agent module redirects NVM register access in the computing device to the controller module for communication of data to the network.

7. A network node for reprogramming a network interface controller (NIC) for a computing device on a compute node coupled to a computer network, the network node comprising:

communications for communicating data with the computer network;

a database for storing a plurality of non-volatile memory (NVM) firmware images; and

a firmware manager module operatively coupled to the communications and the database, wherein the firmware management module selects one of the plurality of NVM firmware images and provide access to the selected NVM firmware image for the computer node to update computer node firmware for the NIC over the computer network.

9. The network node of claim 9, wherein the firmware manager module provides access to the NVM firmware image via the communications using NVM over Ethernet.

8. The network node of claim 9, wherein the firmware manager module provides access to the NVM firmware image via the communications using Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) over Ethernet.

10. The network node of claim 9, wherein the firmware manager module provides access to the NVM firmware image via a firmware routine that is executed by an access redirection agent module the computer node.

11. The network node of claim 9, wherein the firmware manager module provides access to the NVM firmware image via an applet that executes in a background of a computer node'"'"'s operating system.

12. The network node of claim 9, wherein the firmware manager module provides access to the NVM firmware image via a access redirection agent module in the computer node that redirects NVM register access in the computer node to the server node.

13. The network node of claim 9, wherein the communications communicate data utilizing a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP).

15. One or more computer-readable storage media for a network interface controller (NIC) for a computing device coupled to a network, the computer-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that in response to being executed cause a computing device to:

establishing communications with the network via a controller module;

activating an access redirection agent module in the computing device to access a non-volatile memory (NVM) firmware image from the network; and

utilizing the accessed NVM firmware image for the NIC of the computing device for operation.

14. The network node of claim 15, wherein the communications communicate data utilizing a Dynamic Host Configuration (DHCP) protocol in conjunction with the TFTP.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein accessing the NVM firmware image comprises accessing the NVM firmware image using NVM over Ethernet.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein accessing the NVM firmware image comprises accessing the NVM firmware image using Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) over Ethernet.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein activating an access redirection agent module comprises activating a firmware routine that is executed by the NIC.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein activating an access redirection agent module comprises activating an applet that executes in a background of a computing device operating system.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17, further comprising redirecting NVM register access in the computing device via the access redirection agent module to the controller for communication to the network.

21. One or more computer-readable storage media for reprogramming a network interface controller (NIC) for a computing device on a compute node via a server node coupled to a computer network, the computer-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that in response to being executed cause one or more computing devices to:

receiving a plurality of non-volatile memory (NVM) firmware images via communications in the server node;

storing, in a memory, the plurality of NVM firmware images in a server node database;

selecting, via a server node firmware manager module, one of the plurality of NVM firmware images; and

providing access, via the server node firmware manager module, to the selected NVM firmware image for the computer node to update computer node firmware for the computing device over the computer network.

22. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 25, wherein providing access to the NVM firmware image comprises receiving a signal provided from a firmware routine that is executed by the computer node.

23. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 25, wherein providing access to the NVM firmware image comprises receiving a signal provided from an applet that executes in a background of a computer node'"'"'s operating system.

24. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 25, wherein providing access to the NVM firmware image comprises receiving a signal provided from an access redirection agent module in the computer node that redirects NVM register access in the computer node to the server node.