Circuit pack system with semi-or fully-automatic upgrade capability

• US 6,301,709 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Warmink, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chavis, John Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/201,515
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 717/11
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method for handling upgrades of systems comprising two circuit packs which contain memory. In one embodiment, on some trigger signal to a circuit pack, that circuit pack acts as a slave circuit pack, and causes version information for the data stored in the memory of the second circuit pack, which acts as a master circuit pack, to be transferred to the slave circuit pack. If the transferred version information indicates that the data in the slave circuit pack should be updated, the slave circuit pack causes a transfer of information from memory in the master circuit pack to the slave circuit pack, and stores the new information in the memory of the slave circuit pack.

Claims

1. A method for upgrading the contents of a circuit pack containing a memory storage device which stores data within a system comprising two circuit packs containing memory storage devices and a means for communication between said two circuit packs, comprising the steps of:

a. designating a first of said two circuit packs to act as a slave circuit pack;

b. designating the second of said two circuit packs to act as a master circuit pack;

c. sending an activation signal only to said first of said two circuit packs whereby, upon receipt by said first circuit pack of said signal, said first circuit pack is caused to act as said slave circuit pack and requests from said second circuit pack, which acts as said master circuit pack, master circuit pack version information stored in a version information storage area within a memory storage device of said master circuit pack to be transferred from said master circuit pack to said slave circuit pack; and

d. causing said slave circuit pack to determine, based upon a calculation using said master circuit pack version information and said slave circuit pack version information stored in a version information memory storage area within a memory storage device of said slave circuit pack, whether said slave circuit pack contains within a memory storage device stored information which should be replaced with stored information that said master circuit pack contains within a memory storage device; and

if said slave circuit pack does contain stored information which should be replaced, causing said system to perform steps to effectuate such a replacement.

2. The method of claim 1 where said calculation using said master circuit pack version information and said slave circuit pack version information also uses information from a check on a means to indicate a state within said system.

3. The method of claim 2 where said means to indicate a state within said system comprises the contents of a data location within a memory storage device of said slave circuit pack.

4. The method of claim 3 where said data location is in a non-volatile portion of a memory storage device on the slave circuit pack.

5. The method of claim 2 where said means to indicate a state within said system comprises an externally provided hardware signal.

6. The method of claim 5 where said externally-provided hardware signal comprises a switch.

7. The method of claim 5 where said externally-provided hardware signal comprises an LED test button.

8. The method of claim 1 where said calculation using said master circuit pack version information and said slave circuit pack version information comprises a check to see if said master circuit pack version information is more current than said slave circuit pack version information.

9. The method of claim 1 where said steps to effectuate such a replacement consist of the steps of:

a. causing said slave circuit pack to erase an area of a memory storage device in said slave circuit pack;

b. causing said slave circuit pack to cause said master circuit pack to send stored information from an area of a memory storage device in said master circuit pack; and

c. causing said slave circuit pack to receive said stored information from an area of a memory storage device in said master circuit pack and store said stored information from an area of a memory storage device in said master circuit pack in said area of a memory storage device in said slave circuit pack.

10. The method of claim 1 where the means for communication comprises an asynchronous serial interface over which data can be sent.

11. The method of claim 1 where said signal received by said one of said two circuit packs within the system is a reset signal.

12. The method of claim 1 where the system comprises a communications system.

13. The method of claim 1 where the circuit packs comprise shelf controller circuit packs.

14. An apparatus consisting of at least two circuit packs that is adapted to upgrade the contents of one of said circuit packs by the method of claim 1.

15. An apparatus as in claim 14 where the apparatus is a communications system.

16. An apparatus as in claim 14 where the circuit packs are metallic shelf controller circuit packs.

17. The method of claim 1 including the steps of

a. operating said two circuit packs in a normal function mode before the activation signal is sent to said first of said two circuit packs;

b. continuing to operate said master pack in said normal function mode after the activation signal is sent to said first circuit pack whereby said first circuit pack is caused to act as said slave circuit pack in a reprogramming function mode.