State copying method for software update

• US 6,463,584 B1
• Filed: 03/11/1999
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Kling, Lars-Örjan, Gard, Bengt Erik Ingemar, Johnsson, Sten Edvard
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US09/265,965
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 717/1, 717/11, 717/100, 717/168, 717/169-178, 709/202, 709/221, 709/215, 711/162, 370/438, 370/396
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/74 using duplex memories, i.e. using dual copies

Abstract

To provide an approach to software update with scaleable disturbance there is proposed a state copying method for a computation system with at least two logic partitions wherein a state of new software in a standby partition is updated to the state of old software in an executing partition while continuing execution of the old software. Data is transferred from the executing partition to the standby partition in a scaleable way and as soon as the same state is achieved for the standby partition and the executing partition the execution is switched to the new, software. This provides a scaleable degree of disturbance due to the software update.

Claims

1. A software processing device including update functionality, comprising:

memory means subdivided into an executing memory partition means for storing a first group of software modules and related data, and a standby memory partition means for storing a second group of software modules and related data;

update control means adapted to update a state of new software in the standby memory partition means to a state of old software in the executing memory partition means during continuation of execution of the old software;

transfer means for scalably transferring data from the executing memory partition means to the standby memory partition means; and

switching means and state comparison means to instantly switch to execution of new software gas soon as a same state is detected for the standby memory partition means and the executing memory partition means by the state comparison means.

2. A software processing device according to claim 1, wherein the update control means comprises:

a memory administration means to allocate and deallocate memory sections for the new and old software and data and to maintain reference information therefor; and

a transfer control unit to control the transfer means according to instructions for the scalable transfer of data.

3. A software processing device including update functionality, comprising:

memory means subdivided into an executing memory partition means for storing a first group of software modules and related data, and a standby memory partition means for storing a second group of software modules and related data;

update control means adapted to update a state of new software in the standby memory partition means to a state of old software in the executing memory partition means during continuation of execution of the old software; and

transfer means for scalably transferring data from the executing memory partition means to the standby memory partition means,

wherein each memory partition means is assigned at least one take over means to carry out default actions in case data related to old software is only partly transferred such that the take over means is activated immediately after switch over.

4. A software processing device including update functionality, comprising:

memory-means subdivided into an executing memory partition means for storing a first group of software modules and related data, and a standby memory partition means for storing a second group of software modules and related data;

update control means adapted to update a state of new software in the standby memory partition means to a state of old software in the executing memory partition means during continuation of execution of the old software; and

transfer means for scalably transferring data from the executing memory partition means to the standby memory partition means,

wherein the transfer means copies data either unchanged or after conversion into a new representation for the new software.

5. A software processing device according to claim 4, wherein the transfer means carries out the conversion of data parallel with and without disturbing the execution of old software in the executing memory partition means.

6. A software processing device according to claim 4, wherein the transfer means comprises a dedicated conversion means.

7. A software processing device including update functionality, comprising:

memory means subdivided into an executing memory partition means for storing a first group of software modules and related data, and a standby memory partition means for storing a second group of software modules and related data;

update control means adapted to update a state of new software in the standby memory partition means to a state of old software in the executing memory partition means during continuation of execution of the old software;

transfer means for scalably transferring data from the executing memory partition means to the standby memory partition means; and

switching means for switching between software on the executing memory partition means and the standby memory partition means,

wherein the update control means repeatedly updates until the switching means switches to execution of the new software to keep track of a changing state in the executing memory partition means.

8. A software processing device according to claim 7, wherein if data related to the old software is not transferred at the time of switch over the transfer means transfers, if necessary, this data before a start of the new software.

9. A software processing device according to claim 7, wherein the update control means instructs continuation of the old software in the executing memory partition means in case an error situation occurs before switch over.

10. Software processing device according to claim 7, wherein the switching means is adapted to perform a switch back such that the partition with the old software becomes again the executive memory partition means in case an error during execution of the new software occurs after switch over.

11. A distributed computing system including update functionality, comprising:

at least one main processor means selected from a plurality of processors in the distributed computing environment to handle distribution;

of processing tasks in the distributed computing environment and interactions of the processors comprised therein; and

at least one remote processor means having an update means to update new software into a memory partition of the remote processor means such that a state of the new software matches a state of the main processor means and execution of software in the remote processor means is switched to the new software as soon as the match is achieved, and data is scalably transferred between memory partitions of the processor means.

12. A distributed computing system according to claim 11, wherein:

if an interface between the remote processor means and the main processor means remains compatible after updating the new software into the remote processor means, then the main processor means updates its memory to achieve a combined upgrade of software in the remote processor means and the main processor means.

13. Distributed computing environment according to claim 11, wherein:

if an interface between the remote processor means and the main processor means is incompatible after software update, then the main processor means and the remote processor means update their respective memories and concurrently execute the software update necessary to adapt to a modified interface.

14. A state copying method for a computation system with at least two logic partitions, comprising the steps of:

loading new software into a standby partition means and updating a state of the new software in the standby partition means to a state of old software in an executing partition means while continuing execution of the old software;

scalably transferring data from the executing partition means to the standby partition means; and

switching to execution of new software as far as a same state is achieved for the standby partition means and the executing partition means.

15. A state copying method according to claim 14, wherein a transfer of data from the executing partition means to the standby partition means comprises the steps of:

copying of data transferred unchanged; and

converting data into a new representation for the new software.

16. A state copying method according to claim 15, wherein the conversion of data is done without disturbing the execution of old software in the executing partition means.

17. A state copying method according to claim 15, wherein the conversion of data is executed through a. dedicated conversion step.

18. A state copying method according to claim 14, wherein if data related to the old software is not transferred at the time of switch over, then this data is transferred, if necessary, before a start of the new software.

19. A state copying method according to claim 14, wherein data related to old software is only partly transferred and a special take over step is executed immediately after switch over to perform default actions not requiring complete input of data.

20. A state copying method according to claim 14, wherein if an error occurs before switch over then an update is terminated and the execution of the old software in the execution partition means is continued.

21. A state copying method according to claim 14, wherein a switch back step is performed such that the partition means with the old software becomes the executing partition means in case an error during execution of the new software occurs after switch over.

22. A state copying method according to claim 21, wherein the switch back includes a data transfer with data copy and convert, if necessary, performed with limited or no disturbance.

23. A state copying method according to claim 22, wherein the switch back step includes a recovery step executed before restarting the old software.

24. A state copying method for a computation system with at least two logic partitions, comprising the steps of:

updating a state of new software in a standby partition means to a state of old software in an executing partition means while continuing execution of the old software;

switching to execution of new software as far as a same state is achieved for the standby partition means and the executing partition means;

wherein the updating step also comprises an initialization step executed in parallel and without disturbance of the old software running in the executing partition means, and data is scalably transferred from the executing memory partition means to the standby memory partition means.

25. A state copying method according to claim 24, wherein the initialization step is either carried out immediately after loading the new software into the standby partition means or as soon as possible in case it is dependent on data from old software.

26. A state copying method for a computation system having at least two logic partitions, comprising the steps of:

updating a state of new software in a standby partition means to a state of old software in an executing partition means while continuing execution of the old software; and

switching to execution of new software as far as a same state is achieved for the standby partition means and the executing partition means;

wherein the updating step is executed repeatedly as background process software to keep track of a changing state in the executing partition means, and data is scalably transferred from the executing memory partition means to the standby memory partition means.

27. A state copying method for a computation system having at least two logic partitions, comprising the steps of:

updating a state of new software in a standby partition means to a state of old software in an executing partition means while continuing execution of the old software; and

switching to execution of new software as far as a same state is achieved for the standby partition means and the executing partition means, wherein the updating step is repeatedly executed in parallel with an initialization step, and data is scalably transferred from the executing memory partition mean,s to the standby memory partition means.

28. A state copying method for a distributed computation environment comprising one main processor means and at least one remote processor means, comprising the steps of:

updating new software into a first memory partition means of the remote processor means;

updating a state of the new software to achieve a match with a state of the main processor means while continuing execution of software in the main processor means, wherein data is scalably transferred between the first memory partition means and a second memory partition means; and

switching the execution of software in the remote processor means to the new software as soon as a match with the state of the main processor means is achieved.

29. State copying method according to claim 28, wherein further hardware components connected to the remote processor means are exchanged by blocking out the hardware components to be exchanged, then replacing them and finally deblocking them.