Microcode upgrade in data processing system

• US 6,516,346 B1
• Filed: 08/18/1999
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Whyte, Barry Douglas, Asco, Amadeo
• Primary Examiner(s): WINDER, PATRICE L
• Application Number:
  US09/376,591
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 717/168, 717/171, 717/172, 717/173, 717/178, 717/118, 717/170, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/221, 709/220, 709/222
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method for providing the automatic upgrade of microcode on a computer system connected to a remote system comprises executing a software tool on the computer system to determine the level of the current microcode on the system. The information on the current microcode level and associated system configuration information is sent automatically to the remote system where the microcode level and configuration information are checked against a database. On a determination that the current microcode level is not the latest level, the user of the computer system is notified that a more recent level is available and in response to a request by the user, the more recent microcode level is downloaded from the remote system. The user can then upgrade the microcode in the system.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the upgrading of microcode on a computer system, the method comprising:

determining the current level of microcode on the system and associated system configuration information, including at least information about hardware with which the microcode is associated;

sending the information on the current microcode level and the associated system configuration information to a remote computer system connected for communication to the local system;

checking, at the remote system, the current microcode level and the associated system configuration information against a database associated with the remote system;

on a determination that the current microcode level is not the latest level, notifying the user of the computer system that a more recent level is available and transmitting the more recent microcode level for storage on the computer system.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the computer system and remote computer system are connected via the Internet and the steps of determining the current microcode level and sending the information to the remote server are implemented as a software tool that presents a web browser interface to the user.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the step of notifying the user of the computer system that a more recent microcode level is available includes presenting a hyperlink to the location from which the more recent microcode level can be downloaded.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the step of notifying the user of the computer system that a more recent microcode level is available includes presenting a hyperlink to a software licence agreement relevant to the more recent microcode, the method further comprising making the download of the more recent microcode conditional on user acceptance of the terms and conditions of the software licence agreement.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

checking the level of the software tool;

sending information on the current software tool level to the remote system;

checking the current software tool level against a database associated with the remote system;

on a determination that the current software tool level is not the latest level, notifying the user of the computer system that a more recent level is available and, in response to a request by the user, transmitting the latest software tool level for storage on the computer system.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer system includes a storage adapter and the step of determining the current level of microcode includes determining the level of storage adapter microcode.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the computer system includes a plurality of storage devices connected to the storage adapter and the step of determining the current level of microcode includes determining the level(s) of storage device microcode.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the associated system information further includes information about the operating system of the computer system.

9. Apparatus for facilitating the automated upgrading of microcode on a data processing system connected for communication with a remote computer system, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining the current level of microcode on the data processing system and for communicating information on the current microcode level and associated system configuration information, including at least information about hardware with which the microcode is associated, to the remote system;

means, responsive to a message from the remote system that a more recent microcode level is available, for notifying the user of the computer system that a more recent microcode level is available and for receiving the more recent microcode level from the remote system or other computer system specified by the remote system.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means for notifying the user of the computer system includes a web browser for presenting a web page including a hyperlink to the location at the remote or other computer system from which the more recent microcode level can be downloaded.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means for notifying the user of the computer system includes a web browser for presenting a web page including a hyperlink to a software licence agreement relevant to the more recent microcode level, wherein downloading of the more recent microcode level is made conditional on user acceptance of the terms and conditions of the licence agreement.

12. Apparatus for upgrading microcode on a data processing system connected for communication with a remote computer system, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining the current level of microcode on the data processing system and for communicating information on the current microcode level and associated system configuration information, including at least information about hardware with which the microcode is associated, to the remote system;

means at the remote system for checking the current microcode level and the associated system configuration information against a database associated with the remote system;

means operable on a determination that the current microcode level is not the latest level, to notify the user of the data processing system that a more recent level is available and, responsive to a request by the user, to transmit the more recent microcode level for storage on the data processing system.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the data processing system and remote computer system are connected for communication over the Internet and the means for determining the current microcode level and for communicating information to the remote system and the means for notifying the user are implemented as a software tool including a web browser user interface.

14. Computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for facilitating the upgrading of microcode on a data processing system connected for communication with a remote computer system, the computer readable code means comprising:

code means for determining the current level of microcode on the data processing system and for communicating information on the current microcode level and associated system configuration information, including at least information about hardware with which the microcode is associated, to the remote system;

code means, responsive to a message from the remote system that a more recent microcode level is available, for notifying the user of the computer system that a more recent microcode level is available and, responsive to a user request, to download the more recent microcode level from the remote system.

15. A method for facilitating the upgrading of microcode on a computer system, the method comprising:

determining the current level of microcode on the computer system and associated system configuration information;

sending the information on the current microcode level and the associated system configuration information to a remote computer system connected for communication to the local system;

checking, at the remote system, the current microcode level and the associated system configuration information against a database associated with the remote system; and

on a determination that the current microcode level is not the latest level, notifying the user of the computer system that a more recent level is available and transmitting the more recent microcode level for storage on the computer system;

wherein the computer system includes a plurality of hardware devices connected thereto and the step of determining the current level of microcode includes determining the level(s) of hardware device microcode.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said plurality of hardware devices includes storage devices and the step of determining the current level of microcode includes determining the level(s) of storage device microcode.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said plurality of hardware devices are connected to the computer system by a hardware adapter and the step of determining the current level of microcode includes determining the level of hardware adapter microcode.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said plurality of hardware devices includes storage devices connected to the computer system by a storage adapter, and the step of determining the current level of microcode includes determining the level(s) of storage device microcode.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of determining the current level of microcode includes determining the level of storage adapter microcode.