Firmware upgrade for thin clients using one or more servers

• US 8,037,198 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell Marketing Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wyse Technology Incorporated (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Le, Bach H., Mason, Ryan, Lam, Mandy Sui Mei
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US12/468,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20090282157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 709228-232, 709/203, 717/168, 717/171, 717/173
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A process and system for upgrading firmware in a thin client in a network environment. The process may proceed on an automated basis during boot-up by using one or more FTP addresses stored in the thin client. Multiple FTP servers may be accessed. The same firmware upgrades may be stored on more than one FTP server. Different firmware upgrades may instead or in addition be stored on different FTP servers.

Claims

1. A process for upgrading firmware in a thin client, comprising:

sending an FTP request for a first firmware upgrade from the thin client to a first FTP server;

receiving the first firmware upgrade in response at the thin client from the first FTP server;

upgrading firmware in the thin client with the first firmware upgrade;

sending an FTP request for a second firmware upgrade from the thin client to a second FTP server that is different from the first FTP server;

receiving the second firmware upgrade in response at the thin client from the second FTP server; and

upgrading, by a processing system, firmware in the thin client with the second firmware upgrade,

wherein the processing system is hardware,

wherein the process comprises;

reading an address, for the first FTP server, from within the thin client;

reading an address, for the second FTP server, from within the thin client,

wherein the sending an FTP request for a first firmware upgrade to a first FTP server comprises sending an FTP request to the first FTP server at the address for the first FTP server that was read,

wherein the sending an FTP request for a second firmware upgrade to a second FTP server comprises sending the FTP request to the second FTP server at the address for the second FTP server that was read,

wherein the process comprises;

presenting a dialog box to an operator of the thin client;

receiving addresses, for the first FTP server and the second FTP server, entered into the dialog box by the operator,

wherein the receiving addresses comprises receiving addresses over a computer network from a location that is remote from the thin client.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an FTP request for information about the first firmware upgrade from the thin client to the first FTP server;

receiving the information about the first firmware upgrade in response at the thin client from the first FTP server;

comparing the information about the first firmware upgrade with information about firmware in the thin client,

wherein the upgrading firmware in the thin client with the first firmware upgrade occurs based on the comparing.

3. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an FTP request for information about the second firmware upgrade from the thin client to the second FTP server;

receiving the information about the second firmware upgrade in response at the thin client from the second FTP server;

comparing the information about the second firmware upgrade with information about firmware in the thin client,

wherein the upgrading firmware in the thin client with the second firmware upgrade occurs based on comparing the information about the second firmware upgrade with information about firmware in the thin client.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the first firmware upgrade is different than the second firmware upgrade, and wherein the process is executable automatically by the processing system without operator intervention.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the first firmware upgrade comprises an operating system, and the second firmware upgrade comprises an add-on.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the sending an FTP request comprises sending a series of FTP requests, wherein each of the series of FTP requests is for a portion of the first firmware upgrade, wherein the receiving the first firmware upgrade comprises receiving sequentially each portion, at a time, of the first firmware upgrade, in response to the corresponding one of the series of FTP requests.

7. A system for upgrading firmware in a thin client, comprising:

storage media comprising instructions executable by a processing system in communication with a network interface, the instructions for performing the following;

sending an FTP request for a first firmware upgrade from the thin client to a first FTP server;

receiving the first firmware upgrade in response at the thin client from the first FTP server;

upgrading firmware in the thin client with the first firmware upgrade;

sending an FTP request for a second firmware upgrade from the thin client to a second FTP server that is different from the first FTP server;

receiving the second firmware upgrade in response at the thin client from the second FTP server; and

upgrading firmware in the thin client with the second firmware upgrade;

the network interface; and

the processing system configured to communicate with the storage media and the network interface and to perform the instructions,

wherein the processing system is hardware,

wherein the instructions are further for;

reading an address, for the first FTP server, from within the thin client;

reading an address, for the second FTP server, from within the thin client,

wherein the sending an FTP request for a first firmware upgrade to a first FTP server comprises sending an FTP request to the first FTP server at the address for the first FTP server that was read,

wherein the sending an FTP request for a second firmware upgrade to a second FTP server comprises sending the FTP request to the second FTP server at the address for the second FTP server that was read,

wherein the instructions are further for;

presenting a dialog box to an operator of the thin client;

receiving addresses, for the first FTP server and the second FTP server, entered into the dialog box by the operator,

wherein receiving addresses comprises receiving addresses over a computer network from a location that is remote from the thin client.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions are further for:

sending an FTP request for information about the first firmware upgrade from the thin client to the first FTP server;

receiving the information about the first firmware upgrade in response at the thin client from the first FTP server;

comparing the information about the first firmware upgrade with information about firmware in the thin client,

wherein the upgrading firmware in the thin client with the first firmware upgrade occurs based on the comparing.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions are further for:

sending an FTP request for information about the second firmware upgrade from the thin client to the second FTP server;

receiving the information about the second firmware upgrade in response at the thin client from the second FTP server;

comparing the information about the second firmware upgrade with information about firmware in the thin client,

wherein the upgrading firmware in the thin client with the second firmware upgrade occurs based on comparing the information about the second firmware upgrade with information about firmware in the thin client.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the system comprises the thin client.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the first firmware upgrade is different than the second firmware upgrade, and wherein the instructions are executable automatically by the processing system without operator intervention.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the first firmware upgrade comprises an operating system, and the second firmware upgrade comprises an add-on.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the sending an FTP request comprises sending a series of FTP requests, wherein each of the series of FTP requests is for a portion of the first firmware upgrade, wherein the receiving the first firmware upgrade comprises receiving sequentially each portion, at a time, of the first firmware upgrade, in response to the corresponding one of the series of FTP requests.

14. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising instructions executable by a processing system in communication with a network interface, the instructions for performing the following:

sending an FTP request for a first firmware upgrade from a thin client to a first FTP server;

receiving the first firmware upgrade in response at the thin client from the first FTP server;

upgrading firmware in the thin client with the first firmware upgrade;

sending an FTP request for a second firmware upgrade from the thin client to a second FTP server that is different from the first FTP server;

receiving the second firmware upgrade in response at the thin client from the second FTP server; and

upgrading firmware in the thin client with the second firmware upgrade,

wherein the instructions are further for;

reading an address, for the first FTP server, from within the thin client;

reading an address, for the second FTP server, from within the thin client,

wherein the sending an FTP request for a first firmware upgrade to a first FTP server comprises sending an FTP request to the first FTP server at the address for the first FTP server that was read,

wherein the sending an FTP request for a second firmware upgrade to a second FTP server comprises sending the FTP request to the second FTP server at the address for the second FTP server that was read,

wherein the instructions are further for;

presenting a dialog box to an operator of the thin client;

receiving addresses, for the first FTP server and the second FTP server, entered into the dialog box by the operator,

wherein receiving addresses comprises receiving addresses over a computer network from a location that is remote from the thin client.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the instructions are further for:

sending an FTP request for information about the first firmware upgrade from the thin client to the first FTP server;

receiving the information about the first firmware upgrade in response at the thin client from the first FTP server;

comparing the information about the first firmware upgrade with information about firmware in the thin client,

wherein the upgrading firmware in the thin client with the first firmware upgrade occurs based on the comparing.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the instructions are further for:

sending an FTP request for information about the second firmware upgrade from the thin client to the second FTP server;

receiving the information about the second firmware upgrade in response at the thin client from the second FTP server;

comparing the information about the second firmware upgrade with information about firmware in the thin client,

wherein the upgrading firmware in the thin client with the second firmware upgrade occurs based on comparing the information about the second firmware upgrade with information about firmware in the thin client.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the first firmware upgrade is different than the second firmware upgrade, and wherein the instructions are executable automatically by the processing system without operator intervention.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the first firmware upgrade comprises an operating system, and the second firmware upgrade comprises an add-on.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the sending an FTP request comprises sending a series of FTP requests, wherein each of the series of FTP requests is for a portion of the first firmware upgrade, wherein the receiving the first firmware upgrade comprises receiving sequentially each portion, at a time, of the first firmware upgrade, in response to the corresponding one of the series of FTP requests.