Dynamically updating a computer system and firmware image utilizing an option read only memory (OPROM) data structure

• US 8,578,360 B1
• Filed: 08/03/2010
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Megatrends International, LLC
• Original Assignee: American Megatrends Incorporated
• Inventors: Nallagatla, Purandhar, Doppalapudi, Harikrishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US12/849,347
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-174, 709203-204
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Methods, systems, apparatus, and computer-readable media for dynamically updating a computer system and firmware image utilizing an option ROM (“OPROM”) data structure. When a hardware configuration of a computer system is modified, a corresponding OPROM within the firmware image is modified. An OPROM data structure is created in a firmware image. Each data structure contains identification data corresponding to the data structure as well as an OPROM entry for each OPROM within the firmware image. Each OPROM entry has identification data pointing to the corresponding OPROM and identification data corresponding to the OPROM and associated hardware device. Firmware program modules utilize the OPROM data structure to identify the correct OPROMs for use with the computer system hardware configuration. An application searches for a unique signature associated with the OPROM data structure and modifies OPROM entries as hardware devices and associated OPROMs are added to and removed from the computer system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for dynamically updating a computer system firmware image, the method comprising computer-implemented operations for:

modifying, using a computer having a memory and a processor, a first option read only memory (“

OPROM”

) corresponding to a first hardware device within the computer system firmware image having a plurality of OPROMs;

searching, using the computer, the firmware image for a data structure signature stored within an OPROM data structure, the OPROM data structure having a plurality of stored OPROM identifiers corresponding to a plurality of hardware devices associated with a computer system;

retrieving, using the computer, the OPROM data structure identified by the data structure signature; and

modifying, using the computer, a first OPROM identifier within the OPROM data structure to reflect the modification of the first OPROM,

wherein modifying the first OPROM comprises storing the first OPROM corresponding to an added hardware device to the firmware image with the plurality of OPROMs and wherein modifying the first OPROM identifier within the OPROM data structure comprises storing the first OPROM identifier corresponding to the first OPROM within a data field of the OPROM data structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first OPROM identifier comprises a pointer identifying a location of the first OPROM stored within the firmware image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the first OPROM comprises replacing a dummy entry stored in the firmware image with the first OPROM and wherein modifying the first OPROM identifier comprises replacing a dummy entry stored within the data field of the data structure with the first OPROM identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the first OPROM comprises deleting the first OPROM corresponding to a removed hardware device from the firmware image and wherein modifying the first OPROM identifier within the OPROM data structure comprises replacing the first OPROM identifier corresponding to the first OPROM with a dummy entry.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the pointer comprises a globally unique identifier (“

GUID”

) associated with the first OPROM.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first OPROM identifier comprises a device identifier for identifying the first hardware device and a bus identifier corresponding to a bus communicatively connected to the first hardware device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first OPROM identifier further comprises a vendor identifier, a segment identifier, and a device function number.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each OPROM of the plurality of OPROMs corresponds to a different hardware device installed in the computer system.

9. A computer-implemented method for dynamically updating a computer system and computer system firmware image, the method comprising computer-implemented operations for comprising:

installing, using a computer having a memory and a processor, a first hardware device within the computer system;

determining, using a computer, whether a first OPROM corresponding to the first hardware device is present within the computer system;

if the first OPROM is not present within the computer system, storing the first OPROM within a firmware image of the computer system;

searching, using the computer, the firmware image for a data structure signature stored within an OPROM data structure, the OPROM data structure having a plurality of stored OPROM identifiers corresponding to a plurality of hardware devices associated with the computer system;

retrieving, using the computer, the OPROM data structure located by the data structure signature; and

storing a first OPROM identifier within the OPROM data structure corresponding to the first OPROM stored within the firmware image,

wherein modifying the first OPROM comprises storing the first OPROM corresponding to an added hardware device to the firmware image with the plurality of OPROMs and wherein modifying the first OPROM identifier within the OPROM data structure comprises storing the first OPROM identifier corresponding to the first OPROM within a data field of the OPROM data structure.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first OPROM identifier comprises a pointer identifying a location of the first OPROM.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first hardware device comprises an expansion card installed within the computer system, wherein the first OPROM corresponding to the first hardware device is located on the expansion card, and wherein the pointer of the first OPROM identifier refers to the first OPROM located on the expansion card.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first hardware device comprises a chip installed on a motherboard of the computer system and wherein the method further comprises storing the first OPROM corresponding to the chip within the firmware image of the computer system as a result of determining that the first OPROM is not present within the computer system.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the pointer comprises a globally unique identifier GUID associated with the first OPROM.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first OPROM identifier comprises a device identifier for identifying the first hardware device and a bus identifier corresponding to a bus communicatively connected to the first hardware device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first OPROM identifier further comprises a vendor identifier, a segment identifier, and a device function number.

16. A non-transitory memory for storing a firmware image for creating a computer system firmware, the firmware image comprising:

an OPROM corresponding to a hardware device associated with the computer system, and

an OPROM data structure stored in the firmware image, the OPROM data structure having an array of data fields populated by a data structure signature identifying the OPROM data structure,

an OPROM identifier comprising identifying information relating to the OPROM, and a pointer identifying a location of the OPROM, and

wherein modifying the first OPROM comprises storing the first OPROM corresponding to an added hardware device to the firmware image with the plurality of OPROMs and wherein modifying the first OPROM identifier within the OPROM data structure comprises storing the first OPROM identifier corresponding to the first OPROM within a data field of the OPROM data structure.

17. The non-transitory memory of claim 16, wherein the pointer comprises a GUID associated with the OPROM.

18. The non-transitory memory of claim 16, wherein the identifying information relating to the OPROM comprises a device identifier for identifying the hardware device and a bus identifier corresponding to a bus communicatively connected to the hardware device.

19. The non-transitory memory of claim 18, wherein the identifying information relating to the OPROM further comprises a vendor identifier, a segment identifier, and a device function number.