Centrally coordinated firmware upgrade model across network for minimizing uptime loss and firmware compatibility

• US 8,677,343 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Averbuch, Aaron H., Dattagupta, Siddhartha, Chekhanovskiy, Mark, Davis, David, James, Edward W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phillip H
• Application Number:
  US13/235,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20130074061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-173, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories

Abstract

Techniques are presented for managing firmware updates for a plurality of devices within a wireless network. Embodiments monitor network usage of the plurality of devices to collect historical usage data. An optimal window of time for updating the firmware of the plurality of devices is then determined, based on the collected historical device usage data. Embodiments flag at least one of the plurality of devices for a firmware update, based on a current firmware version of the device and a corresponding available firmware version for the device. In one embodiment, dependencies for each of the plurality of devices are considered in flagging the devices for the firmware update. The firmware of the flagged devices is updated during the determined optimal window of time.

Claims

1. A method for managing firmware updates for a plurality of devices within a wireless network, comprising:

monitoring network usage of the plurality of devices to collect historical device usage data;

monitoring the plurality of devices within the wireless network to determine historical presence information, wherein the historical presence information specifies when at least one of the plurality of devices connected to and disconnected from the wireless network;

based on the collected historical device usage data and the determined historical presence information, determining a window of time for updating firmware of the plurality of devices;

flagging at least one of the plurality of devices for updating, based on, for each of the at least one devices, a current firmware version for the device and a corresponding available firmware version for the device; and

during the determined window of time, updating the firmware of the at least one flagged device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying a centralized server to determine the available firmware version for each of the plurality of devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the available firmware version from each of the plurality of devices, wherein each of the plurality of devices is configured to query a respective remote server to determine the available firmware version for the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein flagging at least one of the plurality of devices further comprises:

determining a dependency exists between a firmware update for a first device in the plurality of devices and a required firmware version for a second device in the plurality of devices;

determining whether the required firmware version is available to be installed on the second device; and

upon determining that the required firmware version is available to be installed on the second device, flagging the first device and the second device to be updated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein flagging at least one of the plurality of devices further comprises:

determining a dependency exists between a firmware update for a first device in the plurality of devices and a required firmware version for a second device in the plurality of devices;

determining whether the required firmware version is currently installed on the second device; and

upon determining that the required firmware version is currently installed on the second device, flagging the first device to be updated.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying a first device of the plurality of devices to determine a status of the first device,

wherein determining the optimal window of time for updating the firmware of the plurality of devices is further based on the determined status of the first device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the optimal window of time for updating the firmware of the plurality of devices is further based on historical bandwidth usage of the plurality of devices, as reflected in the historical device usage data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for one or more of the flagged devices, transmitting a request to a remote server for an updated version of firmware for the flagged device; and

receiving an updated version of the firmware for the flagged device from the remote server,

wherein updating the firmware of the flagged at least one device uses the received updated version of the firmware for the flagged device.

9. A computer program product for managing firmware updates for a plurality of devices within a wireless network, comprising:

computer code that monitors network usage of the plurality of devices to collect historical device usage data;

computer code that monitors the plurality of devices within the wireless network to determine historical presence information, wherein the historical presence information specifies when at least one of the plurality of devices connected to and disconnected from the wireless network

computer code that, based on the collected historical device usage data and the determined historical presence information, determines a window of time for updating firmware of the plurality of devices;

computer code that flags at least one of the plurality of devices for updating, based on, for each of the at least one devices, a current firmware version for the device and a corresponding available firmware version for the device;

computer code that, during the determined window of time, updates the firmware of the at least one flagged device; and

a computer readable storage medium that stores the computer codes.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

computer code that queries a centralized server to determine the available firmware version for each of the plurality of devices.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

computer code that receives the available firmware version from each of the plurality of devices, wherein each of the plurality of devices is configured to query a respective remote server to determine the available firmware version for the device.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer code that flags at least one of the plurality of devices further comprises:

computer code that determines a dependency exists between a firmware update for a first device in the plurality of devices and a required firmware version for a second device in the plurality of devices;

computer code that determines whether the required firmware version is available to be installed on the second device; and

computer code that, upon determining that the required firmware version is available to be installed on the second device, flags the first device and the second device to be updated.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer code that flags at least one of the plurality of devices further comprises:

computer code that determines a dependency exists between a firmware update for a first device in the plurality of devices and a required firmware version for a second device in the plurality of devices;

computer code that determines whether the required firmware version is currently installed on the second device; and

computer code that, upon determining that the required firmware version is currently installed on the second device, flags the first device to be updated.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

computer code that queries a first device of the plurality of devices to determine a status of the first device,

wherein the computer code that determines the optimal window of time for updating the firmware of the plurality of devices is further based on the determined status of the first device.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer code that determines the optimal window of time for updating the firmware of the plurality of devices is further based on historical bandwidth usage of the plurality of devices, as reflected in the historical device usage data.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

computer code that, for one or more of the flagged devices, transmits a request to a remote server for an updated version of firmware for the flagged device; and

computer code that receives an updated version of the firmware for the flagged device from the remote server,

wherein the computer code that updates the firmware of the flagged at least one device uses the received updated version of the firmware for the flagged device.

17. A network device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory to store executable code which, when executed, performs a method for managing firmware updates for a plurality of devices within a wireless network, comprising;

monitoring network usage of the plurality of devices to collect historical device usage data;

monitoring the plurality of devices within the wireless network to determine historical presence information, wherein the historical presence information specifies when at least one of the plurality of devices connected to and disconnected from the wireless network;

based on the collected historical device usage data and the determined historical presence information, determining a window of time for updating firmware of the plurality of devices;

flagging at least one of the plurality of devices for updating, based on, for each of the at least one devices, a current firmware version for the device and a corresponding available firmware version for the device; and

during the determined window of time, updating the firmware of the at least one flagged device.

18. The network device of claim 17, the method further comprising:

querying a centralized server to determine the available firmware version for each of the plurality of devices.

19. The network device of claim 17, the method further comprising:

receiving the available firmware version from each of the plurality of devices, wherein each of the plurality of devices is configured to query a respective remote server to determine the available firmware version for the device.

20. The network device of claim 17, wherein flagging at least one of the plurality of devices further comprises:

determining a dependency exists between a firmware update for a first device in the plurality of devices and a required firmware version for a second device in the plurality of devices;

determining whether the required firmware version is available to be installed on the second device; and

upon determining that the required firmware version is available to be installed on the second device, flagging the first device and the second device to be updated.

21. The network device of claim 17, wherein flagging at least one of the plurality of devices further comprises:

determining a dependency exists between a firmware update for a first device in the plurality of devices and a required firmware version for a second device in the plurality of devices;

determining whether the required firmware version is currently installed on the second device; and

upon determining that the required firmware version is currently installed on the second device, flagging the first device to be updated.

22. The network device of claim 17, the method further comprising:

querying a first device of the plurality of devices to determine a status of the first device,

wherein determining the optimal window of time for updating the firmware of the plurality of devices is further based on the determine status of the first device.

23. The network device of claim 17, wherein determining the optimal window of time for updating the firmware of the plurality of devices is further based on historical bandwidth usage of the plurality of devices, as reflected in the historical device usage data.

24. The network device of claim 17, the method further comprising:

for one or more of the flagged devices, transmitting a request to a remote server for an updated version of firmware for the flagged device; and

receiving an updated version of the firmware for the flagged device from the remote server,

wherein updating the firmware of the flagged at least one device uses the received updated version of the firmware for the flagged device.