Acceleration of software modifications in networked devices

• US 8,819,663 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LSI Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Goel, Ankit, Gopakumar, Manjusha, Aphale, Abhijit
• Primary Examiner(s): Das, Chameli
• Application Number:
  US13/526,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20130339940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality

Abstract

A method of modifying software associated with network devices includes transmitting a modification message by a first network device in response to software associated with the first network device being modified; transmitting second software identification information by a second network device in response to receiving the modification message from the first network device; providing a database comprising the first product identifier, the second product identifier, first software identification information, and the second software identification information; and modifying software associated with the second network device using the database. The first network device is associated with a first product identifier, and the second network device is associated with a second product identifier. The second software identification information identifies software associated with the second network device, and the first software identification information identifies software associated with the first network device. A corresponding computer-readable medium and system are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of modifying software stored by network devices, the method comprising:

transmitting a modification message by a first network device in response to software executed by the first network device being modified, the first network device identified by a first product identifier;

transmitting second software identification information by a second network device in response to receiving the modification message from the first network device, the second software identification information identifying software executed by the second network device, the second network device identified by a second product identifier;

providing a database comprising the first product identifier, the second product identifier, first software identification information, and the second software identification information received from the second network device, the first software identification information identifying software stored by the first network device;

modifying the software executed by the second network device according to the first software identification information of the database; and

maintaining the database at the first network device, wherein the first network device is a master network device for at least one connected network device, including the second network device, having a same product identifier as the first network device, and wherein modifying the software executed by the second network device is performed by the first network device.

2. The method defined by claim 1, wherein the first product identifier comprises at least one of network device identification information, manufacturer information, and model information associated with the first product identifier, the second product identifier comprising at least one of network device identification information, manufacturer information, and model information associated with the second product identifier.

3. The method defined by claim 1, further comprising verifying that the first product identifier is the same as the second product identifier.

4. The method defined by claim 1, wherein at least one of the software executed by the first network device and the software executed by the second network device comprises at least one of firmware, assembly code, and machine code.

5. The method defined by claim 1, wherein the first network device is a master network device, modifying the software executed by the second network device being performed by the first network device in response to a request for modification of the software associated with the second network device being granted.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processing device, perform a method of modifying software executed by network devices, the method comprising:

transmitting second software identification information by a second network device in response to receiving a modification message from a first network device indicating that software executed the first network device has been modified, the second software identification information identifying software executed by the second network device, the second network device identified by a second product identifier, and the first network device identified by a first product identifier;

modifying the software executed by the second network device according to the first software identification information stored in a database, the database comprising the first product identifier, the second product identifier, first software identification information, and the second software identification information received from the second network device, the first software identification information identifying the software executed by the first network device; and

maintaining the database at the first network device, wherein the first network device is a master network device, for at least one connected network device, including the second network device, having a same product identifier as the first network device, and wherein modifying the software executed by the second network device is performed by the first network device.

7. The computer-readable medium defined by claim 6, wherein the first product identifier comprises at least one of network device identification information, manufacturer information, and model information associated with the first product identifier, the second product identifier comprising at least one of network device identification information, manufacturer information, and model information associated with the second product identifier.

8. The computer-readable medium defined by claim 6, further comprising verifying that the first product identifier is the same as the second product identifier.

9. The computer-readable medium defined by claim 6, wherein at least one of the software executed by the first network device and the software executed by the second network device comprises at least one of firmware, assembly code, and machine code.

10. The computer-readable medium defined by claim 6, wherein the first network device is a master network device, modifying the software executed by the second network device being performed by the first network device in response to a request for modification of the software associated with the second network device being granted.

11. A system of connected network devices, the system comprising:

a first network device transmitting a modification message in response to software executed by the first network device being modified, the first network device identified by a first product identifier; and

a second network device transmitting second software identification information in response to receiving the modification message from the first network device, the second software identification information identifying software executed by the second network device, the second network device identified by a second product identifier, the first network device comprising a database stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the database comprising the first product identifier, the second product identifier, first software identification information, and the second software identification information, the first software identification information identifying the software executed by the first network device, the software executed by the second network device being modified according to the first software identification information of the database;

wherein the first network device is a master network device, for at least one connected network device, including the second network device, having a same product identifier as the first network device, wherein the database is maintained at the first network device, and wherein the software executed by the second network device being modified by the first network device.

12. The system defined by claim 11, wherein the first product identifier comprises at least one of network device identification information, manufacturer information, and model information associated with the first product identifier, the second product identifier comprising at least one of network device identification information, manufacturer information, and model information associated with the second product identifier.

13. The system defined by claim 11, wherein the first product identifier is the same as the second product identifier.

14. The system defined by claim 11, wherein at least one of the first network device and second network device comprises at least one of an expander, network switch, router, gateway, and storage switch.

15. The system defined by claim 11, wherein at least one of the software executed by the first network device and the software executed by the second network device comprises at least one of firmware, assembly code, and machine code.

16. The system defined by claim 11, wherein the second network device transmits the second software identification information based on an auto-upgrade bit of the second network device.

17. The system defined by claim 11, wherein the software executed by the second network device is modified using the database based on an auto-upgrade bit of the second network device.

18. The system defined by claim 11, wherein the first network device is a master network device, the software executed by the second network device being modified by the first network device in response to a request for modification of the software executed by the second network device being granted.