System for atomically updating a plurality of files

• US 8,839,226 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Brannock, Kirk D., Stevens, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Ted T
• Application Number:
  US13/212,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• US Class Current: 717/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates

Abstract

A method for updating platform firmware is disclosed. This capability is facilitated by a standard software abstraction for a firmware storage device, known as Firmware Volume (FV) that is managed through a Firmware File System (FFS). The FFS enables firmware files to be created, deleted, and updated individually. The FFS also enables a plurality of firmware files to be updated atomically by managing file state information via state bits stored in a file header of each firmware file, whereby an atomic change to a single state bit simultaneously causes the FFS to use an updated set of firmware files in place of an original set of firmware files.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor;

flash memory; and

non-transitory media on which a plurality of machine-executable instructions are stored that when executed by the processor updates existing data by performing operations including;

writing updated data to a pad file in the flash memory that is located at a different memory location from a memory location of the existing data so that the flash memory comprises both the existing data and the updated data, wherein the pad file is to pad a location of an adjoining file of the flash memory; and

performing an atomic operation to modify configuration data to indicate whether the existing data or the updated data is valid and is to be loaded and executed, such that only the existing data will be loaded and executed before the atomic operation is performed and only the updated data will be loaded and executed after the atomic operation is performed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory media provides further machine-executable instructions that, when executed perform further operations, comprising:

performing an integrity check on the updated data to verify that the updated data is valid.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory media provides further machine-executable instructions that, when executed perform further operations, comprising:

performing a full recovery of the existing data that is to be updated during an upgrade process in response to an anomaly that prevents completion of the upgrade process.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration data comprises:

a first header associated with the existing data including first state bits for tracking a current state of the existing data; and

a second header associated with the updated data including second state bits for tracking a current state of the update data.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the non-transitory media provides further machine-executable instructions that, when executed perform further operations, comprising:

maintaining the updated data invisible to a file system prior to updating the second state bits of the second header; and

making the updated data visible to the file system after updating the second state bits of the second header.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the non-transitory media provides further machine-executable instructions that, when executed perform further operations, comprising:

changing the first state bits in the first header to indicate that the existing data is to be updated; and

setting the second state bits in the second header to indicate that the updata data is valid,

wherein, upon the update data becoming visible to the file system, the second state bits in the second header in combination with the first state bits in the first header simultaneously inform the file system that the existing data is invalid and the updated data is valid.

7. A non-transitory media on which a plurality of machine-executable instructions are stored that when executed by a processor updates existing firmware data stored within a persistent firmware memory by performing operations including:

writing updated firmware data to a pad file in the persistent firmware memory that is located at a different memory location from a memory location of the existing firmware data so that the persistent firmware memory comprises both the existing firmware data and the updated firmware data, wherein the pad file is to pad a location of an adjoining file of the persistent firmware memory; and

performing an atomic operation to modify firmware configuration data to indicate whether the existing firmware data or the updated firmware data is valid and is to be loaded and executed, such that only the existing firmware data will be loaded and executed before the atomic operation is performed and only the updated firmware data will be loaded and executed after the atomic operation is performed.

8. The non-transitory media of claim 7, further providing machine-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor to perform further operations, comprising:

performing an integrity check on the updated firmware data to verify that the updated firmware data is valid.

9. The non-transitory media of claim 7, further providing machine-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor to perform further operations, comprising:

performing a full recovery of the existing firmware data that is to be updated during an upgrade process in response to an anomaly that prevents completion of the upgrade process.

10. The non-transitory media of claim 7, wherein the configuration data comprises:

a first header associated with the existing firmware data including first state bits for tracking a current state of the existing firmware data; and

a second header associated with the updated firmware data including second state bits for tracking a current state of the update firmware data.

11. The non-transitory media of claim 10, further providing machine-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor to perform further operations, comprising:

maintaining the updated firmware data invisible to a file system prior to updating the second state bits of the second header; and

making the updated firmware data visible to the file system after updating the second state bits of the second header.

12. The non-transitory media of claim 11, further providing machine-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor to perform further operations, comprising:

changing the first state bits in the first header to indicate that the existing firmware data is to be updated; and

setting the second state bits in the second header to indicate that the updata firmware data is valid,

wherein, upon the update firmware data becoming visible to the file system, the second state bits in the second header in combination with the first state bits in the first header simultaneously inform the file system that the existing firmware data is invalid and the updated firmware data is valid.

13. A system, comprising:

a processor;

persistent memory; and

non-transitory media on which a plurality of machine-executable instructions are stored that when executed by the processor updates existing data stored in the persistent memory by performing operations including;

writing updated data to free space in the persistent memory that is located at a different memory location than a memory location of the existing data so that the persistent memory comprises both the existing data and the updated data; and

performing an atomic operation to modify configuration data to indicate whether the existing data or the updated data is valid and is to be loaded and executed, such that only the existing data will be loaded and executed before the atomic operation is performed and only the updated data will be loaded and executed after the atomic operation is performed.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the free space comprises a file having free space.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the file having free space comprises a pad file to pad a location of an adjoining file of the persistent memory.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the non-transitory media provides further machine-executable instructions that, when executed perform further operations, comprising:

performing an integrity check on the updated data to verify that the updated data is valid.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the non-transitory media provides further machine-executable instructions that, when executed perform further operations, comprising:

performing a full recovery of the existing data that is to be updated during an upgrade process in response to an anomaly that prevents completion of the upgrade process.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the configuration data comprises:

a first header associated with the existing data including first state bits for tracking a current state of the existing data; and

a second header associated with the updated data including second state bits for tracking a current state of the update data.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the non-transitory media provides further machine-executable instructions that, when executed perform further operations, comprising:

maintaining the updated data invisible to a file system prior to updating the second state bits of the second header; and

making the updated data visible to the file system after updating the second state bits of the second header.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the non-transitory media provides further machine-executable instructions that, when executed perform further operations, comprising:

changing the first state bits in the first header to indicate that the existing data is to be updated; and

setting the second state bits in the second header to indicate that the updata data is valid,

wherein, upon the update data becoming visible to the file system, the second state bits in the second header in combination with the first state bits in the first header simultaneously inform the file system that the existing data is invalid and the updated data is valid.