Method to synchronize a replacement controller's firmware version to the native configuration database version on a simplex array

• US 8,924,778 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LSI Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Flynn, Patrick S., Huffman, Vaughn J., Lang, Dean A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonzo, Bryce
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehrmanesh, Elmira
• Application Number:
  US12/981,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20120173953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 714/6.21, 714/6.22, 714/6.3, 714/6.32
• US Class Current: 714/6.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1004 to protect a block of data words, e.g. CRC or checksum G06F11/1076 takes precedence; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorized activity G06F21/00
• 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: H03M 13/09 Error detection only, e.g. using cyclic redundancy check [CRC] codes or single parity bit

Abstract

Disclosed are a method and a simplex array controller device that synchronize firmware revisions between an original, native, storage array controller in a single controller storage array system (i.e., a simplex array controller) and a replacement storage array controller that replaces the original, native, storage array controller. An embodiment may create and store an original firmware code image containing a copy of the firmware revision information running on an original simplex array controller along with controller and firmware revision identification off-board of the original array controller on a firmware repository storage device. The firmware repository storage device may be one of the storage devices selected from the array of storage devices controlled by the original array controller. When the original array controller is replaced by the replacement array controller, such as when the original array controller has failed, the replacement array controller may compare the firmware revision information of the firmware currently running on the array controller with the firmware revision information stored in the original firmware code image, and, if the revision information does not match, replace/overwrite the firmware revision on the replacement controller with the firmware revision stored in the firmware code image.

Claims

1. A method to synchronize firmware of a replacement simplex array controller with firmware of an original simplex array controller comprising:

creating and storing by said original simplex array controller on a firmware repository storage device an original controller firmware code image that contains an original controller revision of firmware that is running on said original simplex array controller and original controller firmware revision information about said original controller revision of firmware, said firmware repository storage device being comprised of at least one storage device of an array of storage devices controlled by said original simplex array controller;

replacing said original simplex array controller with said replacement simplex array controller;

determining by said replacement simplex array controller that said replacement simplex array controller is running different firmware than said original simplex array controller was running by comparing replacement controller firmware revision information of firmware currently running on said replacement simplex array controller with said original controller firmware revision information stored in said original controller firmware code image; and

replacing said currently running revision of firmware on said replacement simplex array controller with said original controller revision of firmware stored in said original controller firmware code image.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting said at least one storage device comprising said firmware repository storage device from said array of storage devices controlled by said original simplex array controller based on Quality of Service (QOS) criteria of each storage controller of said array of storage controllers.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

reading, by a currently operating simplex array controller, configuration database controller identification information from an array configuration database associated with said array of storage devices by a currently operating simplex array controller;

obtaining currently operating controller identification information from said currently operating storage controller by said currently operating simplex array controller;

comparing said configuration database controller identification information with said currently operating controller identification information by said currently operating simplex array controller;

determining by said currently operating simplex array controller that if said configuration database controller identification information does not match said currently operating controller identification information that said currently operating controller is said replacement simplex array controller and proceeding to said step of determining that said replacement array controller is running a different revision of firmware than said original simplex array controller was running; and

determining by said currently operating simplex array controller that if said configuration database controller identification information does match said currently operating controller identification information that said currently operating controller is said original simplex array controller, and proceeding to said step of creating and storing said original controller firmware code image that contains said original controller revision of firmware that is running on said original simplex array controller and original controller revision information about said original controller revision of firmware.

4. The method of claim 1:

wherein said step of determining that said replacement simplex array controller is running a different version of firmware than said original simplex array controller was running further comprises;

reading said original controller firmware revision information from said original controller firmware code image by said original simplex array controller;

obtaining said replacement controller firmware revision information from said currently running replacement simplex array controller by said original simplex array controller;

comparing said original controller firmware revision information to said replacement controller firmware revision information by said original simplex array controller; and

determining by said original simplex array controller that said replacement simplex array controller is running different firmware than said original simplex array controller if said original controller firmware revision information does not match said replacement controller firmware revision information; and

wherein said step of replacing said currently running revision of firmware on said replacement simplex array controller with said original controller revision of firmware stored in said original controller firmware code image further comprises;

uploading said original controller revision of firmware from said original controller firmware code image by said replacement simplex array controller;

installing said original controller revision of firmware on said replacement simplex array controller by said replacement simplex array controller; and

rebooting said replacement simplex array controller by said replacement simplex array controller in order to activate and run said uploaded and installed original controller revision of firmware on said replacement simplex array controller.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein prior to reading from and uploading from said original controller firmware code image said original simplex array controller and said replacement simplex array controller validate said original controller firmware code image, said step of validating said original controller firmware code image further comprises:

reading, by a currently operating simplex array controller, a valid flag from said original controller firmware code image;

determining, by said currently operating simplex array controller, that said original controller firmware code image is invalid if said valid flag is invalid;

reading, by said original simplex array controller, a stored entire image CRC value for said original controller firmware code image from said original controller firmware code image;

calculating, by said currently operating simplex array controller, a calculated entire image CRC value for an entirety of said stored original controller firmware code image;

determining, by said currently operating simplex array controller, that said original controller firmware code image is invalid if said stored entire image CRC value does not match said calculated entire image CRC value;

reading, by said original simplex array controller, a stored sub-section CRC value for each sub-section of said original controller firmware code image from a header in said original controller firmware code image associated with each sub-section of said original firmware code image;

calculating, by said currently operating simplex array controller, a calculated sub-section CRC value for each sub-section of said original controller firmware code image using a sub-section CRC polynomial, said sub-section CRC polynomial being separate and distinct from said entire image CRC polynomial;

determining, by said currently operating simplex array controller, that said original controller firmware code image is invalid if said stored sub-section CRC values do not match said calculated sub-section CRC values; and

determining, by said currently operating simplex array controller, that said original controller firmware code image is valid if said valid flag is valid, said stored entire image CRC value does match said calculated entire image CRC value, and said stored sub-section CRC values do match said calculated sub-section CRC values.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of creating and storing said original controller firmware code image further comprises:

creating said original firmware code image on said repository storage device as a computer readable file stored on said firmware repository storage device by said original simplex array controller;

setting a valid flag in said original controller firmware code image to invalid by said original simplex array controller;

writing firmware code image content to said original firmware code image by said original simplex array controller;

calculating sub-section Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) values for each sub-section of said original firmware code image using a sub-section CRC polynomial by said original simplex array controller;

writing, by said original simplex array controller, each calculated sub-section CRC value of said calculated sub-section CRC values to a header in said original controller firmware code image associated with each calculated sub-section CRC value;

calculating an entire image CRC value across an entirety of said original controller firmware code image using an entire image CRC polynomial by said original simplex array controller, said entire image CRC polynomial being distinct and separate from said sub-section CRC polynomial;

writing, by said original simplex array controller, said calculated entire image CRC value to said original controller firmware code image; and

setting said valid flag in said original controller firmware code image to valid by said original simplex array controller.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring, by said original simplex array controller, said original controller firmware code image for file corruption; and

recreating, by said original simplex array controller, said original controller firmware code image if file corruption is found.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring, by said original simplex array controller, said firmware repository storage device for failure, removal, and predictive failure indicating that said firmware repository storage device is not available; and

moving, by said original simplex array controller, said original controller firmware code image to a new firmware repository storage device if said firmware repository storage device is not available.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring, by said original simplex array controller, said firmware revision information on said currently operating original simplex array controller for changes; and

recreating, by said original simplex array controller, said original controller firmware code image if said firmware revision information on said currently operating original simplex array controller changes.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of replacing said currently running revision of firmware on said replacement simplex array controller is performed regardless of whether said currently running revision of firmware on said replacement simplex array controller is a newer firmware revision than said original controller revision of firmware stored in said original controller firmware image.

11. A simplex array storage controller that synchronizes firmware between a replacement simplex array controller with firmware of an original simplex array controller for a storage array controlled by simplex array controller comprising:

a firmware code image creation and storage sub-system that creates and stores on a firmware repository storage device an original controller firmware code image that contains an original controller revision of firmware of firmware that is running on said simplex array controller when said simplex array controller is determined to be operating as said original simplex array controller and original controller firmware revision information about said original controller revision of firmware running on said simplex array controller when said simplex array controller is determined to be operating as said original simplex array controller, said firmware repository storage device being comprised of at least one storage device of an array of storage devices controlled by said simplex array controller;

a synchronize and update firmware sub-system that determines that said simplex array controller, when said simplex array controller is determined to be operating as said replacement simplex array controller, is running different firmware than said original simplex array controller was running when said original controller firmware image was created and stored by comparing replacement controller firmware revision information of firmware currently running on said replacement simplex array controller when said simplex array controller is determined to be operating as said replacement simplex array controller with said original controller firmware revision information stored in said original controller firmware code image, and that replaces said currently running revision of firmware on said simplex array controller when said simplex array controller is determined to be operating as said replacement simplex array controller with said original controller revision of firmware stored in said original controller firmware code image.

12. The simplex array storage controller of claim 11 further comprising a firmware repository device selection sub-system that selects said at least one storage device comprising said firmware repository storage device from said array of storage devices controlled by said simplex array controller when said simplex array controller is determined to be operating as said original simplex array controller based on Quality of Service (QOS) criteria of each storage controller of said array of storage controllers.

13. The simplex array storage controller of claim 11 further comprising a replacement controller detection sub-system that reads configuration database controller identification information from an array configuration database associated with said array of storage devices, obtains currently operating controller identification information from said currently operating simplex array storage controller, compares said configuration database controller identification information with said currently operating controller identification information, determines that if said configuration database controller identification information does not match said currently operating controller identification information that said currently operating simplex array controller is operating as said replacement simplex array controller, and determines that if said configuration database controller identification information does match said currently operating controller identification information that said currently operating simplex array controller is operating as said original simplex array controller.

14. The simplex array storage controller of claim 11 wherein said synchronize and update firmware sub-system further comprises

reading said original controller firmware revision information from said original controller firmware code, obtaining said replacement controller firmware revision information from said currently running simplex array controller when determined to be operating as said replacement simplex array controller, comparing said original controller firmware revision information to said replacement controller firmware revision information, determining that said replacement simplex array controller is running different firmware than said original simplex array controller if said original controller firmware revision information does not match said replacement controller firmware revision information, uploading said original controller revision of firmware from said original controller firmware code image to said currently running simplex array controller when determined to be operating as said replacement simplex array controller, installing said original controller revision of firmware on said currently running simplex array controller when determined to be operating as said replacement simplex array controller, and rebooting said simplex array controller when determined to be operating as said replacement simplex array controller in order to activate and run said uploaded and installed original controller revision of firmware on said simplex array controller.

15. The simplex array storage controller of claim 11 wherein said firmware code image creation and storage sub-system further comprises creating said original firmware code image on said repository storage device as a computer readable file stored on said firmware repository storage device;

setting a valid flag in said original controller firmware code image to invalid, writing firmware code image content to said original firmware code image, calculating sub-section Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) values for each sub-section of said original firmware code image using a sub-section CRC polynomial, writing each calculated sub-section CRC value of said calculated sub-section CRC values to a header in said original controller firmware code image associated with each calculated sub-section CRC value, calculating an entire image CRC value across an entirety of said original controller firmware code image using an entire image CRC polynomial where said entire image CRC polynomial is distinct and separate from said sub-section CRC polynomial, writing said calculated entire image CRC value to said original controller firmware code image, and setting said valid flag in said original controller firmware code image to valid by said original simplex array controller.

16. The simplex array storage controller of claim 14 wherein prior to reading from and uploading from said original controller firmware code image said simplex array validates said original controller firmware code image by reading a valid flag from said original controller firmware code image, determining that said original controller firmware code image is invalid if said valid flag is invalid, reading a stored entire image CRC value for said original controller firmware code image from said original controller firmware code image, calculating a calculated entire image CRC value for an entirety of said stored original controller firmware code image, determining that said original controller firmware code image is invalid if said stored entire image CRC value does not match said calculated entire image CRC value, reading a stored sub-section CRC value for each sub-section of said original controller firmware code image from a header in said original controller firmware code image associated with each sub-section of said original firmware code image, calculating a calculated sub-section CRC value for each sub-section of said original controller firmware code image using a sub-section CRC polynomial where said sub-section CRC polynomial is separate and distinct from said entire image CRC polynomial, determining that said original controller firmware code image is invalid if said stored sub-section CRC values do not match said calculated sub-section CRC values, and determining that said original controller firmware code image is valid if said valid flag is valid, said stored entire image CRC value does match said calculated entire image CRC value, and said stored sub-section CRC values do match said calculated sub-section CRC values.

17. The simplex array storage controller of claim 11 further comprising a monitoring sub-system that monitors said original controller firmware code image for file corruption, and recreates said original controller firmware code image if file corruption is found.

18. The simplex array storage controller of claim 11 further comprising firmware code image creation and storage sub-system that monitors said firmware repository storage device for failure, removal, and predictive failure indicating that said firmware repository storage device is not available, and moves said original controller firmware code image to a new firmware repository storage device if said firmware repository storage device is not available.

19. The simplex array storage controller of claim 11 further comprising a monitoring sub-system that monitors said firmware revision information on said currently operating simplex array controller for changes, and recreates said original controller firmware code image if said firmware revision information on said currently operating simplex array controller changes.

20. The simplex array storage controller of claim 11 wherein said replacing of said currently running revision of firmware on said simplex array controller is performed regardless of whether said currently running revision of firmware on said simplex array controller is a newer firmware revision than said original controller revision of firmware stored in said original controller firmware image.