Firmware update discovery and distribution

• US 8,972,973 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Cavalaris, James G., Lenart, Adam, Siefert, Chad R., Roth, David J., Brodeur, Cameron S., Schwartz, James A. Jr., Nelson, Eric F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivera, Anibal
• Application Number:
  US13/534,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20140007073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0712 in a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• 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 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

A firmware update system is described that collectively handles firmware updates for hardware resources of a computing device. The firmware update system may be configured to handle firmware updates in a consistent manner across different computing platforms/architectures. A data structure is defined to associate each updateable resource with a corresponding identifier to enumerate the updateable resources to the firmware update system. The firmware update system may reference the data structure to produce representations of the each individual resource that provide an operating system level abstraction through which detection, analysis, acquisition, deployment, installation, and tracking of firmware updates is managed. Using the representations, the firmware update system operates to discover available firmware updates collectively for the enumerated resources, match the updates to appropriate resources, and initiate installation of the updates.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

discovering hardware resources for a platform that have updateable firmware designated for updating via an operating system of the platform;

creating representations to virtualize the hardware resources as devices with respect to a device management system provided by the operating system of the platform, the device management system configured to enable both firmware updates and device driver updates for the hardware resources through the representations;

detecting firmware update packages available for one or more of the hardware resources, the firmware update packages;

formed in a format that is recognizable as device driver

packages handled collectively with one or more other kinds of update

packages including device driver updates, and

including a field identifying a type of the firmware update package that is configurable to identify a system firmware type and a

device firmware type using different identifying type codes included in the field; and

distributing the detected firmware update packages to corresponding hardware resources to initiate installation of the firmware update packages by the hardware resources.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein discovering the hardware resources comprises interrogating system firmware for the platform to obtain resource data that describes hardware resources designated to obtain firmware update packages through functionality provided by the operating system.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein discovering the hardware resources comprises referencing a resource data structure instantiated by system firmware of the platform to identify hardware resources designated to obtain firmware update packages through functionality provided by the operating system.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the resource data structure is associated with an interface implemented to facilitate data exchange and interaction between the operating system and the system firmware.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein detecting the firmware update packages comprises:

identifying firmware update packages available through one or more distribution channels; and

matching the available firmware update packages to the hardware resources based at least in part upon identifiers assigned to the hardware resources.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the detecting and distributing of the firmware update packages are performed through built-in operating system infrastructure designed to handle at least device firmware updates.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein creating the representations comprises representing each hardware resource that is discovered as a plug and play device managed via built-in functionality of the operating system for device management.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein creating the representations comprises representing each hardware resource that is discovered as an installed application associated with application update infrastructure provided as built-in functionality of the operating system.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the hardware resources is assigned a different identifier to enable the operating system to reference the hardware resources and target update packages to the hardware resources.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein distributing the detected firmware update packages comprises:

obtaining firmware update packages that correspond to the discovered hardware resources; and

supplying the firmware update packages to system firmware to cause installation of the detected firmware update packages.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the detected firmware update packages are configured as driver-style update packages that include firmware images as payloads for distribution to the corresponding hardware resources.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein detecting the firmware update packages further comprises determining firmware update packages that are applicable to the one or more of the hardware resources based at least in part upon version information regarding firmware currently installed for the one or more hardware resources.

13. One or more computer-readable storage memories storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to implement a firmware manager to perform acts comprising:

representing updateable firmware associated with hardware resources of the computing devices as devices within a device management system provided by an operating system of the computing device to cause firmware updates to be handled through the device management system along with other types of updates including at least device driver updates;

obtaining firmware update packages for the updateable firmware through the device management system, the firmware update packages including a field identifying a type of the firmware update package that is configurable to identify a system firmware type and a device firmware type using different identifying type codes included in the field;

extracting payloads from the firmware update packages that contain firmware images to implement the firmware updates; and

initiating installation of the firmware updates by distributing the payloads to system firmware of the computing device for execution.

14. One or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 13, wherein the firmware update packages are obtained in a format that corresponds to the device management system.

15. One or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 13, wherein the device management system is designed to manage plug and play devices and handle driver updates for the plug and play devices;

the updateable firmware is represented as plug and play devices within the device management system; and

the firmware update packages are configured as driver-style update packages recognizable for handling by the device management system.

16. One or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 13, wherein the firmware manager is further configured to perform acts comprising:

interacting with system firmware to obtain resource data configured to identify hardware resources that are designated to obtain updates to firmware through the firmware manager; and

enumerating the updateable firmware to represent as the devices according to the hardware resources identified by the resource data.

17. One or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 16, wherein the resource data is associated with an interface implemented to facilitate data exchange and interaction between the operating system and the system firmware.

18. A computing platform comprising:

hardware resources having updateable firmware including system firmware for core hardware resources of the computing platform and device firmware associated with one or more other hardware resources;

a firmware update system configured to collectively handle updates to the system firmware and the device firmware for the hardware resources by;

discovering hardware resources designated for updating of associated updateable firmware via the firmware update system based at least in part upon resource data supplied by the system firmware that describes the hardware resources;

registering the hardware resources that are discovered based at least in part upon the resource data for updates to the associated updatable firmware via the firmware update system;

obtaining firmware update packages that are applicable to one or more of the hardware resources that are registered, the firmware update packages;

formed in a format that is recognizable as device driver packages handled through built-in device management infrastructure of the computing platform collectively with one or more other kinds of update packages including device driver

updates, and

including a field identifying a type of the firmware update

package that is configurable to identify a system firmware type and a device firmware type using different identifying type codes included in the field; and

distributing the firmware update packages that are obtained to cause corresponding updates to the system firmware and the device firmware.

19. The computing platform of claim 18, wherein the firmware update system is implemented as an integrated component of an operating system for the computing platform.

20. The computing platform of claim 19, wherein the discovering and the distributing are performed via an interface configured to facilitate data exchange and interaction between the operating system and the system firmware, such that the resource data is supplied to the firmware update system and the firmware update packages are distributed to the system firmware through the interface.