Resource data structures for firmware updates

• US 9,110,761 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2012
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• 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: Nelson, Eric F., Schwartz, James A. Jr., Muthuswamy, Sunil K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivera, Anibal
• Application Number:
  US13/534,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20140007067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories

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 computing device comprising:

one or more hardware resources having updateable firmware;

memory storing a resource data structure configured to identify hardware resources for which updates to associated firmware are designated for handling through a firmware update system of the computing device, the resource data structure including a field configurable to identify a system firmware type and a device firmware type for the identified hardware resources, the field using different identifying type codes for the system firmware type and the device firmware type; and

a firmware manager module executable by processing hardware of the computing device configured to;

generate representations of resources identified by the resource data structure as devices within a device management system implemented as built-in functionality of an operating system (OS);

create list items that are accessible for display and associated with respective representations of the resources; and

perform device management tasks for the computing device including management of system firmware, device firmware, and device drivers.

2. The computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the system firmware is further configured to instantiate the resource data structure and populate the resource data structure with entries for selected hardware resources for which updates to associated firmware are designated for handling through the firmware update system.

3. The computing device as recited in claim 2, further comprising an interface between the system firmware and the OS of the computing device operable to expose the resource data structure to the firmware update system through the OS.

4. The computing device as recited in claim 3, further comprising the firmware update system configured to reference the resource data structure to enumerate the selected hardware resources and configure firmware update handling for the selected hardware resources.

5. The computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the resource data structure is configured to assign different identifiers to the hardware resources used by the firmware update system to reference and target updates to the resources.

6. The computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the resource data structure is configured to include metadata to indicate version information for installed firmware associated with the hardware resources.

7. The computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the firmware update system is implemented as a component of the OS of the computing device.

8. The computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the resource data structure is configured to include:

an entry for the system firmware, the system firmware being associated with multiple hardware resources for which associated firmware is updated collectively by way of a single firmware package designated for the system firmware; and

individual entries for each additional hardware resource for which the associated device firmware is updated individually through corresponding device firmware packages.

9. The computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the system firmware is associated with core hardware of the computing device and the device firmware may be updated independently of the system firmware.

10. The computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the field is further configured to identify a device driver type.

11. The computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the collective handling of the updates includes preventing rollback of firmware past a critical update for at least one of the plurality of hardware resources.

12. A method implemented by a computing device comprising:

instantiating a resource data structure configured to designate a plurality of hardware resources of the computing device for which updates to firmware are handled collectively through an operating system (OS) of the computing device, the resource data structure including a field configurable to identify a system firmware type and a device firmware type for the identified hardware resources, the field using different identifying type codes for the system firmware type and the device firmware type;

populating the resource data structure with entries for each of the plurality of hardware resources designated for collective handling of updates to firmware through the OS, wherein the hardware resources are represented as devices within a device management system of the OS;

exposing the resource data structure to the OS to enable the OS to collectively handle the updates to system firmware, device firmware, and device drivers through device management functionality provided by the OS; and

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes the device management functionality and displays representations of the hardware resources.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising generating different identifiers each corresponding to one of the hardware resources that are designated, the identifiers employed by the OS to enumerate the hardware resources and target firmware updates to the hardware resources.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising obtaining firmware update packages supplied by the OS and targeted to particular hardware resources using the identifiers.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the collective handling of the updates to includes preventing rollback of firmware past a critical update based at least in part on a field included in the resource data structure indicating a lowest firmware version that is supported.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the collective handling of the updates to includes preventing rollback of firmware past a critical update based at least in part on generating a new identifier assigned to at least one of the designated hardware resources so that at least one firmware update matched to the at least one of the designated hardware resources prior to the generating the new identifier is not matched to the at least one of the designated hardware resources upon the generating the new identifier.

17. 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:

referencing a resource data structure instantiated by system firmware to enumerate hardware resources, the resource data structure configured to include;

a field configurable to identify a system firmware type and a device firmware type for the enumerated hardware resources, the field using different identifying type codes for the system firmware type and the device firmware type;

entries indicating hardware resources designated to use a firmware update system of an operating system (OS) to handle firmware updates; and

viewable list items for the hardware resources to use in the firmware update system; and

for hardware resources that are enumerated from the resource data structure, configuring the firmware update system to collectively manage system firmware, device firmware, and device driver updates for the hardware resources including creating representations of the hardware resources as devices within native OS infrastructure employed for device management tasks.

18. One or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 17, wherein the system firmware encompasses multiple individual hardware resources for which associated firmware is updated collectively.

19. One or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 17, wherein the resource data structure includes information regarding each hardware resource having independently updateable firmware that is designated for updates through the firmware update system.

20. One or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 17, wherein the resource data structure includes identifiers for the hardware resources, descriptions of the hardware resources, and metadata used to set-up and implement firmware update handling by the firmware update system for hardware resources as indicated by the resource data structure.