Network based firmware feature configuration and firmware image generation

• US 9,311,486 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Megatrends International, LLC
• Original Assignee: American Megatrends Incorporated
• Inventors: Ayanam, Varadachari Sudan, Christopher, Samvinesh, Anverdeen, Mohamed Fizer Khan
• Primary Examiner(s): Yanchus, III, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/965,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20150052596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/44 Encoding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for modeling a configuration of components connected directly or indirectly to a baseboard of a computer system includes: (a) defining a group of device description files at a network based firmware generator, each device description file describing a component in a set of components which is selectively included in the configuration, and each device description file specifies the identification information associated with the component to which the device description file is associated, (b) providing, at a remote computing device in communication with the firmware generator via a network, a graphical user interface configured to allow a user to visually generate a configuration instruction of baseboard firmware and send the configuration instruction to the firmware generator, and (c) constructing a firmware image at the firmware generator in accordance with the configuration instruction.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for modeling a configuration of components connected to a baseboard of a computer system, the method comprising:

providing a network based firmware generator in a network connecting a plurality of computing devices, wherein the computing devices comprise a remote computing device and a baseboard management controller (BMC) such that the network based firmware generator is accessible by the remote computing device;

defining a plurality of device description files at the network based firmware generator, each device description file describing a component in a set of components which is selectively included in the configuration, wherein each device description file specifies the identification information associated with the component to which the device description file is associated;

receiving, at a web server of the firmware generator, a login request for a user from the remote computing device through the network;

in response to the login request, authenticating the user at the web server, and sending, from the web server to the remote computing device via a network, a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface, when received and executed at the at least one remote computing device, is configured to

allow the authenticated user to perform a selection of one or more of the components to be included in a firmware configuration file; and

in response to the selection, construct a first request having information of the one or more components being selected, and send the first request to the web server of the firmware generator;

receiving, at the web server of the firmware generator, the first request from the graphical user interface sent to and executed at the remote computing device; and

in response to the first request, constructing a firmware image for the BMC at the firmware generator.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises at least one of Internet, an intranet, a Wi-Fi network, an enterprise network, a local area network, a wide area network, a telecommunication network, and a mobile communication network.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the firmware image for the BMC is constructed by:

copying a device description file of each of the one or more selected components to the firmware configuration file, the device description file specifying identification information associated with the each component in accordance with the first request;

validating the firmware configuration file according to a set of predetermined rules;

sending, at the web server, a response to the graphical user interface, the response indicating whether the selection is valid; and

displaying the response on the graphical user interface.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:

debugging the firmware configuration file at the firmware generator.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is a web page rendered by a web browser, wherein the method comprises:

rendering on the web page a first portion comprising a plurality of graphical icons, wherein each of the plurality of graphical icons represents a component in a set of components which may be included in the configuration;

rendering on the web page a second portion for creating a model of the configuration of the baseboard using the plurality of graphical icons included in the first portion;

generating, at the web browser, a second request for selecting a first component, wherein the second request is formed by a user dragging a first graphical icon representing the first component from the first portion into the second portion; and

sending the second request to the firmware generator and displaying the first graphical icon in the second portion.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, at the web browser, a third request for connecting the first component to a particular contact pin of a second component, wherein a second graphical icon representing the second component is displayed on the second portion;

in response to the third request for connection of the first component to the particular contact pin of the second component, sending the third request from the web browser to the firmware generator;

analyzing, at the firmware generator, the requested connection of the first component to the particular contact pin of the second component and determining whether the first component is a component which may be appropriately connected to the particular contact pin;

displaying, at the web page, the first graphical icon as connected to the second graphical icon if the analyzing act determines that the connection of the second component to the particular contact pin is proper; and

presenting an error message on the web browser if the analyzing act determines that the first component is not a component specified for proper connection to the particular contact pin.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first request is configured to instruct the firmware generator to at least one of:

create a customized firmware for a destination computer by selecting a system-on-a-chip and one or more components from a module code library of the firmware generator;

define a customized firmware;

add a feature to or remove a feature from the customized firmware;

build a firmware image by compiling and debugging module codes of selected features from a module code library;

test a customized firmware including manual and automatic testing;

automated firmware development; and

deploy the firmware image to a destination computer.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the module code library comprises at least one of source code and binary code.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the feature is a function provided by the selected component and described in the corresponding device description file, a module code of each feature exists in the module code library of the firmware generator.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each device description file comprises information for configuring a management module to control an associated component based on information received from an associated component.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the management module comprises a software module operable for implementation on a computer system.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the management module comprises the baseboard management controller (BMC) operable for being communicatively connected to the baseboard.

13. A system for configuring a firmware image of a service processor, the system comprising:

a network connecting a plurality of computing devices, wherein the computing devices comprises at least one client computer and the service processor;

a network based firmware generator executed on a processor of at least one of the plurality of computing devices connected to the network to be accessible by the at least one client computer, the firmware generator including

a firmware configuration library, storing a plurality of Service Pack Extension (SPX) packages, each of the SPX packages to a specific SPX feature and including a firmware data module;

a web server configured to

receive a login request for a user from the at least one client computer through the network;

in response to the login request, authenticate the user, and send a plurality of graphical user interfaces to the at least one client computer through the network, wherein each of the graphical user interfaces, when received and executed at the at least one client computer, is configured to

allow the authenticated user to perform a selection to one or more of the SPX packages to be included in a SPX project; and

in response to the selection, construct a first request having information of the one or more SPX packages being selected, and send the first request back to the web server through the network; and

receive the first request from the graphical user interfaces sent to and executed at the at least one client computer; and

a firmware builder configured to, in response to the first request, build the firmware image of the service processor by incorporating the selected SPX packages in the SPX project.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the network comprises the Internet, an intranet, a Wi-Fi network, an enterprise network, a local area network, a wide area network, a telecommunication network, and a mobile communication network.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the firmware data module comprises at least one of source code and binary code.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of Service Pack Extension (SPX) packages includes at least one of:

webserver, WAMAN, Security protocols, terminal server (SSH/telnet), Authentication types, Discovery tools, test tools, IPMI, CIM, PMCP Utility, SMASH, SVNSPX, WDP, virtual media, and media redirection.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the graphical user interfaces are sent securely from the computing device to the client computer, wherein the graphical user interfaces are configured to:

render on an SPX package space a plurality of graphical icons, wherein each of the plurality of graphical icons represents one of the plurality of SPX packages;

receive a user instruction selecting a first SPX package to be included in the SPX project; and

in response to the user instruction, display a graphical representation showing that the SPX project includes the first SPX package.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the graphical user interfaces enable the user to select more than one package of the plurality of SPX packages.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the graphical user interfaces enable the user to test the SPX project.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the SPX project test comprises:

manual test; and

automatic test.

21. The system of claim 13, further comprising a debugger.

22. A non-transitory computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of one of a plurality of computing devices in a network, cause the processor to:

provide a network based firmware generator in the network connecting the plurality of computing devices, wherein the computing devices comprise a remote computer and a baseboard management controller (BMC) such that the network based firmware generator is accessible by the remote computer;

define a plurality of device description files at the network based firmware generator, each device description file describing a component in a set of components which is selectively included in the configuration, wherein each device description file specifies the identification information associated with the component to which the device description file is associated;

receive, at a web server of the firmware generator, a login request for a user from the remote computer through the network;

in response to the login request, authenticate the user at the web server, and send a graphical user interface from the web server to the remote computer through the network, wherein the graphical user interface, when received and executed at the at least one remote computing device, is configured to

allow the authenticated user to perform a selection of one or more of the components to be included in a firmware configuration file; and

in response to the selection, construct a first request having information of the one or more components being selected, and send the first request to the web server of the firmware generator;

receive, at the web server of the firmware generator, the first request from the graphical user interface sent to and executed at the remote computer; and

in response to the first request, construct a firmware image for the BMC at the firmware generator.

23. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 22, wherein the network comprises at least one of the Internet, an intranet, a Wi-Fi network, an enterprise network, a local area network, a wide area network, a telecommunication network, and a mobile communication network.

24. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 22, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to construct the firmware image for the BMC by:

copying a device description file of each of the one or more selected components to the firmware configuration file, the device description file specifying identification information associated with the each component in accordance with the first request;

validating the firmware configuration file according to a set of predetermined rules;

sending, at the web server, a response to the graphical user interface, the response indicating whether the selection is valid; and

displaying the response on the graphical user interface.

25. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 24, further comprising the computer-executable instructions for the processor to debug the firmware configuration file at the firmware generator.