Updating computer firmware

• US 9,965,270 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2015
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quanta Computer
• Original Assignee: Quanta Computer
• Inventors: Chang, Keng-Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUY KHUONG THANH
• Application Number:
  US14/789,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20170003956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 717167-178
• 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

Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for updating a computer firmware. The system generates a user firmware volume within a computer firmware volume containing computer firmware used by the system during a boot process. In some cases, the user firmware volume can be a file system. The system also obtains a firmware file for updating the computer firmware used by the system during the boot process. Next, the system compares the firmware file with a content of the computer firmware volume to yield a comparison and, based on the comparison, stores the firmware file on the user firmware volume within the computer firmware volume without flashing an entire portion of the computer firmware used by the system during the boot process.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a user firmware volume within a local computer firmware volume of a computing device which contains computer firmware used by the computing device during a boot process, the user firmware volume comprising a file system;

obtaining a signed firmware file for updating the computer firmware used by the computing device during the boot process, wherein the signed firmware file is generated by integrating an encrypted message digest to a firmware file, the encrypted message digest generated by encrypting a first message digest with a first key, the first message digest generated by applying a hash function to the firmware file;

extracting the encrypted message digest and the firmware file from the signed firmware file;

decrypting the message digest with a second key associated with the first key used to encrypt the message digest;

applying the hash function to the firmware file extracted from the signed firmware file to generate a second message digest;

determining that the second message digest is consistent with the first message digest;

comparing the firmware file with a content of the local computer firmware volume to yield a comparison, wherein comparing the firmware file with the content of the local computer firmware volume comprises;

determining that the firmware file corresponds to an existing firmware file stored on the computer firmware local computer volume, the existing firmware being a part of the computer firmware; and

determining, via at least one of a pre-extensible firmware interface initialization dispatcher and a driver execution environment dispatcher, whether the firmware file comprises a different firmware file version as the existing firmware file;

determining that the firmware file corresponds to an existing firmware file that is currently stored on the local computer firmware volume;

determining that the firmware file and the local computer firmware volume belong to a same firmware module by comparing a global unique identifier (GUID) of the firmware file with a GUID of the existing firmware file; and

based on the comparison, storing the firmware file on the user firmware volume within the local computer firmware volume without flashing an entire portion of the computer firmware used by the computing device during the boot process, wherein storing the firmware file comprises loading the firmware file into the local computer firmware volume and executing the computer firmware with the firmware file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the comparison, determining that the firmware file does not correspond to an existing firmware file that is currently stored on the local computer firmware volume; and

wherein storing the firmware file on the user firmware volume comprises storing the firmware file as a new file without replacing an existing file on the computer firmware volume and the user firmware volume.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the firmware file corresponds to an existing firmware file that is currently stored on the local computer firmware volume, determining whether the firmware file comprises a newer version of the existing file, and

when the firmware file comprises the newer version, replacing the existing firmware file with the firmware file.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the firmware file corresponds to an existing firmware file that is currently stored on the local computer firmware volume comprises:

comparing a global unique identifier associated with the firmware file with respective global unique identifiers associated with firmware files stored on the computer firmware volume; and

determining that the global unique identifier associated with the firmware file and a respective global unique identifier of the existing firmware file are a match.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the firmware file is generated based on a unified extensible firmware interface platform initialization specification.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising validating the firmware file extracted from the signed firmware file to yield a validated firmware file, wherein storing the firmware file comprises storing the validated firmware file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the firmware file is performed in-band or out-of-band.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing comprises:

identifying, based on the comparison, one or more modules of the firmware file in the user firmware module that need to be integrated into the computer firmware used by the computing device during the boot process, and

integrating the one or more modules in the local computer firmware volume, the integrating of each one of the one or more modules comprising one of;

using the one of the one or more modules to replace a corresponding module of the computer firmware used by the computing device during the boot process or adding the one of the one or more modules to the computer firmware used by the computing device during the boot process,

wherein only a portion of the computer firmware associated the with the one or more modules is flashed during the integrating.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifying comprises identifying the one or more modules by comparison of identifiers associated with the modules of the computer firmware used by the computing device during the boot process and identifiers associated with modules of the firmware file.

10. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

within a local computer firmware volume containing the computer firmware used by the system during the boot process, generating a user firmware volume comprising a file system for storing the firmware file within the local computer firmware volume as part of the computer firmware;

obtaining a signed firmware file for updating the local computer firmware used by the computing device during the boot process, wherein the signed firmware file is generated by integrating an encrypted message digest to a firmware file, the encrypted message digest generated by encrypting a first message digest with a first key, the first message digest generated by applying a hash function to the firmware file;

extracting the encrypted message digest and the firmware file from the signed firmware file;

decrypting the message digest with a second key associated with the first key used to encrypt the message digest;

applying the hash function to the firmware file extracted from the signed firmware file to generate a second message digest;

determining that the second message digest is consistent with the first message digest;

comparing the firmware file with a content of the computer firmware volume to yield a comparison, wherein comparing the firmware file with the content of the local computer firmware volume comprises;

determining that the firmware file corresponds to an existing firmware file stored on the computer firmware local computer volume, the existing firmware being a part of the computer firmware; and

determining, via at least one of a pre-extensible firmware interface initialization dispatcher and a driver execution environment dispatcher, whether the firmware file comprises a different firmware file version as the existing firmware file;

determining that the firmware file corresponds to an existing firmware file that is currently stored on the local computer firmware volume;

determining that the firmware file and the local computer firmware volume belong to a same firmware module by comparing a global unique identifier (GUID) of the firmware file with a GUID of the existing firmware file; and

based on the comparison, storing the firmware file on the user firmware volume within the local computer firmware volume without flashing an entire portion of the computer firmware used by the system during the boot process wherein storing the firmware file comprises loading the firmware file into the local computer firmware volume and executing the computer firmware with the firmware file.

11. The system of claim 10, the computer-readable storage medium storing additional instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

based on the comparison, determining that the firmware file does not correspond to an existing firmware file that is currently stored on the local computer firmware volume; and

wherein storing the firmware file on the user firmware volume comprises storing the firmware file as a new file without replacing an existing file on the local computer firmware volume and the user firmware volume.

12. The system of claim 10, the computer-readable storage medium storing additional instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

based on the comparison, determining that the firmware file corresponds to an existing firmware file that is currently stored on the local computer firmware volume;

determining that the firmware file comprises a newer version of the existing file, and

replacing the existing firmware file with the firmware file.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

within a local computer firmware volume containing computer firmware used by a computing device during a boot process, generating a user firmware volume comprising a file system within the local computer firmware volume;

obtaining a signed firmware file for updating the local computer firmware used by the computing device during the boot process, wherein the signed firmware file is generated by integrating an encrypted message digest to a firmware file, the encrypted message digest generated by encrypting a first message digest with a first key, the first message digest generated by applying a hash function to the firmware file;

extracting the encrypted message digest and the firmware file from the signed firmware file;

decrypting the message digest with a second key associated with the first key used to encrypt the message digest;

applying the hash function to the firmware file extracted from the signed firmware file to generate a second message digest;

determining that the second message digest is consistent with the first message digest;

comparing the firmware file with a content of the local computer firmware volume to yield a comparison, wherein comparing the firmware file with the content of the local computer firmware volume comprises;

determining that the firmware file corresponds to an existing firmware file stored on the computer firmware local computer volume, the existing firmware being a part of the computer firmware; and

determining, via at least one of a pre-extensible firmware interface initialization dispatcher and a driver execution environment dispatcher, whether the firmware file comprises a different firmware file version as the existing firmware file;

determining that the firmware file corresponds to an existing firmware file that is currently stored on the local computer firmware volume;

determining that the firmware file and the local computer firmware volume belong to a same firmware module by comparing a global unique identifier (GUID) of the firmware file with a GUID of the existing firmware file; and

based on the comparison, storing the firmware file on the user firmware volume within the local computer firmware volume without flashing an entire portion of the computer firmware used by the computing device during the boot process, wherein storing the firmware file comprises loading the firmware file into the local computer firmware volume and executing the computer firmware with the firmware file.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the firmware file is generated based on a unified extensible firmware interface platform initialization.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein comparing the firmware file with the content of the local computer firmware volume comprises:

determining that the firmware file corresponds to an existing firmware file stored on the local computer firmware volume which is part of the computer firmware;

determining, via at least one of a pre-extensible firmware interface initialization dispatcher and a driver execution environment dispatcher, whether the firmware file comprises a newer firmware file version of the existing firmware file; and

storing the firmware file on the user firmware volume when the firmware file is determined to be the newer firmware file version of the existing firmware file.