Embedded agent for self-healing software

• US 20060136892A1
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Branch, Robert A., Boelter, Joshua
• Granted Patent: US 8,347,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to attempting to maintain and/or repair the embedded software components of a computer and, more specifically, to attempting to maintain and/or repair the embedded software components of a server utilizing a service processor.

Claims

1. :

A method of utilizing a service processor comprising;

automatically identifying an update to an embedded software;

retrieving the update; and

installing the update to the embedded software.

2. :

The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the update includes;

determining if the update should be retrieved, and

if so, retrieving the update.

3. :

The method of claim 2, wherein determining if the update should be retrieved includes consulting a policy management system to facilitate the determination; and

retrieving the update includes retrieving the update from a software repository.

4. :

The method of claim 1, wherein installing the update to the embedded software includes;

determining if the update should be installed; and

if so, installing the update.

5. :

The method of claim 4, wherein determining if the update should be installed includes consulting a policy management system to facilitate the determination.

6. :

The method of claim 4, further comprising, if the update should not be installed, deferring the installation of the update.

7. :

The method of claim 6, wherein deferring the update includes deferring the update until an event occurs;

where the event is selected from a group of events consisting of;

the service processor is idle;

a predetermined event occurs;

a platform including the service processor is rebooting;

a platform including the service processor is initializing;

a platform including the service processor is shutting down;

a policy management system indicates that the installation should occur; and

a user indicates that the installation may occur.

8. :

The method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying an update to an embedded software includes;

processing information that indicates the version of the embedded software to be updated;

querying at least one software repository for information regarding the version of the embedded software provided by the software repository;

determining if the version of embedded software provided by the software repository is more desirable than version of the embedded software to be updated.

9. :

The method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying an update to an embedded software includes attempting to identify an update to an embedded software when an event occurs;

where the event is selected from a group consisting of;

the service processor is idle;

a predetermined event occurs;

a platform including the service processor is rebooting, initializing, or shutting down;

a policy management system indicates that an update may be present; and

a user indicates that a check should be made.

10. :

The method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying an update to an embedded software includes alerting a user that an update is available.

11. :

An article comprising;

a machine accessible medium having a plurality of machine accessible instructions, for attempting to optimize code layout, wherein when the instructions are executed, the instructions provide for, utilizing a service processor;

automatically identifying an update to an embedded software;

retrieving the update; and

installing the update to the embedded software.

12. :

The article of claim 11, wherein the instructions providing for retrieving the update includes instructions providing for;

determining if the update should be retrieved, and

if so, retrieving the update.

13. :

The article of claim 12, wherein the instructions providing for determining if the update should be retrieved includes instructions providing for;

consulting a policy management system to facilitate the determination; and

retrieving the update includes retrieving the update from a software repository.

14. :

The article of claim 11, wherein the instructions providing for installing the update to the embedded software includes instructions providing for;

determining if the update should be installed; and

if so, installing the update.

15. :

The article of claim 14, wherein the instructions providing for determining if the update should be installed includes instructions providing for consulting a policy management system to facilitate the determination.

16. :

The article of claim 14, further comprising instructions providing for, if the update should not be installed, deferring the installation of the update.

17. :

The article of claim 16, wherein the instructions providing for deferring the update includes instructions providing for deferring the update until an event occurs;

where the event is selected from a group of events consisting of;

the service processor is idle;

a predetermined event occurs;

a platform including the service processor is rebooting;

a platform including the service processor is initializing;

a platform including the service processor is shutting down;

a policy management system indicates that the installation should occur; and

a user indicates that the installation may occur.

18. :

The article of claim 11, wherein the instructions providing for automatically identifying an update to an embedded software includes instructions providing for;

processing information that indicates the version of the embedded software to be updated;

querying at least one software repository for information regarding the version of the embedded software provided by the software repository;

determining if the version of embedded software provided by the software repository is more desirable than version of the embedded software to be updated.

19. :

The article of claim 11, wherein the instructions providing for automatically identifying an update to an embedded software includes instructions providing for attempting to identify an update to an embedded software when an event occurs;

where the event is selected from a group consisting of;

the service processor is idle;

a predetermined event occurs;

a platform including the service processor is rebooting, initializing, or shutting down;

a policy management system indicates that an update may be present; and

a user indicates that a check should be made.

20. :

The article of claim 11, wherein the instructions providing for automatically identifying an update to an embedded software includes instructions providing for alerting a user that an update is available.

21. :

An apparatus comprising;

at least one embedded software module;

a self-healing agent capable of attempting to update the embedded software module(s); and

a service processor capable of executing the self-healing agent at least semi-independently of a main processor.

22. :

The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the self healing agent is further capable of;

automatically identifying an update to the embedded software module(s);

retrieving the update; and

installing the update to the embedded software module(s).

23. :

The apparatus of claim 22, wherein retrieving the update includes;

determining if the update should be retrieved, and

if so, retrieving the update.

24. :

The apparatus of claim 23, wherein determining if the update should be retrieved includes;

consulting a policy management system to facilitate the determination; and

retrieving the update includes retrieving the update from a software repository.

25. :

The apparatus of claim 22, wherein installing the update to the embedded software module(s) includes;

determining if the update should be installed; and

if so, installing the update.

26. :

The apparatus of claim 25, wherein determining if the update should be installed includes consulting a policy management system to facilitate the determination.

27. :

The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the self-healing agent is further capable of, if the update should not be installed, deferring the installation of the update.

28. :

The apparatus of claim 27, wherein deferring the update includes deferring the update until an event occurs;

where the event is selected from a group of events consisting of;

the service processor is idle;

a predetermined event occurs;

a platform including the service processor is rebooting;

a platform including the service processor is initializing;

a platform including the service processor is shutting down;

a policy management system indicates that the installation should occur; and

a user indicates that the installation may occur.

29. :

The apparatus of claim 22, wherein automatically identifying an update to an embedded software includes;

processing information that indicates the version of the embedded software to be updated;

querying at least one software repository for information regarding the version of the embedded software provided by the software repository;

determining if the version of embedded software provided by the software repository is more desirable than version of the embedded software to be updated.

30. :

The apparatus of claim 22, wherein automatically identifying an update to the embedded software module(s) includes alerting a user that an update is available.

31. :

A system comprising;

a computer platform including;

at least one embedded software module,

a self-healing agent capable of attempting to update the embedded software module(s), and

a service processor capable of executing the self-healing agent at least semi-independently of a main processor;

a software repository capable of providing a database of embedded software updates; and

a management console capable of providing information on the updating policy of the computer platform.

32. :

The system of claim 31, wherein the self healing agent is further capable of;

automatically identifying an update to the embedded software module(s);

retrieving the update; and

installing the update to the embedded software module(s).

33. :

The system of claim 32, wherein retrieving the update includes;

determining if the update should be retrieved, and

if so, retrieving the update.

34. :

The system of claim 33, wherein determining if the update should be retrieved includes;

consulting the management console to facilitate the determination; and

retrieving the update includes retrieving the update from the software repository.

35. :

The system of claim 32, wherein installing the update to the embedded software module(s) includes;

determining if the update should be installed;

if so, installing the update; and

if not, deferring the installation of the update.

36. :

The system of claim 35, wherein determining if the update should be installed includes consulting the management console to facilitate the determination.

37. :

The system of claim 32, wherein automatically identifying an update to an embedded software includes;

processing information that indicates the version of the embedded software to be updated;

querying the software repository for information regarding the version of the embedded software provided by the software repository;

determining if the version of embedded software provided by the software repository is more desirable than version of the embedded software to be updated.

38. :

The system of claim 32, wherein automatically identifying an update to the embedded software module(s) includes alerting a user that an update is available.

39. :

The system of claim 32, wherein the software repository includes a plurality of software repositories; and

wherein a first set of software repositories are capable of providing information regarding the embedded software modules; and

wherein a second set of software repositories are capable of providing the updated embedded software modules.

40. :

The system of claim 32, wherein the management console includes a substantially automated policy system that attempts to control the updating of the embedded software modules for at least one computer platform.