Mechanism to Change Firmware in a High Availability Single Processor System
First Claim
1. A method of changing from first firmware to second firmware in a single processor system in which said processor communicates with a plurality of electronic devices, comprising:
- (a) saving state information pertaining to said first firmware;
(b) preventing the processor from communicating with the electronic devices;
(c) ceasing execution of the first firmware;
(d) bringing the second firmware to an active state; and
(e) applying the saved state information to the second firmware.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A “high availability” system comprises multiple switches under the control of a control processor (“CP”). The firmware executing on the processor can be changed when desired. Consistent with the high availability nature of the system (i.e., minimal down time), a single CP system implements a firmware change by loading new firmware onto the system, saving state information pertaining to the old firmware, preventing the old firmware from communicating with the switches, bringing the new firmware to an active state and applying the saved state information to the new firmware.
52 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method of changing from first firmware to second firmware in a single processor system in which said processor communicates with a plurality of electronic devices, comprising:
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(a) saving state information pertaining to said first firmware; (b) preventing the processor from communicating with the electronic devices; (c) ceasing execution of the first firmware; (d) bringing the second firmware to an active state; and (e) applying the saved state information to the second firmware. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of changing from first firmware to second firmware in a single processor system in which said processor communicates with a plurality of electronic devices, comprising:
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(a) saving state information pertaining to said first firmware; (b) preventing the processor from communicating with the electronic devices; (c) ceasing execution of the first firmware; (d) bringing the second firmware to an active state; and (e) synchronizing the second firmware to the first firmware using the saved state information.
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8. A method of changing from first firmware to second firmware in a single processor system in which said processor communicates with a plurality of electronic devices, comprising:
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(a) loading the second firmware onto the system in which the first firmware is actively running; (b) saving state information pertaining to said first firmware; (c) preventing the processor from communicating with the electronic devices; (d) ceasing execution of the first firmware; (e) bringing the second firmware to an active state; and (f) synchronizing the second firmware to the first firmware using the saved state information.
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9. A system, comprising:
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a plurality of electronic devices; and a control processor that executes firmware and communicates with the electronic devices, said control processor having memory; wherein the firmware being executed by said control processor can be changed to new firmware, the change over to the new firmware occurring by saving state information pertaining to the currently executing firmware in said memory, preventing the processor from communicating with the electronic devices, ceasing execution of the currently executing firmware, bringing the new firmware to an active state, and applying the saved state information to the new firmware. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A control processor coupled to electronic devices, comprising:
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a CPU; and memory coupled to said CPU and containing CPU executable firmware having associated state information; wherein the firmware being executed by said CPU can be changed to new firmware, the change over to the new firmware occurring by saving state information pertaining to the currently executing firmware in said memory, preventing the control processor from communicating with the electronic devices, ceasing execution of the currently executing firmware, bringing the new firmware to an active state, and applying the saved state information to the new firmware. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer readable storage medium for storing an executable set of software instructions that are executable by a CPU, said software instructions being operable to change firmware in a processor from first firmware to second firmware, said processor adapted to communicate with a plurality of electronic devices, said software instructions comprising:
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(a) a means for saving state information pertaining to said first firmware; (b) a means for preventing the processor from communicating with the electronic devices; (c) a means for ceasing execution of the first firmware; (d) a means for bringing the second firmware to an active state; and (e) a means for applying the saved state information to the second firmware. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of changing from first firmware to second firmware in a single processor system in which said processor communicates with a plurality of electronic devices, comprising:
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(a) launching a utility as a standby image; (b) synchronizing the standby image to an active image in which the first firmware is running; (c) preventing the processor from communicating with the electronic devices; (d) making the second firmware a standby image; (e) launching the utility as an active image; (f) synchronizing the standby image to the active image; and (g) failing over from the active image to the standby image. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system, comprising:
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a plurality of electronic devices; and a control processor that executes firmware and a utility and communicates with the electronic devices, said control processor having memory; wherein the firmware being executed by said control processor can be changed to new firmware, the change over to the new firmware occurring by launching the utility as a standby image, synchronizing the standby image to an active image in which the currently executing firmware is running, preventing the control processor from communicating with the electronic devices, making the new firmware a standby image, launching the utility as an active image, synchronizing the standby image to the active image, and failing over from the active image to the standby image. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A control processor coupled to electronic devices, comprising:
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a CPU; and memory coupled to said CPU and containing CPU executable firmware having associated state information and a utility; wherein the firmware being executed by said control processor can be changed to new firmware, the change over to the new firmware occurring by launching the utility as a standby image, synchronizing the standby image to an active image in which the currently executing firmware is running, preventing the control processor from communicating with the electronic devices, making the new firmware a standby image, launching the utility as an active image, synchronizing the standby image to the active image, and failing over from the active image to the standby image. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification