Managing firmware download

• US 7,174,548 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2001
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Louzoun, Eliel, Diamant, Nimrod, Ben-Shahar, Yifat, Twersky, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): STEELMAN, MARY J
• Application Number:
  US09/976,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20030074659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,940 Days
• Field of Search: 717/140, 717/142, 717/143, 717/156, 717168-178, 716/2, 719/321
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/526 Mutual exclusion algorithms

Abstract

A method including managing downloading of at least two firmware functions, which are accessible by more than one driver, with one processor.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

managing downloading of at least two firmware functions, which when downloaded are accessible by more than one driver, at least one driver using the firmware functions to implement functionality for the driver, with one processor; and

verifying for said at least one of said drivers if said firmware has been downloaded by another driver, wherein verifying comprises checking at least one of a register and a bit accessible by the at least two drivers to check if the firmware has been downloaded by another driver.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said managing comprises reducing a risk of at least one of said drivers overwriting firmware that has been downloaded and is being used by another of said drivers.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said managing comprises downloading at least two said firmware functions with a single download.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said managing comprises managing downloading of firmware common to at least two of said drivers.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said managing comprises managing downloading of firmware by more than one access operation of the same driver.

6. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising, for at least one of said drivers, implementing a functionality common to another of said drivers.

7. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising, for at least one of said drivers, implementing a different functionality than another of said drivers.

8. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising initializing at least one of said drivers with information to determine a desired firmware sufficient to implement a desired functionality.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein if said firmware has not been downloaded by another driver, then downloading said firmware for said at least one of said drivers.

10. The method according to claim 9 and further comprising locking access to said firmware by drivers other than said at least one of said drivers.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein said locking access comprises memory spin locking.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein said locking access comprises PCI (peripheral component interface) bus locking on a memory location of said at least one of said drivers.

13. The method according to claim 10 wherein said locking access comprises locking a device memory register.

14. The method according to claim 10 and further comprising permitting access to said firmware by drivers other than said at least one of said drivers.

15. The method according to claim 9 and further comprising setting a register that said downloading said firmware is finished.

16. The method according to claim 15 and further comprising implementing said firmware.

17. Apparatus comprising:

a multi-function device that comprises at least two firmware functions which when downloaded are accessible by more than one driver, wherein at least one driver uses the firmware functions to implement functionality for the driver; and

a processor adapted to manage downloading of said at least two firmware functions and to reduce a risk of at least one of said drivers overwriting firmware that has been downloaded and is being used by another of said drivers, wherein the processor is to check at least one of a register and a bit accessible by the at least two drivers to check if the firmware has been downloaded by another driver.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said processor is adapted to download at least two said firmware functions with a single download.

19. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said processor is adapted to manage downloading of firmware common to at least two of said drivers.

20. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein at least one of said drivers is adapted to implement a functionality common to another of said drivers.

21. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein at least one of said drivers is adapted to implement a different functionality than another of said drivers.

22. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein at least one of said drivers is initialized with information to determine a firmware sufficient to implement a desired functionality.

23. A system comprising:

a multi-function device that comprises at least two firmware functions, which when downloaded are accessible by more than one driver, wherein at least one driver is to use the firmware functions to implement functionality for the driver;

a processor adapted to manage downloading of said at least two firmware functions and to verify for said at least one of said drivers if said firmware has been downloaded by another driver, wherein verifying comprises checking at least one of a register and a bit accessible by the at least two drivers to check if the firmware has been downloaded by another driver; and

a memory in communication with said processor.

24. The system according to claim 23 wherein said processor is adapted to reduce a risk of at least one of said drivers overwriting firmware that has been downloaded and is being used by another of said drivers.

25. The system according to claim 23 wherein said processor is adapted to download at least two said firmware functions with a single download.

26. A method comprising:

managing downloading of at least two firmware functions, which when downloaded are accessible by more than one driver, at least one driver using the firmware functions to implement functionality for the driver, with one processor;

and reducing a risk of at least one of said drivers overwriting firmware that has been downloaded and is being used by another of said drivers, wherein reducing a risk comprises checking at least one of a register and a bit accessible by the at least two drivers to check if the firmware has been downloaded by another driver.

27. The method of claim 26, comprising verifying for a driver if said firmware has been downloaded by another driver.