Information processing device and a firmware updating method of the information processing device

• US 8,607,219 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2011
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Minegishi, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Mongbao
• Application Number:
  US12/987,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20110179407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

An information processing device which is separated a plurality of partitions updates a firmware program in each partition. A management unit monitors the partition in operation and receives the firmware program from an external device and transmits the firmware program to each of the partition. Each partition writes and updates the firmware program in one memory area which is not used in operation out of a pair of memory area to perform an update of the firmware without stopping the operation of the partition.

Claims

1. A firmware updating method of an information processing device having a plurality of processing units including an arithmetic processing unit and a storage unit and a system control unit that controls the plurality of processing units, the method comprising:

receiving an update firmware program from an external device by the system control unit;

transmitting the update firmware program to each of the processing units from the system control unit;

writing the update firmware program to one memory area not used for an operation out of a pair of memory areas of the processing unit for storing a firmware program that manages the hardware resource by the processing unit;

detecting a version of the firmware program used in operation in the pair of memory area of each processing device and judging whether there is compatibility with the update firmware program before writing the update firmware program;

instructing a start or re-start to the processing units from the system control unit after writing the update firmware program when judging that the firmware program is not compatible with the update firmware program; and

switching the one memory area not used for the operation to the operation side and starting or re-starting by the update firmware program in the one memory area of the processing devices, which are instructed to perform the start or the re-start, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a package of the update firmware program of the processing unit and a second firmware program that controls a hardware resource in the system control unit,

said method further comprises;

writing the received second firmware program in one memory area not used in operation among a pair of second memory areas provided to the system control unit before transmitting the update firmware program of the processing unit to each of the processing unit.

2. The firmware updating method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting comprises:

transmitting the update firmware program of the processing unit and a third firmware program for a management unit to the processing unit comprising the management unit managing the hardware resource in the processing unit and a pair of third memory area that each stores the third firmware program for the management unit, and wherein the writing comprises;

writing the received third firmware program in one memory area not used in operation among the pair of third memory area; and

writing the update firmware program of the processing unit to one memory area not used for the operation out of the pair of memory areas.

3. The firmware updating method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises:

receiving the update firmware program including a compatibility table for determining whether or not compatibility exists between the firmware programs.

4. The firmware updating method according to claim 1, further comprises:

writing the second firmware program in another memory area among the pair of second memory areas after writing received the second firmware program in one memory area not used in operation among the pair of second memory areas.

5. The firmware updating method according to claim 1, further comprises:

detecting a version of the firmware program used in operation of each processing device;

judging whether there is compatibility with the update firmware program before writing the update firmware program; and

writing the received second firmware program only in the one memory area not used in operation among the pair of second memory areas when judging there is not compatible.

6. The firmware updating method according to claim 1, wherein the writing comprises:

writing the received second firmware program in one memory area not used in operation among the pair of second memory areas of a second system control unit on a standby side among the system control unit comprises a pair of the system control unit including a first system control unit and the second system control unit, by the first system control unit on an active side;

switching the second system control unit to the active side and the first system control unit to the standby side; and

writing the second firmware program in one memory area not used in operation among the pair of second memory areas of the first system control unit switched to the standby side by the second system control unit switched to the active side.

7. An information processing device comprises:

a plurality of processing units, each having a hardware resource including an arithmetic processing unit and a storage unit; and

a system control unit that controls the plurality of processing units,

wherein each of the processing units has a pair of memory areas that store a firmware program controlling the hardware resource,

the system control unit transmits an update firmware program received from an external device to each of the processing units, and

each of the processing units writes the update firmware program to one memory area not used for the operation out of the pair of memory areas, and

wherein the system control unit detects a version of the firmware program used in operation in the pair of memory area of each processing device, judges whether the firmware program is compatible with the update firmware program before writing the update firmware program, and instructs a start or re-start to the processing units after writing the update firmware program when judging that the firmware program is not compatible with the update firmware program, and

the processing devices, which are instructed to perform the start or the re-start, switch the one memory area not used for the operation to the operation side and start or re-start by the update firmware program in the one memory area,

wherein the system control unit further comprises a pair of second memory areas, each storing a second firmware program that controls a hardware resource in the system control unit, and

the system control unit receives a package of the update firmware program of the processing unit and the second firmware program, writes the received second firmware program in one memory area not used in operation among the pair of second memory areas of the system control unit, and transmits the update firmware program of the processing unit to each of the processing unit.

8. The information processing device according to claim 7, wherein the processing unit further comprises:

a management unit that manages the hardware resource in the processing unit; and

a pair of third memory area that each stores a third firmware program for the management unit,

wherein the management unit receives the update firmware program of the processing unit and the third firmware program, writes the received third firmware program in one memory area not used in operation among the pair of third memory area, and writes the update firmware program of the processing unit to one memory area not used for the operation out of the pair of memory areas.

9. The information processing device according to claim 7, wherein the system control unit receives the update firmware program including a compatibility table for determining whether compatibility exists between the firmware programs.

10. The information processing device according to claim 7, wherein the system control unit writes the received second firmware program in one memory area not used in operation among the pair of second memory areas, and then writes the second firmware program in another memory area among the pair of second memory areas.

11. The information processing device according to claim 7, wherein the system control unit detects a version of the firmware program used in operation of each processing device and judges whether the firmware program is compatible with the update firmware program before writing the update firmware program, and

the system control unit writes the received second firmware program only in the one memory area not used in operation among the pair of second memory areas when judging there is no compatibility.

12. The information processing device according to claim 7, wherein the system control unit comprises a pair of the system control unit including a first system control unit and a second system control unit,

a first system control unit on an active side writes the received second firmware program in one memory area not used in operation among the pair of second memory areas of the second system control unit on a standby side, and switches the second system control unit to the active side and the first system control unit to the standby side, and

the second system control unit switched to the active side writes the second firmware program in one memory area not used in operation among the pair of second memory areas of the first system control unit switched to the standby side.