Techniques of updating host device firmware via service processor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10831467-B2
Application number	US-201816170907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2018
Priority date	Oct 25, 2018
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and a computer system are provided. The computer system includes an initialization component of a host. The initialization component requests from a service processor of the host a first replacement firmware image of a first device of the host. The initialization component then receives the first replacement firmware image from the service processor. The initialization component further provides the first replacement firmware image to a first updating program. The initialization component uses the first updating program to replace the first existing firmware image on the first device with the first replacement firmware image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a computer system, the computer system including an initialization component of a host, comprising:
requesting, at the initialization component, a first replacement firmware image of a first device of the host from a service processor of the host utilizing a baseboard management protocol, the initialization component being a basic input/output system (BIOS) or a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) boot service executed on a first processor of the host;
receiving, at the initialization component, the first replacement firmware image from the service processor;
providing, by the initialization component, a first updating program with the first replacement firmware image to a first updating program; and
executing the first updating program, on the first processor of the host, to replace a first existing firmware image on a non-volatile storage of the first device with the first replacement firmware image, wherein the requesting includes:
sending a first request to the service processor in accordance with the baseboard management protocol, the first request being for retrieving a first list of indicators indicating one or more devices of the host whose replacement firmware images are available at the service processor, the one or more devices including the first device; and
receiving a response from the service processor, the response including the first list of indicators.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first updating program is a first Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) driver, the method further comprising:
selecting, at the initialization component, the first UEFI driver from one or more UEFI drivers based on the first replacement firmware image; and
loading the first UEFI driver locally at the host.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the providing the first replacement firmware image includes:
calling an updating function of the first UEFI driver based on an application programming interface (API), wherein the updating function reads the first replacement firmware image to replace the first existing firmware image.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first updating program is a first preboot application, the method further comprising:
receiving, at the initialization component, the first preboot application from the service processor; and
executing the first preboot application to replace the first existing firmware image on the first device with the first replacement firmware image, wherein the first preboot application reads the first replacement firmware image to replace the first existing firmware image.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to the requesting the first replacement firmware image, selecting the first device from the one or more devices, wherein the requesting the first replacement firmware image is through sending a second request in accordance with the management protocol.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the computer system further includes the service processor, the method further comprising:
receiving, at the service processor, the first request from the host;
determining the one or more devices of the host whose replacement firmware images are available at the service processor; and
generating the first list of indicators based on the determination.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving, at the service processor, the second request from the host;
locating the first replacement firmware image at the service processor; and
sending the first replacement firmware image to the host through an established communication channel.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
sending, at the service processor, a preboot application associated with the first replacement firmware image to the host through the established communication channel.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving, at the service processor, replacement firmware images of the one or more devices from a network device.

10. A computer system, comprising:
a host, including a first memory; and
first at least one processor coupled to the first memory and configured to:
request, at the initialization component, a first replacement firmware image of a first device of the host from a service processor of the host utilizing a baseboard management protocol, the initialization component being a basic input/output system (BIOS) or a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) boot service executed on a first processor of the host;
receive, at the initialization component, the first replacement firmware image from the service processor;
provide, by the initialization component, the first replacement firmware image to a first updating program; and
execute the first updating program, on the first processor of the host, to replace a first existing firmware image on a non-volatile storage of the first device with the first replacement firmware image, wherein to request the first replacement firmware image, the first at least one processor is further configured to:
send a first request to the service processor in accordance with the baseboard management protocol, the request being for retrieving a first list of indicators indicating one or more devices of the host whose replacement firmware images are available at the service processor, the one or more devices including the first device; and
receive a response from the service processor, the response including the first list of indicators.

11. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein the first updating program is a first Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) driver, wherein the first at least one processor is further configured to:
select, at the initialization component, the first UEFI driver from one or more UEFI drivers based on the first replacement firmware image; and
load the first UEFI driver locally at the host.

12. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein to provide the first replacement firmware image, the first at least one processor is further configured to:
call an updating function of the first UEFI driver based on an application programming interface (API), wherein the updating function reads the first replacement firmware image to replace the first existing firmware image.

13. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein the first updating program is a first preboot application, wherein the first at least one processor is further configured to:
receive, at the initialization component, the first preboot application from the service processor; and
execute the first preboot application to replace the first existing firmware image on the first device with the first replacement firmware image, wherein the first preboot application reads the first replacement firmware image to replace the first existing firmware image.

14. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein the first at least one processor is further configured to:
prior to the requesting the first replacement firmware image, select the first device from the one or more devices, wherein the requesting the first replacement firmware image is through sending a second request in accordance with the management protocol.

15. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the computer system further includes the service processor, wherein the service processor includes
a second memory; and
second at least one processor coupled to the second memory and configured to:
receive, at the service processor, the first request from the host;
determine the one or more devices of the host whose replacement firmware images are available at the service processor; and

Assignees

• American Megatrends Int Llc

Inventors

• Bhimanadhuni Ramakoti Reddy
• Nallagatla Purandhar
• Doppalapudi Harikrishna
• Arumugam Valantina
• Kumar Abhitesh
• Kumar Muthuchamy
• Thomas Satheesh

Classifications

• G06F8/65 Primary

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F9/4403

  Processor initialisation · CPC title

• G06F8/654 Primary

  using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories · CPC title

• G06F8/63

  Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order · CPC title

• G06F9/54

  Interprogram communication · CPC title