Device firmware update techniques

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12001826-B2
Application number	US-202016858504-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2020
Priority date	Apr 24, 2020
Publication date	Jun 4, 2024
Grant date	Jun 4, 2024

Abstract

Examples described herein relate to a network interface receiving a firmware update from one or more packets. In some examples, the one or more packets indicate a start of a firmware update. In some examples, the network interface can also perform authenticating the start of firmware update indication and based on authentication of the firmware update, permit a firmware update of a device. In some examples, the device is one or more of: Board Management Controller (BMC), central processing unit (CPU), network interface, Ethernet controller, storage controller, memory controller, display engine, graphics processing unit (GPU), accelerator device, or peripheral device. In some examples, an end of firmware update indicator is received in the one or more packets. In some examples, communications are maintained through a port during a firmware change.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
at a network interface, receiving a firmware update for the network interface in one or more packets;
storing the firmware update in a firmware memory region for access;
selecting a first interface for use to access the firmware update and connect to a network interface port; and
de-selecting a second interface that uses a current firmware from connection to the network interface port.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
authenticating the firmware update and
based on authentication of the firmware update, permitting the firmware update of the network interface.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
at the network interface, receiving the firmware update for a device in one or more packets, wherein the device comprises one or more of: a Board Management Controller (BMC), a central processing unit (CPU), a storage controller, a memory controller, a display engine, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerator device, or a peripheral device;
authenticating the firmware update for the device; and
based on authentication of the firmware update for the device, permitting a firmware update of the device.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
indicating a status of the firmware update as either successful or unsuccessful at a network address.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising maintaining communication using the network interface port during a firmware change.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network interface port is allocated for manageability communications, the manageability communications comprising one or more of: heartbeat packets, probe messages, telemetry collection, and various keep alive packets, Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) messages, acknowledgements (ACKs), or neighbor solicitation.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
initiating transmission of the firmware update from a remote trusted source; and
storing the received firmware update into a volatile memory device.

8. The method of claim 7 , comprising:
one or more devices accessing firmware from the volatile memory device, the one or more devices comprising one or more of: a Board Management Controller (BMC), a central processing unit (CPU), the network interface, a storage controller, a memory controller, a display engine, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerator device, or a peripheral device.

9. The method of claim 7 , comprising:
erasing the firmware update from the volatile memory device based on removal of power from the volatile memory device.

10. An apparatus comprising:
a network interface comprising an interface and circuitry to:
receive a firmware update for the network interface from one or more packets store the firmware update in a firmware memory region for access;
select a first interface for use to access the firmware update and connect to a network interface port; and
de-select a second interface that uses a current firmware from connection to the network interface port.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , comprising at least one processor to:
authenticate the firmware update and
based on authentication of the firmware update, permit an update of firmware of the network interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , comprising at least one processor and wherein
the network interface is to receive the firmware update for a device in one or more packets, wherein the device comprises one or more of: a Board Management Controller (BMC), a central processing unit (CPU), a storage controller, a memory controller, a display engine, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerator device, or a peripheral device;
the at least one processor is to authenticate the firmware update for the device; and
based on authentication of the firmware update for the device, the at least one processor is to permit a firmware update of the device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , comprising at least one processor to:
indicate a status of the firmware update as either successful or unsuccessful at a network address.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the network interface is to maintain communication using the network interface port during a change of firmware.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the network interface port is allocated for manageability communications, the manageability communications comprising one or more of: heartbeat packets, probe messages, telemetry collection, and various keep alive packets, Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) messages, acknowledgements (ACKs), or neighbor solicitation.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 , comprising at least one processor to:
initiate transmission of the firmware update from a remote trusted source; and
store the received firmware update into a volatile memory device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein one or more devices are to access the firmware update from the volatile memory device, the one or more devices comprising: a Board Management Controller (BMC), a central processing unit (CPU), the network interface, a storage controller, a memory controller, a display engine, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerator device, or a peripheral device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , comprising circuitry to erase the firmware update from the volatile memory device based on removal of power to the volatile memory device.

19. The apparatus of claim 10 , comprising a server, data center, or rack, wherein the server, data center, or rack are coupled to the network interface and wherein the server, data center, or rack comprise circuitry to utilize the firmware update.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Liedtke Kevin
• Hearn James R
• Dubal Scott P
• Oliver Jeffery
• Mclaughlin Patrick J
• Shiddibhavi Sharada Ashok
• Osawa Daniel K
• Couch Kelly J
• Plucinski Maciej

Classifications

• G06F8/65 Primary

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

• G06F21/572 Primary

  Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS] · CPC title

• G06F2221/033

  Test or assess software · CPC title