System and method for supporting in-band/side-band firmware upgrade of input/output (I/O) devices in a middleware machine environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9262155-B2
Application number	US-201314098075-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2013
Priority date	Jun 4, 2012
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

A system and method can support controlled and secure firmware upgrade in a middleware machine environment. The system can provide an input/output (I/O) device, which is associated with a host node. The host node can use the I/O device to connect to a shared resource, and the I/O device operates to receive at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update from a fabric administrator that manages the shared resource, and upgrade firmware in the I/O device. Furthermore, the system allows the fabric administrator to send said at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update to the I/O device, using either an in-band connection or a side-band connection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for supporting controlled and secure firmware update of a host channel adapter (HCA) of a host node in a middleware machine environment, wherein the host node uses the HCA to connect to a shared resource over a network fabric, the method comprising:
managing the network fabric with a fabric administrator system;
providing the host node with a normal boot image which provides access to a local file system of the host node but no access to firmware of the HCA of the host node, wherein when loaded with the normal boot image, the host node is accessible to a host administrator and not the fabric administrator system;
providing the host node with a special boot image which provides access to firmware of the HCA of the host node but no access to the local file system of the host node, wherein when loaded with the special boot image, the host node is accessible to a fabric administrator system and not the host administrator;
using the fabric administrator system to provide a plurality of encrypted firmware updates on the network fabric;
receiving said plurality of encrypted firmware updates from the network fabric at said host node via the HCA;
communicating a selection of a particular encrypted firmware update of the said plurality of encrypted firmware updates from a host administrator of the host node to the HCA, wherein said communicating is performed while the host node is loaded with the normal boot image;
decrypting in said HCA, in response to said selection, said particular encrypted firmware update of the said plurality of encrypted firmware updates in order to generate a decrypted firmware update; and
operating said HCA to install said decrypted firmware update;
wherein said decrypting and operating said HCA to install said decrypted firmware is performed while the host node is loaded with the special boot image.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of encrypted firmware updates comprise a plurality of encrypted firmware update images and said decrypted firmware updated comprises a decrypted firmware update image.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
authenticating, via the HCA, said particular encrypted firmware update of the said plurality of encrypted firmware updates.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the HCA connects to a service processor using a side-band path.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the HCA connects to a service processor using a side-band path; and
said receiving step comprises receiving said plurality of encrypted firmware updates from the network fabric at said HCA, using the side-band path via the service processor.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
preventing said host administrator from accessing the service processor.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
allowing said host administrator to store the selection of a particular encrypted firmware update of the said plurality of encrypted firmware updates in a persisted storage associated with the HCA.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
allowing said host administrator to control when the decrypted firmware update is installed by the HCA.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
storing initial authentication credentials in said HCA wherein said initial authentication credentials enable encrypted authentication without initial password or key distribution.

10. A system for supporting controlled and secure firmware update in a middleware machine environment the system comprising:
a fabric administrator system which manages a network fabric wherein the fabric administrator system provides a plurality of encrypted firmware updates on the network fabric;
a host node having a microprocessor and a memory;
a host channel adapter (HCA) in said host node wherein the host node uses the HCA to connect to a shared resource over said network fabric;
a normal boot image which provides access to a local file system of the host node but no access to firmware of the HCA of the host node, wherein when loaded with the normal boot image, the host node is accessible to a host administrator and not the fabric administrator system; and
a special boot image which provides access to firmware of the HCA of the host node but no access to the local file system of the host node, wherein when loaded with the special boot image, the host node is accessible to a fabric administrator system and not the host administrator;
wherein the host node is configured to receive said plurality of encrypted firmware updates from the network fabric via the HCA;
wherein the host node is configured, when loaded with the normal boot image, to communicate a selection of a particular encrypted firmware update of the said plurality of encrypted firmware updates from a host administrator of the host node to the HCA; and
wherein, when the host node is loaded with the special boot image, the HCA is configured to decrypt, in response to said selection, said particular encrypted firmware update of the said plurality of encrypted firmware updates in order to generate a decrypted firmware update and install said decrypted firmware update on said HCA.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of encrypted firmware updates comprise a plurality of encrypted firmware update images and said decrypted firmware updated comprises a decrypted firmware update image.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein:
the HCA is configured to authenticate said particular encrypted firmware update of the said plurality of encrypted firmware updates.

13. The system according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a service processor in said host node wherein the HCA connects to the service processor using a side-band path; and
wherein the host node is configured to receive said plurality of encrypted firmware updates from the network fabric using the side-band path via the service processor.

14. The system according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a persistent storage associated with the HCA wherein the persistent storage is configured to allow said host administrator to store the selection of a particular encrypted firmware update of the said plurality of encrypted firmware updates.

15. The system according to claim 10 , wherein:
said host administrator controls a time when the decrypted firmware update is installed by the HCA.

16. The system according to claim 10 , further comprising:
initial authentication credentials stored in said HCA wherein said initial authentication credentials enable encrypted authentication without initial password or key distribution.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for supporting controlled and secure firmware update of a host channel adapter (HCA) of a host node in a middleware machine environment, which instructions, when executed, cause a computer system to perform steps comprising:
managing the network fabric with a fabric administrator system;
providing the host node with a normal boot image which provides access to a local file system of the host node but no access to firmware of the HCA of the host node, wherein when loaded with the normal boot image, the host node is accessible to a host administrator and not the fabric administrator system;
providing the host node with a special boot image which provides access to firmware of the HCA of the host node but no access to the local file system of the host node, wherein when loaded with the special boot i

Assignees

• Oracle Int Corp

Inventors

• Johnsen Bjørn Dag
• Mayhead Martin Paul

Classifications

• G06F21/629

  to features or functions of an application · CPC title

• G06F8/654 Primary

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

• G06F21/572

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

• G06F21/57

  Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities · CPC title

• G06F21/575

  Secure boot · CPC title