Unified update tool for multi-protocol network adapter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9298446-B2
Application number	US-201314065043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2013
Priority date	Oct 28, 2013
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A method and technique for updating firmware on a multi-protocol network adapter includes: reading parameter values for a firmware update to determine an update scope indicating one or more functions of the network adapter affected by the firmware update and a write scope indicating which of the one or more functions should receive a write request for writing the firmware update to the network adapter. The update tool is operable to: send a message indicating to the one or more functions based on the update scope that a firmware update process is beginning; send a write request to write the firmware update to the one or more functions based on the write scope; send a reset request to reset the one or more functions to activate the firmware update; and send a message indicating to the one or more functions that the firmware update process is completed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
reading, by an update tool executed by a processor unit of a host, parameter values for a firmware update of a multi-protocol network adapter, the parameter values specifying classes of behavior for conducting the firmware update of the multi-protocol network adapter, to:
determine an update scope indicating which of a plurality of different communication protocol functions of the network adapter are affected by the firmware update based on the parameter values;
determine a write scope indicating which of the plurality of different communication protocol functions of the network adapter should receive a write request for writing the firmware update to the network adapter based on the parameter values;
determine a reset scope indicating which of the plurality of different communication protocol functions of the network adapter should receive a reset request based on the parameter values; and

wherein the update tool is operable to:
send a message to the network adapter indicating to the determined communication protocol functions based on the update scope that a firmware update process is beginning;
send a write request to the network adapter to write the firmware update to the determined communication protocol functions based on the write scope;
send a reset request to the network adapter to reset the determined communication protocol functions based on the reset scope to activate the firmware update; and
send a message to the network adapter indicating to the plurality of different communication protocol functions that the firmware update process is complete.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein reading further comprises reading a parameter value indicating a type of reset request to issue to the determined communication protocol functions based on the reset scope to activate the firmware update.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein reading further comprises reading a parameter value indicating which of the plurality of different communication protocol functions should receive the reset request.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein reading further comprises reading a parameter value indicating whether the firmware update should be processed via a select one of the plurality of different communication protocol functions.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, in response to the message indicating the beginning of the firmware update process, a message from the determined communication protocol functions based on the update scope indicating whether the respective communication protocol functions based on the update scope support processing of the firmware update.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, in response to the write request, a message from the determined communication protocol functions based on the write scope indicating a type of reset needed by the respective communication protocol functions based on the write scope for activating the firmware update.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein reading further comprises reading a parameter value indicating whether a device driver for managing sibling communication protocol functions should be loaded for operation of the network adapter after the firmware update.

8. A system, comprising:
a multi-protocol network adapter; and
a host including a memory, a processor unit, and an update tool stored in the memory and executable by the processor unit to update firmware on the adapter, the update tool executable by the processor unit to:
read parameter values for a firmware update of the network adapter, the parameter values specifying classes of behavior for conducting the firmware update of the multi-protocol network adapter, to:
determine an update scope indicating which of a plurality of different communication protocol functions of the network adapter are affected by the firmware update based on the parameter values;
determine a write scope indicating which of the plurality of different communication protocol functions of the network adapter should receive a write request for writing the firmware update to the network adapter based on the parameter values;
determine a reset scope indicating which of the plurality of different communication protocol functions of the network adapter should receive a reset request based on the parameter values;
send a message to the network adapter indicating to the determined communication protocol functions based on the update scope that a firmware update process is beginning;
send a write request to the network adapter to write the firmware update to the determined communication protocol based on the write scope;
send a reset request to the network adapter to reset the determined communication protocol functions based on the reset scope to activate the firmware update; and
send a message to the network adapter indicating to the plurality of different communication protocol functions that the firmware update process is complete.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the update tool is operable to read a parameter value indicating a type of reset request to issue to the determined communication protocol functions based on the reset scope to activate the firmware update.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the update tool is operable to read a parameter value indicating which of the plurality of different communication protocol functions should receive the reset request.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the update tool is operable to read a parameter value indicating whether the firmware update should be processed via a select one of the plurality of different communication protocol functions.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the update tool is operable to receive, in response to the message indicating the beginning of the firmware update process, a message from the determined communication protocol functions based on the update scope indicating whether the respective communication protocol functions based on the update scope support processing of the firmware update.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the update tool is operable to receive, in response to the write request, a message from the determined communication protocol functions based on the write scope indicating a type of reset needed by the respective communication protocol functions based on the write scope for activating the firmware update.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the update tool is operable to reading read a parameter value indicating whether a device driver for managing the sibling communication protocol functions should be loaded for operation of the network adapter during the firmware update process.

15. A computer program product for updating firmware on a multi-protocol network adapter, the computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising computer readable program code configured to:
read parameter values for a firmware update of a network adapter, the parameter values specifying classes of behavior for conducting the firmware update of the multi-protocol network adapter, to:
determine an update scope indicating which of a plurality of different communication protocol functions of the network adapter affected by the firmware update based on the parameter values;
determine a write scope indicating which of the plurality of different communication protocol functions of the network adapter should receive a write request for writing the firmware update to the network adapter based on the parameter values;
determine a reset scope ind

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Chang Tai-Chien D
• De Leon Iii Baltazar
• Grande Marcus B
• Hart Brian W
• Nualart Jaime F
• Sethi Vikramjit

Classifications

• G06F8/65 Primary

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

• G06F8/654 Primary

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

• G06F8/66

  of program code stored in read-only memory [ROM] · CPC title