Baseboard management controller recovery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9921915-B2
Application number	US-201514885157-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2015
Priority date	Oct 16, 2015
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A method for recovering a baseboard management controller (BMC) by determining, by a basic input/output system (BIOS), whether a BMC recovery mode is generated by a recovery mode jumper being triggered. The system performing the method can further install, if the recovery jumper is not triggered, a BMC firmware update driver and detect, if the recovery jumper is not triggered, a BMC image. The system that performs the method can further update, if the recovery jumper is not triggered, the BMC firmware and copy to a backup image, if the recovery jumper is not triggered, the BMC firmware update.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for recovering a baseboard management controller, the method comprising:
determining, by a basic input/output system, whether a baseboard management controller recovery mode is triggered by a physical recovery mode jumper;
in an event that the recovery mode is not triggered by the physical recovery mode jumper, installing a baseboard management controller firmware update driver configured to identify a revision level of a specific firmware image;
searching for a baseboard management controller firmware that is the most recent backup version of a working firmware for the baseboard management controller;
updating, the baseboard management controller with the baseboard management controller firmware; and
storing a backup image of the baseboard management controller firmware.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the recovery mode is not generated by the recovery mode jumper being triggered, the baseboard management controller firmware requires updating.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the baseboard management controller recovery mode is generated by the recovery mode jumper, the baseboard management controller continues to a power on self-test.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein installing the baseboard management controller firmware update driver comprises:
acquiring information about a current firmware image;
comparing the information about the current firmware image with a current saved firmware image;
acquiring, when the current firmware image is newer than the current saved firmware image, a copy of the current firmware image for the basic input/output system to perform a baseboard management controller roll-back;
programming a firmware image; and
validating the firmware image,
wherein a baseboard management controller roll-back programs the current firmware image as a new firmware image.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein installing the baseboard management controller firmware update driver further comprises saving the new firmware image into non-volatile random access memory if a current firmware version is newer than the current firmware image.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein installing the baseboard management controller firmware update driver further comprises saving the new firmware image into recovery storage if a current firmware version is newer than the current firmware image.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein installing the baseboard management controller firmware update driver further comprises booting into an operating system.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein when detecting a baseboard management controller image, the basic input/output system searches all recovery storages to detect whether there is any authorized baseboard management controller image present.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a detected authorized baseboard management controller image can reprogram/recover the baseboard management controller firmware.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein when no authorized baseboard management controller image is detected the basic input/output system acquires a new image to reprogram the baseboard management controller firmware automatically.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the basic input/output system accesses an internet or official website to acquire the new image.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the baseboard management controller firmware further comprises acquiring a current baseboard management controller firmware update driver within an BIOS.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the basic input/output system accesses an internet or official website to acquire the current baseboard management controller firmware update driver.

14. A baseboard management controller storing instructions that, when executed by the baseboard management controller, cause the baseboard management controller to perform operations comprising:
determining, by a basic input/output system, whether a baseboard management controller recovery mode is triggered by a physical recovery mode jumper;
in an event that the recovery mode is not triggered by the physical recovery mode jumper, installing a baseboard management controller firmware update driver configured to identify a revision level of a specific firmware image;
searching for a baseboard management controller firmware that is the most recent backup version of a working firmware for the baseboard management controller;
updating the baseboard management controller with the baseboard management controller firmware; and
storing a backup image of the baseboard management controller firmware.

15. The baseboard management controller of claim 14 , wherein when the recovery mode is not generated by the recovery mode jumper being triggered, the baseboard management controller firmware requires updating.

16. The baseboard management controller of claim 14 , wherein when the baseboard management controller recovery mode is generated by the recovery mode jumper, the baseboard management controller continues to a power on self-test.

17. The baseboard management controller of claim 14 , further comprising instructions, which, when installing the baseboard management controller firmware update driver, cause the baseboard management controller to perform further operations comprising:
acquiring information about a current firmware image;
comparing the information about the current firmware image with a current saved firmware image;
acquiring, when the current firmware image is newer than the current saved firmware image, a copy of the current firmware image for the basic input/output system to perform a baseboard management controller roll-back;
programming a firmware image; and
validating the firmware image,
wherein a baseboard management controller roll-back programs the current firmware image as a new firmware image.

18. The baseboard management controller of claim 17 , further including instructions, when installing the baseboard management controller firmware update driver, that cause the baseboard management controller to: save the new firmware image into non-volatile random access memory if a current firmware version is newer than the current firmware image.

19. The baseboard management controller of claim 17 , further including instructions, when installing the baseboard management controller firmware update driver, that cause the baseboard management controller to: save the new firmware image into recovery storage if a current firmware version is newer than the current firmware image.

20. The baseboard management controller of claim 17 , further including instructions, when installing the baseboard management controller firmware update driver, that cause the baseboard management controller to: boot into an operating system.

21. The baseboard management controller of claim 14 , wherein the basic input/output system searches all recovery storages to detect whether there is any authorized baseboard management controller image present.

22. The baseboard management controller of claim 21 , wherein a detected authorized baseboard management controller image can reprogram/recover the baseboard management controller firmware.

23. The baseboard management controller of claim 21 , wherein when no authorized baseboard management controller image is detected the basic input/output system acquires a new image to reprogram the baseboard management controller firmware automatically.

24. The baseboard management control

Assignees

• Quanta Comp Inc

Inventors

• Hung Ming-Hung

Classifications

• G06F11/1417 Primary

  Boot up procedures · CPC title

• G06F21/575 Primary

  Secure boot · CPC title

• G06F8/65 Primary

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

• G06F11/3058

  Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations (thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206) · CPC title

• G06F11/1435

  using file system or storage system metadata · CPC title