May 22, 2007 - platforms such as server blades using a single administra. 6,754,895 B1* ..... SMBUS standard (www.smbus.org), a dedicated private or.
US007222339B2
(12)
(54)
United States Patent
(10) Patent N0.:
Rothman et al.
(45) Date of Patent:
METHOD FOR DISTRIBUTED UPDATE OF
6,928,108 B2 *
FIRMWARE ACROSS A CLUSTERED
6,954,929 B2 *
(Contrnued) OTHER PUBLICATIONS Stoyle et al, “Mutatis Mutandis Safe and predictable dyanmic
)
software updating”, ACM POPL pp. 183-194, 2005*
.
_
Erwig et al, “A rule based language for programming software
(73) Assrgnee: Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA
updates”, ACM SIGPLAN, pp‘ 6177, 2002*
(Us)
(*)
21 ( (
_
_
_
SELMAS, pp. 67-73, 2006*
SubJeCt to any dlselalmer, the term of thls patent is extended or adjusted under 35
Platen et al, “Feedback linking optimizing object code layout for updates”, ACM LCTES, pp. 2-11, 2006*
U'S'C' 154(1)) by 760 days'
Primary ExamineriAnil Khatr‘i
A 1' N ‘I 10/460 922 )
22
Pridgen et al, “A secure modular mobile agent system”, ACM
_
Nonce:
)
(65)
pp
0
F1 d:
(74) Attorney, Agent, or FirmiBlakely, SokoloiT, Taylor &
’ J
1e
“n
Zafman LLP
. 13 2003
’
(57)
Pnor Pubhcatlon Data US 2004/0255286 A1 Dec. 16, 2004
(58)
ABSTRACT
Methods, apparatus, and systems for updating ?rmware for clustered computing platforms. Firmware provided on each platform is loaded for operating system runtime availability. The ?rmware update process begins by issuing an update
(51) Int. C1. (52)
Erickson et al. .......... .. 717/173 .
(75) Inventors: Michael A. Rothman, Gig Harbor, WA gixlysmcent J‘ Zlmmer’ Federal Way’
_
May 22, 2007
8/2005 Nelson et al. ............ .. 375/222 10/2005
PLATFORM INFRASTRUCTURE
(
US 7,222,339 B2
G06F 9/44 (2006.01) GO6F 9/445 (2006.01) US. Cl. ..................... .. 717/168; 717/171; 717/176
directive that includes ?rmware update data to a ?rst plat form. That platform then interacts with ?rmware running on other platforms to update the ?rmware for those platforms,
Field of Classi?cation Search ...... .. 717/168il74, 717/175478; 709/203
wherein Communications between the Platform is enabled via an out-of-band (OOB) communication channel or net work. In one embodiment, OOB communications are facili
See application ?le for Complete Search history _
(56)
tated by a hidden execution mode known as the System
References Clted
Management Mode (SMM), which has the ability to receive
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
and respond to periodic System Management Interrupts (SMI) and execute corresponding SMI handlers con?gured
6,467,087 B1 * 10/2002 Yang ........................ .. 717/168
to Support inter-platfonn communication in a manner that is
6,640,334 B1: 10/2003 Rasmussen ~~
transparent to operating systems running on the platforms.
6,643,843 B1
11/2003
Reger_
717/171
''''''
6’678’888 131*
V2004 Sakamshl
' ' ' " 717/168
The method allows ?rmware to be updated across multiple
717/172
6,754,895 B1*
6/2004
Bartel et al.
717/171
6,772,192 B1 *
8/2004 Fulton et al.
709/203
6,874,143 B1*
3/2005
6,915,513 B2 *
7/2005 Duesterwald et al. ..... .. 717/168
platforms such as server blades using a single administra .
.
’
’
‘We acnon'
Murray et al. ............ .. 717/173
28 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets
initialization Sequence s00
~~~~~~~~~~ -
s02
OOB Monitor Activity
A 710
Initialize Platform; Setup Variable Services
kContinueruriningIarQetOS) _
Install OOB mnnitcrdriverin protected
Update D'?iiigetg Createan
NO-
510
area‘e'g'sMMmeach Blade
Update Event’? 712
E
A
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