JPH04276824A - Immediate application method of firmware modification data - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for immediately applying (registering) firmware modification data for a device when the device is incorporated into a system.

[0002] In recent years, firmware failures account for a large proportion of hardware failures, and it is necessary to avoid downtime due to firmware failures. To this end, if there is a firmware failure, it is required to promptly respond to all target devices.

[0003] For this reason, once the device is incorporated into the system, it is necessary to immediately apply the latest version of the modified data. Regarding the incorporation of the device into the system, for example,
Fault Tolerant Computer (FTC)
Each device is modularized and can be hot inserted and removed. When you insert a device (imagine connecting it to a connector), the "READY signal" goes up on the hardware side, the software recognizes this "READY signal", performs a path test on the inserted device, and if it is normal, the system starts. I'm trying to incorporate it.

[0004] Therefore, by using this device incorporation mechanism, it is possible to immediately apply the revised data of the latest version.

[0005]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a conventional method of applying firmware correction data. In conventional firmware modification, a medium containing firmware modification data, such as a floppy disk 8, is input to the system's disk driver at the site, and the data is imported into the file device (DASD) 6 before a command is input. Either register the firmware correction data in the system by
, specified date and time registration, command input, etc.).

[0006]

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] Specifically, at the time of the above-mentioned initial program loading (IPL), etc., a list of firmware versions for each device that is preset on the floppy disk 9 of the system, etc. , the version number of the firmware loaded in the file device (DASD) 6 is compared, and if they match, it is registered in the system.

[0007] Therefore, if the firmware cannot be applied immediately, and if the firmware version number list is incorrect, the old firmware has to be re-registered in the system, causing problems such as recurrence of the failure.

[0008] As mentioned above, as a method of storing the firmware list on a floppy disk or the like and checking whether or not the firmware is compatible based on this firmware list, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63
There is a publication No. 189937 entitled "Version confirmation method for information processing system".

In view of the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, the present invention automatically applies the latest firmware correction data when a device is incorporated into a system, thereby always maintaining the latest firmware, thereby preventing the same failure from occurring in other devices. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for applying firmware correction data that can prevent such occurrences in devices of the same type.

0010

[Means for Solving the Problems] FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining the principle of the present invention, in which (a) shows an example of the configuration, and (b) shows an example of the format of event information. The above problem is solved by a firmware modification data application method configured as follows.

[0011] In a system that can automatically/manually recognize that the device 2 is incorporated into the system 1,
Each device 2 is provided with a device information recording unit 21 that records its own current firmware version number, and the system 1 includes at least a correction data file that has the entire history of firmware correction data for each device 2. 4 and
and a correction data management file 5 that manages the latest version of firmware correction data for each device 2.
As device 2 was incorporated into system 1,
The system 1 reads the current firmware version from the device information recording section 21 of the incorporated device 2, refers to the modified data management file 5 provided in the system 1, and updates the incorporated device.
2, and if the firmware version of the incorporated device 2 is lower than the firmware version managed by the system, the correction data file 4 provided in the system is compared. Extract the latest firmware correction data and install it on the device 2
Configure to forward to and register with.

0012

[Operation] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the principle of the present invention. ■ First, when the device 2 is inserted into the system 1, the above-mentioned READY signal indicating that the device 2 is connected to the system 1 in terms of hardware is raised, and the device built-in recognition unit 11 recognizes this signal and Perform a pass test on device 2. If it is normal, it is incorporated as a resource under the operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS) and notified to the event control unit 12. Further, the installation into the system may be instructed manually.

■ When the device 2 is installed in the system, the event control unit 12 transmits the installed event information {FIG. 1(b)
) reference} to the modification management mechanism 14 and the configuration information collection unit 13. ■ Configuration information collection section 13
reads device information (hardware/firmware version numbers, etc. are recorded in the ROM) from the device information recording unit 21 of the target device 2 and writes it to the hardware configuration information file 3.

[0014] The modification management mechanism 14 reads the hardware/firmware version number of the target device 2 notified from the event control unit 12 from the hardware configuration information file 3. ■ Also, the modification management mechanism 14 reads the latest firmware version for the hardware version of the target device 2 from the modification data management file 5.

■ Devices incorporated in system 1
If the firmware version number of the device 2 is lower than the version number managed by the system 1, the modified data of the corresponding device 2 is read from the modified data file 4.

■ Devices incorporated into the system 2
The modified data is written into the EEPROM (memory for recording modified data) 22 of the controller. The correction data and its management data are imported from a maintenance center (not shown) via a line or from a medium such as a magnetic tape device (MT) or a floppy disk (FPD), and stored in a file storage device (DSAD) 4,5. Managed by multiple generations.

As described above, in the present invention, system events (state changes) are monitored, and the latest firmware modification data is applied to the device when the device is incorporated into the system. There is.

[0018] Therefore, when the device is incorporated into the system, the latest firmware correction data is immediately applied, so that the effect that the latest firmware can always be maintained can be obtained.

[0019]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Examples of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The above-mentioned FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the principle of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of processing showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] In the present invention, in a system in which it is possible to recognize by automatic/manual operation that the device 2 has been incorporated into the system, when the device 2 is incorporated into the system, the incorporated device 2 is retained. When the current firmware version is lower than the firmware version managed by the system correction data management file 5, the latest firmware correction data for the device 2 is transferred from the correction data file 4 and the device is updated. EEPROM (electrical rewrite memory) 2
2 is the means necessary to implement the present invention. Note that the same reference numerals indicate the same objects throughout the figures.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1 and the flowchart of FIG. 2, the instant application method of firmware modification data of the present invention will be explained. Processing step 50: The READY signal that goes up when the device 2 is inserted into the system 1 is monitored, and the RE
When the ADY signal goes up, this signal is sent to the equipment built-in recognition unit 1
1 recognizes the inserted device 2, performs a path test on the inserted device 2, and if it is found to be normal, the device 2 is incorporated into the system as a resource under the OS, or the device 2 is incorporated into the system 1 by manual operation. When you specify that
Proceed to process step 51.

Processing step 51: The device information (hardware/firmware version number) of the installed device 2 (see FIG. 1) is read from the device information recording section 21. Processing step 52: Modification management mechanism of system 1
14 is a device built-in recognition unit 11, an event control unit 12
Triggered by a device installation signal from , the latest firmware version number of the corresponding device 2 is read from the firmware modification data management file (see FIG. 1) 5 .

Processing step 53: Compare the device information (hardware/firmware version number) of the device 2 with the firmware version number of the modified data management file 5, and if they do not match, proceed to processing step 54, and if they match (same) version), it is recognized that the latest version of firmware is registered in the device 2, and processing step 50
Return to

Processing step 54: Read the firmware modification data of the device in question from the modification data file 4. Processing step 55: EE of the incorporated device 2
The latest modified data read above is written into the PROM22.

As described above, the present invention provides a system in which it is possible to automatically/manually recognize that the device 2 has been incorporated into the system. When the firmware version held by the device is lower than the firmware version managed by the system correction data management file 5, the latest firmware correction data for the device 2 is transferred from the correction data file 4, and the EEPROM (electrical rewrite memory) of the device 2
The feature is that it is written in 2.

[0026]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above in detail, the instant application method of firmware correction data of the present invention allows the latest firmware correction data to be applied to the device immediately by simply incorporating the device into the system. This has the effect of allowing corrected data to be reflected at an early stage, and greatly contributes to the prevention of failures.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

[Figure 1] Diagram explaining the principle of the present invention

[Fig. 2] Process flow diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention

[Figure 3]
Diagram explaining the conventional method of applying firmware correction data

[Explanation of symbols]

1 System 2 Target device (device to which correction data is applied), or
Device 3 Hardware configuration information file 4 Modification data file 5
Modified data management file 11 Device built-in recognition section
12 Event control unit 13 Configuration information collection unit
14 Correction management mechanism 21 Device information recording unit (hardware/software version number, etc.) 22
EEPROM (memory for recording correction data) ~
■ Processing route 50-55 Processing steps

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: In a system that can automatically/manually recognize that a device (2) has been incorporated into the system (1), device information that records the current firmware version of each device (2). A recording section (21) is provided,
The system (1) includes at least a correction data file (4) that contains the entire history of firmware correction data for each device (2), and manages the latest version of the firmware correction data for each device (2). When the device (2) is incorporated into the system (1) with the corrected data management file (5) that has Reads the current firmware version from the device information recording section (21), refers to the correction data management file (5) provided in the system (1), and determines the latest firmware version of the installed device (2). Compare with the number,
The firmware version of the incorporated device (2) is
When the firmware version number is lower than that managed by the system, the latest firmware correction data is extracted from the correction data file (4) provided in the system, and transferred to the device (2) for registration. Immediate application method of firmware modification data.