Patent · US Active

Mechanism to change firmware in a high availability single processor system

US8375363B2 · kind B2 · utility

11Cited by
27References
39Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 28, 2007
Grant dateFeb 12, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 15, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F8/656
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A “high availability” system comprises multiple switches under the control of a control processor (“CP”). The firmware executing on the processor can be changed when desired. Consistent with the high availability nature of the system (i.e., minimal down time), a single CP system implements a firmware change by loading new firmware onto the system, saving state information pertaining to the old firmware, preventing the old firmware from communicating with the switches, bringing the new firmware to an active state and applying the saved state information to the new firmware.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.