Methods and structure for near-live reprogramming of firmware in storage systems using a hypervisor
US8776060B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 4, 2010 |
| Grant date | Jul 8, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 10, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/45558
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Methods and structure for reprogramming firmware in a storage controller using a virtual machine management (VMM) environment. A storage process (current firmware) in the storage controller operates in a current virtual machine (VM) under control of a hypervisor. Reprogrammed (new) firmware is loaded into a new virtual machine under control of the hypervisor. The new firmware initializes and directs the current firmware to quiesce its processing. The new firmware also requests the hypervisor to map data in the memory space of the current virtual machine into the memory space of the new virtual machine and to transfer ownership/control of devices and network addresses from the current virtual machine to the new virtual machine. The new firmware operating on the new virtual machine then takes control of the storage controller and resumes processing of requests.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.