JP6149624B2 - Firmware execution apparatus, firmware execution method, computer program, and computer apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for controlling execution of firmware in an electronic device in which firmware is incorporated.

  Many electronic devices have a problem of speeding up the startup time of firmware. For example, in a server device incorporating a BMC (Baseboard Management Controller), it is necessary to complete the activation of the BMC firmware before the server device can be activated after being energized. Therefore, shortening the startup time of the BMC firmware leads to an improvement in performance that shortens the server startup time after energization. In particular, when such a server device is managed by a UPS (uninterruptible power supply), the server startup time is further shortened when power is supplied after the power supply is cut off during the startup of the server device. It is desirable. Therefore, in such a server device, it is desired to shorten the startup time of the BMC firmware.

  A technique related to such a problem is described in Patent Document 1. In this related technology, the processor creates a resume image of the system and copies it to high-speed non-volatile memory before entering the sleep state. Then, the processor starts up using the resume image read from the high-speed nonvolatile memory during the resume.

JP 2011-508341 A

  However, the related technique described in Patent Document 1 requires an additional non-volatile memory for holding a resume image, and there is a problem of increasing costs.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for increasing the startup time of firmware without adding new hardware.

  The firmware execution apparatus according to the present invention includes a firmware information holding unit having at least two areas for holding information representing firmware and information representing firmware for updating, and management information relating to information held in the two areas A management information holding unit that holds the memory, a memory used as a work area in the execution of the firmware, and information indicating the firmware held in one of the two areas in response to the firmware update request, The information indicating the firmware for update is held in the other of the two areas, the information indicating the firmware for update is restarted, and the resume image based on the information stored in the memory at the time of restart is stored. The information indicating the firmware before update in the two areas is stored. An update control unit that holds the information indicating the updated firmware and the resume image in which of the two regions is held in the management information holding unit as the management information. At the time of activation, based on the management information, the memory is activated using information representing firmware held in one of the two areas, and the resume image held in the other of the two areas is stored in the memory And an activation control unit that expands to

  The firmware execution method of the present invention is held in one of the two areas by using a firmware information holding unit having at least two areas for holding information representing firmware and information representing firmware for update. In response to the firmware update request during execution of the information indicating the updated firmware, the information indicating the firmware for update is held in the other of the two areas, and the restart is performed using the information indicating the firmware for update. When the restart is performed, a resume image based on information held in a memory used as a work area in the execution of the firmware is stored in the area in which the information indicating the firmware before update is held out of the two areas. Information indicating the updated firmware and It is stored as management information in which of the two areas the resume image is stored, and information indicating the firmware stored in one of the two areas is used based on the management information at startup. Upon activation, the resume image held in the other of the two areas is expanded in the memory.

  The computer program of the present invention is held in one of the two areas by using a firmware information holding unit having at least two areas for holding information representing firmware and information representing firmware for update. In response to the firmware update request during execution of the information indicating the updated firmware, the information indicating the firmware for update is held in the other of the two areas, and the restart is performed using the information indicating the firmware for update. When the restart is performed, a resume image based on information held in a memory used as a work area in the execution of the firmware is stored in the area in which the information indicating the firmware before update is held out of the two areas. Information indicating the updated firmware and An update control step for holding in which of the two areas the resume image is held as management information, and the firmware held in one of the two areas based on the management information at startup The computer apparatus is activated using information, and the computer apparatus executes an activation control step of expanding the resume image held in the other of the two areas into the memory.

  The computer device of the present invention includes the above-described firmware execution device as a baseboard management device.

  The present invention can provide a technique for speeding up the startup time of firmware without adding new hardware.

It is a functional block diagram of a firmware execution apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention. It is a hardware block diagram of the firmware execution apparatus as embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the computer apparatus containing the firmware execution apparatus as embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the firmware update process of the firmware execution apparatus as embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the starting process of the firmware execution apparatus as embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a firmware execution apparatus 1 as an embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, the firmware execution device 1 includes a firmware information holding unit 11, a management information holding unit 12, a memory 13, an update control unit 14, and an activation control unit 15. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the firmware execution apparatus 1 includes a processor 1001, a volatile memory 1002, a nonvolatile memory 1003 having two areas (BANK-A area and BANK-B area), a nonvolatile memory The memory 1004 may be used. In this case, the firmware information holding unit 11 is configured by the nonvolatile memory 1003. In addition, the management information holding unit 12 is configured by a nonvolatile memory 1004. The memory 13 is configured by a volatile memory 1002. The update control unit 14 and the activation control unit 15 are configured by a processor 1001 that reads a computer program (firmware) and various data stored in the nonvolatile memory 1003 and the nonvolatile memory 1004 into the volatile memory 1002 and executes them. The Note that the hardware configuration of the firmware execution device 1 and each functional block thereof is not limited to the above-described configuration.

  For example, the firmware execution device 1 may be a baseboard management device (BMC) installed in the computer device 2 as shown in FIG. Here, the computer apparatus 2 includes a processor 2001 and a memory 2002. Further, the processor 2001 controls the operation of the entire computer apparatus 2 based on the computer program and data held in the memory 2002. In this case, the baseboard management apparatus as the firmware execution apparatus 1 manages the hardware elements and system elements of the computer apparatus 2 by operating independently of the processor 2001.

  The firmware information holding unit 11 has at least two areas for holding information representing firmware and information representing firmware for update. Hereinafter, the two areas are also referred to as a BANK-A area and a BANK-B area. Note that the firmware information holding unit 11 is configured by a nonvolatile memory as described above, and can hold information even when power supply is cut off.

  The management information holding unit 12 holds management information related to information held in the BANK-A area and the BANK-B area. Details of the management information will be described later. As described above, the management information holding unit 12 is configured by a non-volatile memory and can hold information even when power supply is cut off.

  The memory 13 is used as a work area in executing the firmware.

  The update control unit 14 is configured to operate as follows when there is a firmware update request while executing information representing firmware held in one of the BANK-A area and the BANK-B area. Specifically, the update control unit 14 causes the other of the BANK-A area and the BANK-B area that does not hold the currently executing firmware to hold information indicating the update firmware. Note that the update control unit 14 may acquire information representing firmware for update via a network interface, an input device, a recording medium reading device, or the like (not shown). Then, the update control unit 14 restarts using information representing the firmware for update. In addition, the update control unit 14 stores a resume image based on the information developed in the memory 13 at the time of restarting, in the BANK-A area and the BANK-B area, in which information indicating firmware before update is held. Hold on.

  At this time, the update control unit 14 may perform processing for confirming the normality of the operation of the update firmware before holding the resume image. In this case, the update control unit 14 performs a confirmation process of the operation of the firmware after the update after restarting using the information representing the firmware for update. Here, the confirmation process may be, for example, a process for inspecting that there is no problem in an operation that at least performs the firmware update process again. Then, when the normality is confirmed by the inspection result, the update control unit 14 may restart again using the update firmware, and may perform the above-described resume image holding process at the time of restart. .

  The update control unit 14 creates a resume image based on the information developed in the memory 13 when the firmware kernel is activated and the memory image is expanded on the memory 13 at the time of restart. Also good. The update control unit 14 may activate the runtime part of the firmware and shift to normal operation after holding the created resume image.

  When the firmware execution device 1 is a baseboard management device mounted on the computer device 2, the update control unit 14 may restart the device itself while starting the computer device 2 mounted with the device itself. Good.

  In addition, the update control unit 14 causes the management information holding unit 12 to hold management information. The management information is information indicating in which one of the BANK-A area and the BANK-B area the information indicating the updated firmware and the resume image are held.

  The activation control unit 15 is activated using information representing firmware held in one of the BANK-A area and the BANK-B area based on the management information at the time of activation, and the resume image held in the other Is expanded in the memory 13. As a result, the boot control unit 15 can shorten the time required for booting the kernel.

  Here, when the firmware execution device 1 is a device that is activated by energization, the activation time may be a time when the firmware execution device 1 is energized. For example, when the firmware execution device 1 is a baseboard management device mounted on the computer device 2 connected to the UPS, the time of startup means that the power supply from the UPS to the computer device 2 is once cut off and then turned on again. It may be the time when the supply is started. Further, for example, when the firmware execution apparatus 1 is an apparatus that is activated when the power switch is turned on, the activation time may be a time point when the power switch is operated on. Further, for example, the start time may be a time when the firmware execution apparatus 1 is restarted. However, in this case, the time of restart by the above-described update control unit 14 is excluded.

  The operation of the firmware execution apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. Here, it is assumed that the firmware execution apparatus 1 is already executing the firmware held in the BANK-A area.

  First, the firmware update process of the firmware execution apparatus 1 is shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 4, first, the update control unit 14 writes information (firmware image) representing the firmware for update into the BANK-B area in response to a firmware update request (step S1).

  Next, the update control unit 14 restarts its own apparatus and starts from information representing new firmware held in the BANK-B area (step S2).

  At this time, the update control unit 14 may execute an operation normality confirmation process after the restart of the updated firmware is completed. For example, as described above, the update control unit 14 may confirm that there is no problem in at least the operation of performing the firmware update process again. In this case, after confirming the normality, the update control unit 14 restarts the own apparatus again, and starts from information representing new firmware held in the BANK-B area.

  Next, the update control unit 14 holds a resume image based on the information developed in the memory 13 in the BANK-A area (step S3). For example, as described above, the update control unit 14 creates a resume image based on the contents of the memory 13 when the firmware kernel is activated and the memory image is expanded on the memory 13, and stores it in the BANK-A area. It may be held.

  Next, the update control unit 14 causes the management information holding unit 12 to store information indicating that the firmware information is held in the BANK-B area and the resume image is held in the BANK-A area as management information (Step S1). S4).

  Thereafter, the update control unit 14 activates the runtime part of the firmware and shifts to normal operation.

  In this way, the resume image is held in the BANK-A area of the firmware information holding unit 11, and the information indicating the firmware is held in the BANK-B area.

  Above, description of the update process of the firmware execution apparatus 1 is complete | finished.

  Here, it is assumed that the firmware execution device 1 once stops its operation and then starts up. For example, when the firmware execution apparatus 1 is a baseboard management apparatus mounted on the computer apparatus 2 connected to the UPS, it is assumed that the power supply from the UPS is temporarily stopped and the power supply is started again. At this time, the contents of the BANK-A area and the BANK-B area of the firmware information holding unit 11 and the contents of the management information holding unit 12 are held even while the power supply is cut off. The startup process of the firmware execution apparatus 1 in this case is shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 5, first, the activation control unit 15 refers to the management information holding unit 12 and activates its own apparatus using information representing firmware held in the BANK-B area (step S <b> 11).

  Next, the activation control unit 15 expands the resume image held in the BANK-A area on the memory 13 (step S12).

  Thereafter, the activation control unit 15 activates the runtime part of the firmware and shifts to normal operation.

  Above, description of the starting process of the firmware execution apparatus 1 is complete | finished.

  Thereafter, when there is a further firmware update request, the firmware execution device 1 replaces the BANK-A area with the BANK-B area and replaces the BANK-B area with the BANK- in the description of the update process shown in FIG. By rereading as the A area, the update process is executed in the same manner. Thereafter, when the operation of the firmware execution device 1 is once stopped and then started, the firmware execution device 1 replaces the BANK-A area with the BANK-B area in the description of the startup process shown in FIG. Similarly, the activation process is executed by replacing the B area with the BANK-A area.

  Next, effects of the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  The firmware execution apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can speed up the startup time of firmware without adding new hardware.

  The reason is that if there is a firmware update request while executing firmware held in one of the two areas included in the non-volatile firmware information holding unit, the update control unit executes the current one of the two areas. The information indicating the firmware for update is held on the other side that does not hold the firmware, and the device is restarted using the information indicating the updated firmware, and then the resume image based on the information developed in the memory is displayed. Management information indicating which of the two areas each of the information indicating the firmware and the resume image is held in the area where the information indicating the firmware before the update is held among the two areas. This is because it is held in the nonvolatile management information holding unit. Then, at the time of activation, the activation control unit is activated using information representing firmware held in one of the two areas based on the management information stored in the management information holding unit, and the resume image held in the other This is because it is expanded on the memory.

  As a result, the firmware execution device can reduce the time required to start the kernel at the time of startup, and can speed up the startup time. In addition, the firmware execution device uses the standby area prepared for holding the firmware for update in the firmware information holding unit as the area for holding the image data for resume, so that the resume image is held. There is no need to add hardware such as a new nonvolatile memory. As described above, this embodiment supports the resume function from the resume image without adding new hardware if the hardware configuration already has a redundant firmware holding area for firmware update. be able to. Therefore, this embodiment can further shorten the activation time without increasing the cost.

  Note that this embodiment does not support duplexing of firmware images in normal times by using the standby area of the firmware information holding unit together as a holding place for the resume image. Here, “duplicate firmware image” means a state in which a firmware image before update is held in addition to the current firmware image. However, the situation where a problem occurs in the firmware image and the image must be restored to the original image is almost always generated before and after the firmware update. Therefore, the present embodiment can maintain duplexing in a period where duplexing of firmware images is required.

  The reason is that after the update control unit restarts using the updated firmware and confirms the normal operation of the updated firmware, the resume image is stored with information indicating the firmware before the update. This is because it is held in the area. As a result, in the present embodiment, the information indicating the firmware for update is held in one of the firmware information holding units and the normality of the operation of the firmware after the update is confirmed before and after the update. Information representing both later firmwares is held. As described above, the present embodiment can hold information representing both pre-update and post-update firmware before and after the firmware update, and there is no problem even if the duplex firmware image is not supported in normal times. .

  Further, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the update control unit creates a resume image to be held in one of the two areas of the firmware information holding unit based on the contents of the memory after kernel startup. In addition, there may be a case where the information indicating the updated firmware includes a ready-made resume image. In such a case, the update control unit may hold the ready-made resume image included in the information indicating the updated firmware in the area where the information indicating the firmware before the update is held. Thereby, this embodiment can omit the process of creating the resume image, and can shorten the time required for the update process.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the example in which the firmware execution device is mounted on the computer device as the baseboard management device has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the firmware execution device of the present invention is based on firmware. It can be applied to various electronic devices that operate.

  In the embodiment of the present invention described above, the operation of the firmware execution apparatus described with reference to each flowchart is stored in a storage medium as the computer program of the present invention, and the processor reads the computer program. May be executed. In such a case, the present invention is constituted by the code of the computer program or a storage medium.

  In this case, the computer program of the present invention may be realized as a part of firmware in the present invention.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various modes.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Firmware execution apparatus 2 Computer apparatus 11 Firmware information holding part 12 Management information holding part 13 Memory 14 Update control part 15 Startup control part 1001 Processor 1002 Volatile memory 1003, 1004 Nonvolatile memory

Claims (9)

A firmware information holding unit having at least two areas for holding information representing firmware and information representing firmware for update;
A management information holding unit for holding management information related to information held in the two areas;
A memory used as a work area in the execution of the firmware;
In response to the firmware update request during execution of information representing firmware held in one of the two areas, information representing update firmware is held in the other of the two areas, and the update firmware Is restarted using the information indicating the information, and the resume image based on the information stored in the memory at the time of restarting is transferred to the area in which the information indicating the firmware before the update is stored in the two areas. An update control unit that holds the information indicating the updated firmware and which of the two resume images is held in the management information holding unit as the management information;
At the time of activation, based on the management information, activation is performed using information representing firmware held in one of the two areas, and the resume image held in the other of the two areas is stored in the memory. A startup control unit to deploy;
A firmware execution device comprising:   The update control unit represents the update firmware after performing a process of confirming the normality of the operation of the update firmware after restarting using the information indicating the update firmware. The firmware execution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein restart is performed again using information, and the resume image is held in the area at the time of the restart.   The firmware execution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the update control unit holds the resume image in the area when the resume image is included in the information representing the firmware for update. . Using a firmware information holding unit having at least two areas for holding information representing firmware and information representing firmware for update,
In response to an update request for the firmware during execution of information representing firmware held in one of the two areas, information representing firmware for update is held in the other of the two areas,
Reboot using information representing the firmware for the update,
When restarting, a resume image based on information held in a memory used as a work area in execution of the firmware is held in an area where information representing the firmware before update is held in the two areas. And
Information indicating the firmware after the update and which of the two areas the resume image is stored as management information,
At the time of activation, based on the management information, activation is performed using information representing firmware held in one of the two areas, and the resume image held in the other of the two areas is stored in the memory. The firmware execution method to deploy.   After restarting using the information representing the update firmware, the process is performed to check the normality of the operation of the update firmware, and then rebooting using the information representing the update firmware 5. The firmware execution method according to claim 4, wherein the resume image is held in the area at the time of restart. Using a firmware information holding unit having at least two areas for holding information representing firmware and information representing firmware for update,
In response to an update request for the firmware during execution of information representing firmware held in one of the two areas, information representing firmware for update is held in the other of the two areas, and the firmware for updating Is restarted using the information indicating the firmware, and when the restart is performed, the resume image based on the information held in the memory used as a work area in the execution of the firmware is updated with the firmware before update in the two areas. An update control step for holding in the area where the information indicating the information is held, and holding the information indicating the updated firmware and in which of the two areas the resume image is held as management information;
At the time of activation, based on the management information, activation is performed using information representing firmware held in one of the two areas, and the resume image held in the other of the two areas is stored in the memory. A startup control step to deploy;
Is a computer program that causes a computer device to execute.   In the update control step, after rebooting using information representing the update firmware, a process for confirming the normality of the operation of the update firmware is performed, and then the update firmware is represented. The computer program according to claim 6, wherein restart is performed again using information, and the resume image is held in the area at the time of restart.   The computer program according to claim 6, wherein the computer program is included in a part of the firmware.   A computer apparatus including the firmware execution apparatus according to claim 1 as a baseboard management apparatus.

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