Method, apparatus, and system for quiescing a boot environment

1. A computer readable storage medium comprising a computer readable program stored on a tangible storage device for quiescing a boot environment, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

reserve a portion of a first storage device;

store an update boot image to the reserved portion;

detect the update boot image stored on the first storage device when the computer boots; and

execute the update boot image in place of a standard boot image in response to detecting the update boot image, wherein the update boot image places the computer in a known quiescent state that does not access a first component; and

update firmware for the first component, the first component comprising a component processor and a component memory separate and distinct from a processor and a memory of the computer.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the first storage device is separate and distinct from a Binary Input Output System (BIOS) memory.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the first storage device is a disk cache for a hard disk drive.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 3 , wherein the disk cache is disposed on a motherboard of the computer.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the computer readable program is further configured to cause the computer to:

receive the update boot image;

validate the update boot image;

mark the update boot image as executed; and

reboot the computer, wherein the marked update boot image is not detected and the computer boots with the standard boot image.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the computer readable program is further configured to cause the computer to validate the update boot image by validating a digital certificate for the updated boot image.

7. The computer program of claim 6 , where digital certificate is passed to a BIOS module for validation.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the computer readable program is further configured to cause the computer to validate the update boot image by validating a boot sector.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the computer readable program is further configured to cause the computer to cancel the reserved portion, wherein the portion is not reserved.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the computer readable program is further configured to cause the computer to reserve the portion by writing a specified code to a specified address of the portion.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the computer readable program is further configured to cause the computer to reserve the portion by setting a reservation control register of the first storage device.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a second storage device storing a computer readable program executed by a second processor, the computer readable program comprising:

a reservation module reserving a portion of a first storage device;

a store module storing an update boot image to the reserved portion;

a detection module detecting the update boot image stored on the first storage device when a computer boots, executing the update boot image in place of a standard boot image in response to detecting the update boot image, wherein the update boot image places the computer in a known quiescent state that does not access a first component, and updating firmware for the first component, the first component comprising a component processor and a component memory separate and distinct from the second processor and the second storage device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , the store module further receiving the update boot image, and the detection module further validating the update boot image, marking the update boot image as executed, and rebooting the computer, wherein the marked update boot image is not detected and the computer boots with the standard boot image.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the detection module validates the update boot image by validating a digital certificate for the updated boot image.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , the detection module further canceling the reserved portion, wherein the portion is not reserved.

16. A system comprising:

a disk cache;

a memory storing a computer readable program;

a processor executing the computer readable program, the computer readable program comprising

a reservation module reserving a portion of the disk cache;

a store module storing an update boot image to the reserved portion;

a detection module detecting the update boot image stored on the disk cache when the processor boots and executing the update boot image in place of a standard boot image in response to detecting the update boot image, wherein the update boot image places the system in a known quiescent state that does not access a first component and updates firmware for the first component, the first component comprising a component processor and a component memory separate and distinct from the processor and the memory.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the disk cache and processor are disposed on a common circuit board.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the reservation module reserves the portion by setting a reservation control register of the disk cache.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the disk cache is separate and distinct from the memory.