Robust firmware upgrade in a network terminal

1. A method for upgrading a firmware in a network terminal comprising an interface to a network and a non-volatile memory adapted to store only one version of the firmware, wherein the firmware comprises a core firmware comprising essential network terminal services and an extended firmware comprising non-essential network terminal services, wherein the non-essential network terminal services are being suspended during the firmware upgrade in the network terminal, and wherein the method comprising, implemented at the network terminal, the steps of:

erasing the extended firmware from the non-volatile memory;

downloading a rescue firmware to the non-volatile memory from a server located on the network, wherein the rescue firmware is being adapted to allow the network terminal to download firmware from the server;

rebooting the network terminal with the core firmware and the rescue firmware;

downloading a new version of the core firmware and a new version of the extended firmware from the server to the non-volatile memory;

erasing the rescue firmware from the non-volatile memory; and

rebooting the network terminal with the new version of the core firmware and the new version of the extended firmware.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the rescue firmware comprises means for downloading a new version of the firmware from the server.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the rescue firmware comprises a networking stack software that allows access to the Internet.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the rescue firmware comprises a management protocol compliant to DSL Forum Technical Report TR-069.

5. A method for upgrading a firmware in a network terminal comprising an interface to a network and a non-volatile memory adapted to store only one version of the firmware, wherein the firmware comprises a core firmware comprising essential network terminal services and an extended firmware comprising non-essential network terminal services, wherein the non-essential network terminal services are being suspended during the firmware upgrade in the network terminal, wherein the core firmware comprises a core kernel comprising files not required at run-time once the files are loaded at boot time, and a core file system comprising the essential network terminal services, and wherein the method comprising, implemented at the network terminal, the steps of:

erasing the extended firmware from the non-volatile memory;

downloading a rescue firmware to the non-volatile memory from a server located on the network, wherein the rescue firmware is being adapted to allow the network terminal to download firmware from the server;

erasing the core kernel from the non-volatile memory;

downloading a new version of the core kernel to the non-volatile memory;

downloading a new version of the core file system to the non-volatile memory;

rebooting the network terminal with the new version of the core kernel, the new version of the core file system, and the rescue firmware; and

downloading a new version of the extended firmware from the server to the non-volatile memory.

6. A network terminal comprising an interface to a network and a non-volatile memory adapted to store only one version of a firmware, wherein the firmware comprises a core firmware comprising essential network terminal services and an extended firmware comprising non-essential network terminal services, wherein the non-essential network terminal services are being suspended during a firmware upgrade in the network terminal, and wherein the network terminal further comprising:

downloading means for erasing the extended firmware from the non-volatile memory, downloading a rescue firmware to the non-volatile memory from a server located on the network, wherein the rescue firmware is being adapted to allow the network terminal to download firmware from the server, rebooting the network terminal with the core firmware and the rescue firmware, downloading a new version of the core firmware and a new version of the extended firmware from the server to the non-volatile memory, erasing the rescue firmware from the non-volatile memory, and rebooting the network terminal with the new version of the core firmware and the new version of the extended firmware.

7. A network terminal according to claim 6 , further comprising means for configuring a list of essential and non-essential network terminal services.

8. A network terminal comprising an interface to a network and a non-volatile memory adapted to store only one version of a firmware, wherein the firmware comprises a core firmware comprising essential network terminal services and an extended firmware comprising non-essential network terminal services, wherein the non-essential network terminal services are being suspended during a firmware upgrade in the network terminal, wherein the core firmware comprises a core kernel comprising files not required at run-time once the files are loaded at boot time, and a core file system comprising the essential network terminal services, and wherein the network terminal further comprising:

downloading means for erasing the extended firmware from the non-volatile memory, downloading a rescue firmware to the non-volatile memory from a server located on the network, wherein the rescue firmware is being adapted to allow the network terminal to download firmware from the server, erasing the core kernel from the non-volatile memory, downloading a new version of the core kernel to the non-volatile memory, downloading a new version of the core file system to the non-volatile memory, rebooting the terminal with the new version of core kernel, the new version of core file system, and the rescue firmware, and downloading a new version of the extended firmware from the server to the non-volatile memory.