Propagating Firmware Updates In A Raid Array

1 . A method of propagating firmware updates in a RAID array, the method comprising:

identifying, by a RAID controller, that a first drive has a firmware that is uplevel with respect to firmware of at least one other drive, the RAID controller comprising a module of automated computing machinery;

selecting, by the RAID controller, a second drive having downlevel firmware with respect to the firmware of the first drive;

obtaining, by the RAID controller, an uplevel firmware image from the first drive; and

updating, by the RAID controller, the downlevel firmware on the selected second drive with the obtained firmware image.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein:

selecting, by the RAID controller, a second drive having downlevel firmware with respect to the firmware of the first drive further comprises designating the selected second drive as a hot spare and

updating, by the RAID controller, the downlevel firmware on the selected second drive with the obtained firmware image further comprises:

servicing I/O requests for a third drive with the second drive designated as a hot spare; and

updating, by the RAID controller, downlevel firmware on the third drive with the obtained firmware image;

returning service of I/O requests to the third drive; and

updating, by the RAID controller, downlevel firmware on the second drive with the obtained firmware image.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining, by the RAID controller, an uplevel firmware image from the first drive further comprises reading the entire uplevel firmware image from the first drive; and

updating, by the RAID controller, the downlevel firmware on the selected second drive with the obtained firmware image further comprises writing the entire uplevel firmware image to the second drive.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining, by the RAID controller, an uplevel firmware image from the first drive further comprises reading a portion of the uplevel firmware image from the first drive; and

updating, by the RAID controller, the downlevel firmware on the selected second drive with the obtained firmware image further comprises writing the portion uplevel firmware image to the second drive.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying, by a RAID controller, that a first drive has a firmware that is uplevel with respect to firmware of at least one other drive further comprises polling, by the RAID controller the first drive upon installation of the first drive, for firmware metadata and comparing the firmware metadata with firmware metadata for at least the second drive.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying, by a RAID controller, that a first drive has a firmware that is uplevel with respect to firmware of at least one other drive further comprises receiving, by the RAID controller of the first drive upon installation of the first drive, firmware metadata and comparing the firmware metadata with firmware metadata for at least the second drive.

7 . Apparatus for propagating firmware updates in a RAID array, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

identifying, by a RAID controller, that a first drive has a firmware that is uplevel with respect to firmware of at least one other drive, the RAID controller comprising a module of automated computing machinery;

selecting, by the RAID controller, a second drive having downlevel firmware with respect to the firmware of the first drive;

obtaining, by the RAID controller, an uplevel firmware image from the first drive; and

updating, by the RAID controller, the downlevel firmware on the selected second drive with the obtained firmware image.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

computer program instructions capable of selecting, by the RAID controller, a second drive having downlevel firmware with respect to the firmware of the first drive further comprise computer program instructions capable of:

designating the selected second drive as a hot spare and computer program instructions capable of updating, by the RAID controller, the downlevel firmware on the selected second drive with the obtained firmware image further comprise computer program instructions capable of:

servicing I/O requests for a third drive with the second drive designated as a hot spare; and

updating, by the RAID controller, downlevel firmware on the third drive with the obtained firmware image;

returning service of I/O requests to the third drive; and

updating, by the RAID controller, downlevel firmware on the second drive with the obtained firmware image.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein computer program instructions capable of obtaining, by the RAID controller, an uplevel firmware image from the first drive further comprise computer program instructions capable of: reading the entire uplevel firmware image from the first drive; and

computer program instructions capable of updating, by the RAID controller, the downlevel firmware on the selected second drive with the obtained firmware image further comprise computer program instructions capable of writing the entire uplevel firmware image to the second drive.

10 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein computer program instructions capable of obtaining, by the RAID controller, an uplevel firmware image from the first drive further comprise computer program instructions capable of reading a portion of the uplevel firmware image from the first drive; and

computer program instructions capable of updating, by the RAID controller, the downlevel firmware on the selected second drive with the obtained firmware image further comprise computer program instructions capable of writing the portion uplevel firmware image to the second drive.

11 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein computer program instructions capable of identifying, by a RAID controller, that a first drive has a firmware that is uplevel with respect to firmware of at least one other drive further comprise computer program instructions capable of polling, by the RAID controller the first drive upon installation of the first drive, for firmware metadata and comparing the firmware metadata with firmware metadata for at least the second drive.

12 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein computer program instructions capable of identifying, by a RAID controller, that a first drive has a firmware that is uplevel with respect to firmware of at least one other drive further comprise computer program instructions capable of receiving, by the RAID controller of the first drive upon installation of the first drive, firmware metadata and comparing the firmware metadata with firmware metadata for at least the second drive.

13 . A computer program product for propagating firmware updates in a RAID array, the computer program product disposed in a computer readable recordable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

identifying, by a RAID controller, that a first drive has a firmware that is uplevel with respect to firmware of at least one other drive, the RAID controller comprising a module of automated computing machinery;

selecting, by the RAID controller, a second drive having downlevel firmware with respect to the firmware of the first drive;

obtaining, by the RAID controller, an uplevel firmware image from the first drive; and

updating, by the RAID controller, the downlevel firmware on the selected second drive with the obtained firmware image.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:

computer program instructions capable of selecting, by the RAID controller, a second drive having downlevel firmware with respect to the firmware of the first drive further comprise computer program instructions capable of:

designating the selected second drive as a hot spare and computer program instructions capable of updating, by the RAID controller, the downlevel firmware on the selected second drive with the obtained firmware image further comprise computer program instructions capable of:

servicing I/O requests for a third drive with the second drive designated as a hot spare; and

updating, by the RAID controller, downlevel firmware on the third drive with the obtained firmware image;

returning service of I/O requests to the third drive; and

updating, by the RAID controller, downlevel firmware on the second drive with the obtained firmware image.

15 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein computer program instructions capable of obtaining, by the RAID controller, an uplevel firmware image from the first drive further comprise computer program instructions capable of: reading the entire uplevel firmware image from the first drive; and

computer program instructions capable of updating, by the RAID controller, the downlevel firmware on the selected second drive with the obtained firmware image further comprise computer program instructions capable of writing the entire uplevel firmware image to the second drive.

16 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein computer program instructions capable of obtaining, by the RAID controller, an uplevel firmware image from the first drive further comprise computer program instructions capable of reading a portion of the uplevel firmware image from the first drive; and

computer program instructions capable of updating, by the RAID controller, the downlevel firmware on the selected second drive with the obtained firmware image further comprise computer program instructions capable of writing the portion uplevel firmware image to the second drive.

17 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein computer program instructions capable of identifying, by a RAID controller, that a first drive has a firmware that is uplevel with respect to firmware of at least one other drive further comprise computer program instructions capable of polling, by the RAID controller the first drive upon installation of the first drive, for firmware metadata and comparing the firmware metadata with firmware metadata for at least the second drive.

18 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein computer program instructions capable of identifying, by a RAID controller, that a first drive has a firmware that is uplevel with respect to firmware of at least one other drive further comprise computer program instructions capable of receiving, by the RAID controller of the first drive upon installation of the first drive, firmware metadata and comparing the firmware metadata with firmware metadata for at least the second drive.