IP Library Granted Patent US 10,810,017
Granted Patent B2
US 10,810,017 · App. 16/237,918 · Granted Oct 20, 2020

Systems and methods for handling firmware driver dependencies in host operating systems while applying updates from bootable image file

Inventors: Raveendra Babu Madala (Bangalore, IN); Soorej Ponnandi (Bangalore, IN); Santosh Gore (Bangalore, IN)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F9/4406G06F8/65G06F9/44505
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,810,017
App. No.
16/237,918
Granted
Oct 20, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A bootable update image file may be configured to, if operating system driver updates associated with a firmware update are boot-critical: modify a boot order of the information handling system to cause the information handling system to boot to an operating system of the information handling system such that the operating system fetches driver update packages from an update partition of the information handling system, applies the driver update packages, and modifies the boot order to cause the information handling system to boot to the bootable image file in a subsequent boot and in the subsequent boot, apply the firmware update; and, if driver updates are non-boot-critical: apply the firmware update and modify the boot order to cause the information handling system to boot to the operating system such that the operating system fetches the driver update packages from an update partition and applies the driver update packages.

Claims (43)

1. An information handling system comprising:

a host system processor;

a computer-readable storage medium communicatively coupled to the host system processor and having stored thereon a bootable update image file for performing a firmware update associated with the information handling system and configured to, when read and executed by the processor:

determine if operating system driver updates associated with the firmware update are boot-critical;

if any operating system driver updates associated with the firmware update are boot-critical:

modify a boot order of the information handling system to cause the information handling system to boot to an operating system of the information handling system such that the operating system fetches driver update packages from an update partition of the information handling system, applies the driver update packages, and modifies the boot order to cause the information handling system to boot to the bootable image file in a subsequent boot; and

in the subsequent boot, apply the firmware update; and

if all operating system driver updates associated with the firmware update are non-boot-critical:

apply the firmware update; and

after applying the firmware update, modify the boot order to cause the information handling system to boot to the operating system such that the operating system fetches the driver update packages from an update partition of the information handling system and applies the driver update packages.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the bootable update image file is further configured to store the driver update packages to the update partition.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the update partition is a system partition of a storage resource of the information handling system.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the update partition is an Extensible Firmware Interface System Partition.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the update partition is a service partition of a management controller communicatively coupled to the processor.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the bootable update image file is an ISO file representing an optical disk image.

7. A method comprising, in an information handling system comprising a host system processor and a computer-readable storage medium communicatively coupled to the host system processor and having stored thereon a bootable update image file for performing a firmware update associated with the information handling system:

determining if operating system driver updates associated with the firmware update are boot-critical;

if any operating system driver updates associated with the firmware update are boot-critical:

modifying a boot order of the information handling system to cause the information handling system to boot to an operating system of the information handling system such that the operating system fetches driver update packages from an update partition of the information handling system, applies the driver update packages, and modifies the boot order to cause the information handling system to boot to the bootable image file in a subsequent boot; and

in the subsequent boot, applying the firmware update; and

if all operating system driver updates associated with the firmware update are non-boot-critical:

applying the firmware update; and

after applying the firmware update, modifying the boot order to cause the information handling system to boot to the operating system such that the operating system fetches the driver update packages from an update partition of the information handling system and applies the driver update packages.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the bootable update image file is further configured to store the driver update packages to the update partition.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the update partition is a system partition of a storage resource of the information handling system.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the update partition is an Extensible Firmware Interface System Partition.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the update partition is a service partition of a management controller communicatively coupled to the processor.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the bootable update image file is an ISO file representing an optical disk image.

13. An article of manufacture comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

computer-executable instructions carried on the computer-readable medium, the instructions readable by a processor, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the processor to, in an information handling system comprising a host system processor and a computer-readable storage medium communicatively coupled to the host system processor and having stored thereon a bootable update image file for performing a firmware update associated with the information handling system:

determine if operating system driver updates associated with the firmware update are boot-critical;

if any operating system driver updates associated with the firmware update are boot-critical:

modify a boot order of the information handling system to cause the information handling system to boot to an operating system of the information handling system such that the operating system fetches driver update packages from an update partition of the information handling system, applies the driver update packages, and modifies the boot order to cause the information handling system to boot to the bootable image file in a subsequent boot; and

in the subsequent boot, apply the firmware update; and

if all operating system driver updates associated with the firmware update are non-boot-critical:

apply the firmware update; and

after applying the firmware update, modify the boot order to cause the information handling system to boot to the operating system such that the operating system fetches the driver update packages from an update partition of the information handling system and applies the driver update packages.

14. The article of claim 13 , wherein the bootable update image file is further configured to store the driver update packages to the update partition.

15. The article of claim 13 , wherein the update partition is a system partition of a storage resource of the information handling system.

16. The article of claim 13 , wherein the update partition is an Extensible Firmware Interface System Partition.

17. The article of claim 13 , wherein the update partition is a service partition of a management controller communicatively coupled to the processor.

18. The article of claim 13 , wherein the bootable update image file is an ISO file representing an optical disk image.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 1, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS, L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 057682/0830 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 2, 2019
From: MADALA, RAVEENDRA BABU; PONNANDI, SOOREJ; GORE, SANTOSH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 047880/0643 →