Systems and methods for multi-channel rebootless firmware updates

1. An Information Handling System (IHS) comprising:

one or more Central Processing Units (CPUs) utilizing one or more buses that connect to a plurality of hardware components;

a first hardware component of the plurality of hardware components of the IHS; and

a remote access controller supporting remote management of the plurality of hardware components of the IHS, the remote access controller comprising a logic unit and a memory device having instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the logic unit, cause the remote access controller to:

initiate a firmware update used to operate the first hardware component, wherein the firmware update comprises a firmware image;

determine an available bandwidth of a first signaling pathway used by the first hardware component, wherein the first signaling pathway comprises a sideband signaling pathway utilized by the remote access controller in managing the first hardware component and further comprises an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) bus controlled by the remote access controller;

determine an available bandwidth of a second signaling pathway used by the first hardware component;

transmit a first portion of the firmware image to the first hardware component using the first signaling pathway, wherein a size of the first portion of the firmware image is commensurate with the available bandwidth of the first signaling pathway;

transmit a second portion of the firmware image to the first hardware component using the second signaling pathway, where a size of the second portion of the firmware image is commensurate with the available bandwidth of the second signaling pathway;

identify, prior to a completed transmission of the firmware image to the first hardware component, a change in available bandwidth of the first signaling pathway used by the first hardware component;

adjust the first portion of the firmware image for transmission to the first hardware component using the first signaling pathway; and

adjust the second portion of the firmware image for transmission to the first hardware component using the second signaling pathway, wherein once the adjusted first portion and the adjusted second portion of the firmware image are received by the first hardware component, the first portion, the second portion, the adjusted first portion and the adjusted second portion are collated to reconstruct the firmware image in a local memory of the first hardware component.

2. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the second signaling pathway comprises an inband signaling pathway utilized by a CPU of the IHS in communicating with the first hardware component.

3. The IHS of claim 2 , wherein the inband signaling pathway comprises a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) switch fabric.

4. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions further causes the remote access controller to:

direct the first hardware component to retrieve the first portion of the firmware image via the first signaling pathway; and

direct the first hardware component to retrieve the second portion of the firmware image via the second signaling pathway.

5. The IHS of claim 4 , wherein execution of the instructions further causes the remote access controller to:

designate a first memory region for retrieval of the first portion of the firmware image by the first hardware component via the first signaling pathway; and

designate a second memory region for retrieval of the first portion of the firmware image by the first hardware component via the first signaling pathway.

6. The IHS of claim 5 , wherein the first memory region comprise a first region of a secured memory of the remote access controller and the second memory region comprise a second region of a secured memory of the remote access controller.

7. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the change in available bandwidth comprises a reduction in bandwidth availability of the first signaling pathway, and wherein the adjustment of the first portion of the firmware image comprises decreasing a size of the first portion of the firmware image for transmission using the first signaling pathway and the adjustment of the second portion of the firmware image comprises increasing a size of the second portion of the firmware image for transmission using the second signaling pathway.

8. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the identified change in bandwidth availability of the first signaling pathway comprises a failure in a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) switch that implements an inband PCIe switch fabric of the IHS.

9. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the identified change in bandwidth availability of the first signaling pathway comprises a failure in an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) sideband management bus of the remote access controller.

10. A method for multi-channel transmission of a firmware image to a first hardware component of an Information Handling System (IHS), wherein the firmware image is transmitted by a remote access controller of the IHS supporting remote management of the first hardware component, the method comprising:

initiating a firmware update used to operate the first hardware component, wherein the firmware update comprises the firmware image;

determining an available bandwidth of a first signaling pathway used by the first hardware component, wherein the first signaling pathway comprises a sideband signaling pathway utilized by the remote access controller in managing the first hardware component and further comprises an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) bus controlled by the remote access controller;

determining an available bandwidth of a second signaling pathway used by the first hardware component;

transmitting a first portion of the firmware image to the first hardware component using the first signaling pathway, wherein a size of the first portion of the firmware image is commensurate with the available bandwidth of the first signaling pathway;

transmitting a second portion of the firmware image to the first hardware component using the second signaling pathway, where a size of the second portion of the firmware image is commensurate with the available bandwidth of the second signaling pathway;

identifying, prior to a completed transmission of the firmware image to the first hardware component, a change in available bandwidth of the first signaling pathway used by the first hardware component;

adjusting the first portion of the firmware image for transmission to the first hardware component using the first signaling pathway;

adjusting the second portion of the firmware image for transmission to the first hardware component using the second signaling pathway;

once the adjusted first portion and the adjusted second portion of the firmware image are received by the first hardware component, collating the first portion, the second portion, the adjusted first portion and the adjusted second portion to reconstruct the firmware image in a local memory of the first hardware component.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

directing the first hardware component to retrieve the first portion of the firmware image via the first signaling pathway; and

directing the first hardware component to retrieve the second portion of the firmware image via the second signaling pathway.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

designating a first memory region for retrieval of the first portion of the firmware image by first hardware component via the first signaling pathway; and

designating a second memory region for retrieval of the first portion of the firmware image by first hardware component via the first signaling pathway.

13. A remote access controller supporting remote management of first hardware component of an Information Handling System (IHS), the remote access controller comprising:

a logic unit and a memory device having instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the logic unit, cause the remote access controller to:

initiate a firmware update used to operate the first hardware component, wherein the firmware update comprises a firmware image;

determine an available bandwidth of a first signaling pathway used by the first hardware component, wherein the first signaling pathway comprises a sideband signaling pathway utilized by the remote access controller in managing the first hardware component and further comprises an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) bus controlled by the remote access controller;

determine an available bandwidth of a second signaling pathway used by the first hardware component;

transmit a first portion of the firmware image to the first hardware component using the first signaling pathway, wherein a size of the first portion of the firmware image is commensurate with the available bandwidth of the first signaling pathway;

transmit a second portion of the firmware image to the first hardware component using the second signaling pathway, where a size of the second portion of the firmware image is commensurate with the available bandwidth of the second signaling pathway;

identify, prior to a completed transmission of the firmware image to the first hardware component, a change in available bandwidth of the first signaling pathway used by the first hardware component;

adjust the first portion of the firmware image for transmission to the first hardware component using the first signaling pathway; and

adjust the second portion of the firmware image for transmission to the first hardware component using the second signaling pathway, wherein once the adjusted first portion and the adjusted second portion of the firmware image are received by the first hardware component, the first portion, the second portion, the adjusted first portion and the adjusted second portion are collated to reconstruct the firmware image in a local memory of the first hardware component.

14. The remote access controller of claim 13 , wherein the second signaling pathway comprises an inband signaling pathway utilized by a Central Processing Unit (CPU) of the IHS in communicating with the first hardware component.