SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SUPPORTING HOST-BASED FIRMWARE UPGRADE OF INPUT/OUTPUT (I/O) DEVICES IN A MIDDLEWARE MACHINE ENVIRONMENT

摘要

A system and method can support controlled and secure firmware upgrade in a middleware machine environment. The system can provide a boot image of an operating system (OS) in a host node, wherein the host node connects to a shared resource, such as a network fabric, via an input/out (I/O) device. The boot image can receive at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update from the host node, and upgrade firmware in the I/O device associated with the host node. Furthermore, the host-based firmware upgrade can be based on a special boot image that is prevented from accessing local information on the host node, or a normal boot image that is prevented from controlling the I/O device.

主权项

1. A method for supporting controlled and secure firmware upgrade in a middleware machine environment, comprising:
providing a boot image of an operating system (OS) in a host node, wherein the host node connects to a shared resource via an input/out (I/O) device; receiving, via the boot image, at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update from a host administrator that manages the host node, and upgrading, via the boot image, firmware in the I/O device associated with the host node.