US 12,293,175 B2
Method of updating BMC firmware of a server
Chih-Peng Chang, Taoyuan (TW)
Assigned to Mitac Computing Technology Corporation, Taoyuan (TW)
Filed by Mitac Computing Technology Corporation, Taoyuan (TW)
Filed on Nov. 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/453,464.
Claims priority of application No. 109138970 (TW), filed on Nov. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0147340 A1, May 12, 2022
Int. Cl. G06F 8/65 (2018.01); G06F 9/445 (2018.01); G06F 13/42 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 8/65 (2013.01) [G06F 9/44505 (2013.01); G06F 13/4282 (2013.01); G06F 2213/0016 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of updating firmware of a baseboard management controller (BMC) of a server, the server including the BMC and a programmable logic device (PLD) connected to the BMC, the method comprising steps of:
in response to receipt of a firmware update instruction to update the firmware of the BMC, the BMC storing in the PLD a firmware configuration file that contains current settings;
after storing the firmware configuration file in the PLD, the BMC loading a new version of the firmware, and overwriting a current version of the firmware with the new version, so as to update the firmware;
the BMC being reset after updating the firmware; and
the BMC executing an initializing process that includes sub-steps of reading the firmware configuration file from the PLD and applying the current settings contained in the firmware configuration file to the firmware, so as to complete the initializing process without having to reset and initialize again;
wherein the step of the BMC executing the initializing process further includes, before reading the firmware configuration file from the PLD, sub-steps of:
determining whether there is stored in the PLD the firmware configuration file that contains the current settings;
when it is determined that there is no firmware configuration file that contains the current settings stored in the PLD, applying default settings of the new version of the firmware to the firmware, so as to complete the initializing process without having to reset and initialize again;
wherein the sub-steps of reading the firmware configuration file from the PLD and applying the current settings contained in the firmware configuration file to the firmware are executed only when it is determined that there is the firmware configuration file that contains the current settings stored in the PLD;
wherein each version of the firmware of the BMC has a factory default setting that enables a communication function allowing the BMC to communicate with the PLD.