Secure, non-disruptive firmware updating
AssigneeImprivata, Inc.
InventorsPieter-Jan Boone, Lou Bergandi, Feroz Gora, David Kashtan, David M. T. Ting, Michael Michlin, Robert Calder, Alain Slak, Taras Lushney
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Abstract
Firmware updates for, e.g., thin client devices may be achieved in a seamless, non-disruptive manner using a two-stage firmware loader, including a base loader pre-installed on the device and a caching loader downloaded, by the base loader, from a firmware server and thereafter responsible for downloading and updating other firmware application packages.
Claims28
A thin client device comprising:
- at least one peripheral device facilitating interaction with a user;
- a processor;
- a network interface;
- and
- writable, nonvolatile memory for storing firmware instructions executable by the processor, the firmware instructions defining:
- (i) a caching loader which, when executed by the processor, causes (A) identification of at least one newer version of at least one firmware application stored on the thin client device, (B) downloading for storage, in the nonvolatile memory, of the at least one newer version from a remote firmware server, and (C) management of transition, on the thin client device, to the downloaded at least one newer version of the at least one identified firmware application, and
- (ii) a base loader which, when executed by the processor, causes (A) communication, via the network interface, with the remote firmware server, and (B) downloading for storage, in the nonvolatile memory, of the caching loader.
A method of managing firmware on a thin client device, the thin client device comprising a processor, the method comprising:
- executing, by the processor, a base loader stored in nonvolatile memory of the thin client device to download, from a remote firmware server, a caching loader for nonvolatile storage on the thin client device;
- and
- executing, by the processor, the caching loader to
- (i) identify, via the remote firmware server, at least one newer version of at least one firmware application stored on the thin client device and download the at least one newer version of the at least one identified firmware application for storage in the nonvolatile memory;
- and
- (ii) manage transition to the at least one downloaded newer version of the at least one firmware application.
A system for managing firmware on a thin client device, the system comprising:
- a firmware server storing (i) a caching loader comprising processor-readable firmware instructions, and (ii) at least one firmware application;
- and
- a client device comprising
- (i) at least one peripheral device facilitating interaction with a user,
- (ii) a processor,
- (iii) a network interface, and
- (iv) writable, nonvolatile memory storing a base loader comprising processor-readable firmware instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause communication, via the network interface, with the firmware server and facilitate downloading of the caching loader for storage in the nonvolatile memory,
- wherein, upon downloading and installation of the caching loader, execution of the processor-readable firmware instructions thereof by the processor causes (i) identification of at least one newer version of at least one firmware application stored on the thin client device, (ii) downloading for storage, in the nonvolatile memory, of the at least one newer version from a remove firmware server, and (iii) management of transition, on the thin client device, to the at least one downloaded newer version of the at least one firmware application.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.