Systems and methods for updating witness sled firmware

A chassis management controller installed within a chassis comprising one or more Information Handling Systems (IHSs) and further comprising a plurality of data storage devices, the chassis management controller comprising:

• a logic unit;
• and
• a memory device having instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the logic unit, cause the chassis management controller to:
• generate a mapping of baseline firmware in use by a witness sled installed in the chassis and configured to arbitrate discrepancies in the data redundantly stored in the plurality of storage devices;
• receive, from a first of the IHSs, an update to firmware used by the witness sled;
• when the received firmware is an update to the baseline firmware and not duplicative of a pending update, establish a connection with a microcontroller of the witness sled over a management signaling pathway;
• and
• transmit a first set of instructions and the received firmware update for execution by the microcontroller of the witness sled via the management signaling pathway, wherein execution of the first set of instructions by the microcontroller updates the firmware used by the witness sled.

A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored thereon for management of a chassis comprising one or more Information Handling Systems (IHSs) and further comprising a plurality of data storage devices, wherein execution of the instructions by one or more processors of the chassis causes the one or more processors to:

• receive, from a first of the IHSs, an update to an operating system of a witness sled installed in the chassis and configured to arbitrate discrepancies in the data redundantly stored in the plurality of storage devices;
• generate a mapping of baseline firmware in use by the witness sled installed in the chassis and configured to arbitrate discrepancies in the data redundantly stored in the plurality of storage devices;
• receive, from a first of the IHSs, an update to firmware used by the witness sled;
• when the received firmware is an update to the baseline firmware and not duplicative of a pending update, establish a connection with a microcontroller of the witness sled over a management signaling pathway;
• and
• transmit a first set of instructions and the received firmware update for execution by the microcontroller of the witness sled via the management signaling pathway, wherein execution of the first set of instructions by the microcontroller updates the firmware used by the witness sled.