System and method for migration of a version of a bootable program

A computer system comprising:

• a central processing unit (CPU);
• a random access memory (RAM);
• an electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM);
• an I/O adapter;
• a disk storage system coupled to said I/O adapter;
• and
• a bus system coupling said CPU to said EEPROM, said I/O adapter, and said RAM, wherein said CPU further comprises;
• circuitry for loading said first and second versions of said bootable program into first and second partitions of a storage device coupled to said computer system;
• circuitry for hashing a boot record (BR) of said first and second versions of said bootable program producing respective first and second digests;
• circuitry for signing said first and second digests using a cryptographic signature engine and a private installation key producing first and second signatures;
• circuitry for storing said first and second signatures with additional data defining said first and second versions of said bootable program in first and second entries in a non-volatile memory coupled to said computer system;
• circuitry for assigning said first partition as an active partition of said storage device by updating an active partition entry of a partition table of a master boot record (MBR) of said storage device, said active partition entry indicating which version of said BP is booted on a power up of said computer system;
• circuitry for assigning said first entry corresponding to said first version of said bootable program as an active entry in said non-volatile memory;
• and
• circuitry for assigning said second entry corresponding to said second version of said bootable program as an alternate entry in said non-volatile memory.

A computer program product for booting a computer system having first and second versions of a bootable program, said computer program product embodied in a machine readable medium, including programming for a processor, said computer program comprising a program of instructions for performing the program steps of:

• loading said first and second versions of said bootable program into first and second partitions of a storage device coupled to said computer system;
• hashing a boot record (BR) of said first and second versions of said bootable program producing respective first and second digests;
• signing said first and second digests using a cryptographic signature engine and a private installation key producing first and second signatures;
• storing said first and second signatures with additional data defining said first and second versions of said bootable program in first and second entries in a non-volatile memory coupled to said computer system;
• assigning said first partition as an active partition of said storage device by updating an active partition entry of a partition table of a master boot record (MBR) of said storage device, said active partition entry indicating which version of said BP is booted on a power up of said computer system;
• assigning said first entry corresponding to said first version of said bootable program as an active entry in said non-volatile memory;
• and
• assigning said second entry corresponding to said second version of said bootable program as an alternate entry in said non-volatile memory.

A method for booting a computer system with first and second versions of a bootable program (BP) comprising the steps of:

• loading said first and second versions of said bootable program into first and second partitions of a storage device coupled to said computer system;
• identifying said first version as an active partition in a master boot record (MBR) by placing data defining said first version in an active partition entry, said active partition entry indicating which version of said BP is booted on a power up of said computer system;
• maintaining a version management table in a non-volatile memory wherein data placed in an active entry indicates which version of said BP corresponds to an active version and wherein data placed in an alternate entry indicates which version of said BP corresponds to an alternate version;
• comparing selected data in said active entry in said version management table to selected data pointed to by said active partition entry of said MBR returning a first compare result;
• and
• booting with said version in said active partition if said first compare result is true.

A computer system comprising:

• a central processing unit (CPU);
• a random access memory (RAM);
• an electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM);
• an I/O adapter;
• a disk storage system coupled to said I/O adapter;
• and
• a bus system coupling said CPU to said EEPROM, said I/O adapter, and said RAM, wherein said CPU further comprises;
• circuitry for loading said first and second versions of said bootable program into first and second partitions of a storage device coupled to said computer system;
• circuitry for identifying said first version as an active partition in a master boot record (MBR) by placing data defining said first version in an active partition entry, said active partition entry indicating which version of said BP is booted on a power up of said computer system;
• circuitry for maintaining a version management table in a non-volatile memory wherein data placed in an active entry indicates which version of said BP corresponds to an active version and wherein data placed in an alternate entry indicates which version of said BP corresponds to an alternate version;
• circuitry for comparing selected data in said active entry in said version management table to selected data pointed to by said active partition entry of said MBR returning a first compare result;
• and
• circuitry for booting with said version in said active partition if said first compare result is true.