TW201939274A - Server device and method for instantly changing firmware configuration thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

This case proposes a server device and a method for real-time changing the firmware setting thereof. The method includes: configuring a server according to a first firmware setting parameter in a boot initialization procedure of the aforementioned server device through a substrate management control unit. One of the device's firmware settings, after configuring the firmware settings on the substrate management control unit via a central processing unit, sends a second firmware setting parameter different from the first firmware setting parameter to the substrate management control unit in the boot initialization procedure, The central processing unit controls the board management control unit to reset in the boot initialization procedure after sending the second firmware setting parameter to the board management control unit, and the board management control unit resets according to the second firmware setting in the boot initialization procedure after resetting. Parameter reconfiguration firmware settings.

Description

Server device and method for changing firmware setting in real time

This case relates to a server device, and particularly to a server device having the function of changing its firmware settings in real time.

Generally speaking, a server usually includes a number of different control components such as a baseboard controller (BMC) and a basic input output system (BIOS). Usually, after the server receives AC power, it is first executed by the BMC. The BMC firmware starts to operate according to the BMC firmware settings and provides and controls the server's functions corresponding to the BMC firmware settings. Until the server's motherboard receives the power on command, the central processing The CPU (CPU) will start the boot process by executing the BIOS program, which is the power-on self-test (POST) process. Similarly, the CPU also provides and controls the servo by executing the BIOS program and the BIOS firmware settings. The function of the firmware corresponding to the BIOS firmware setting. Generally, the BMC and the CPU can provide and control the same functions of the server by executing the BMC firmware and the BIOS firmware and matching the corresponding firmware settings. However, because the BMC and CPU are configured with different firmware settings of the BMC and BIOS respectively to provide and control the same functions of the server, the BMC and BIOS firmware settings are stored in different components respectively, and the BMC and CPU are in The control time for providing and controlling the same function on the server is not the same. In addition, the firmware settings of the BMC and BIOS can be changed at different times respectively, and it is easy to cause control after the server is powered on. The problem of inconsistent control of firmware with the same function set at different control times.

In view of this, this case proposes a server device and a method for changing firmware settings in real time.

In one embodiment, a server device includes a substrate management control unit and a central processing unit. The baseboard management control unit is configured to configure a first firmware setting of one of the server devices according to the first firmware setting parameter during a boot initialization procedure of the aforementioned server device. The central processing unit is configured to send a second firmware setting parameter different from the first firmware setting parameter to the substrate management control unit in the same boot initialization procedure as described above after the first management setting is configured by the substrate management control unit. The processing unit controls the board management control unit to reset in the same boot initialization procedure, so that the board management control unit reconfigures the first firmware setting according to the second firmware setting parameter in the same boot initialization procedure after resetting.

In an embodiment, a method suitable for real-time firmware setting change of a server device includes: configuring a first firmware setting parameter during a boot initialization procedure of the server device through a baseboard management control unit. One of the first firmware settings of the server device, after the first firmware setting is configured on the substrate management control unit via a central processing unit, a second firmware different from the first firmware setting parameter is sent in the same boot initialization procedure as described above. After setting the parameters to the baseboard management control unit, the central processing unit sends the second firmware setting parameter to the baseboard management control unit to control the baseboard management control unit to reset in the same boot initialization procedure, and the baseboard management control unit resets the Reconfigure the first firmware setting according to the second firmware setting parameter in the same boot initialization procedure.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a server device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for instantly changing firmware settings according to the present invention. Please refer to FIG. 1 first. The server device 1 includes a substrate management control unit 11 and a central processing unit 12. The substrate management control unit 11 is coupled to the central processing unit 12. The substrate management control unit 11 is used to configure a firmware setting (hereinafter referred to as a first firmware setting) of the server device 1 in a boot initialization procedure of the server device 1, and the central processing unit 12 can control the substrate management control in real time The unit 11 reconfigures the aforementioned first firmware setting in the same boot initialization procedure.

For details, please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 together. After the server device 1 is started, the server device 1 enters a boot initialization procedure, the substrate management control unit 11 is started, and the substrate management control unit 11 firstly The firmware setting parameter (for convenience of description, hereinafter referred to as the first firmware setting parameter) configures the first firmware setting (step S01). Next, the central processing unit 12 is started. After the central management unit 12 configures the first firmware setting in the baseboard management control unit 11, it sends another firmware setting parameter (hereinafter referred to as a firmware setting parameter) different from the first firmware setting parameter in the same boot initialization procedure. Set parameters for the second firmware) to the board management control unit 11 (step S02). Next, the central processing unit 12 controls the reset of the baseboard management control unit 11 in the same boot initialization process (step S03). After the reset, the baseboard management control unit 11 performs the same boot initialization process on the server device 1 according to the second firmware Set the parameters to reconfigure the configured first firmware settings (step S04). Therefore, the baseboard management control unit 11 can change the first firmware setting according to different firmware setting parameters in the same boot initialization procedure. The baseboard management control unit 11 does not need to wait until the server device 1 completes the initialization process. Only after the cold reset or multiple warm resets can the changed first firmware settings take effect. This can reduce the need to wait for the initialization process in order to change the firmware setting parameters corresponding to the first firmware settings. The waiting time for resetting the server device 1 after completion, and the user of the server device 1 can quickly control the firmware setting change of the board management control unit 11 through the central processing unit 12 during the startup initialization process. Firmware setting parameters.

In an embodiment, the aforementioned first firmware setting parameter includes at least one parameter value, that is, the first firmware setting parameter may include a single parameter value or a plurality of parameter values, and the second firmware setting parameter also includes at least one The parameter value, that is, the second firmware setting parameter may also include a single parameter value or a plurality of parameter values. After the central processing unit 12 sends the second firmware setting parameter including a single parameter value or a plurality of parameter values to the substrate management control unit 11, the substrate management control unit 11 has the same firmware setting parameters as the central processing unit 12.

In an embodiment, the central processing unit 12 may send a second firmware setting parameter to the baseboard management control unit 11 through an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) in step S02, and also in step S03 The baseboard management control unit 11 can be reset through the aforementioned smart platform management interface. In addition, the substrate management control unit 11 has a reset pin belonging to one of the Low Pin Count (LPC) buses, and the central processing unit 12 can control the substrate by resetting the pin belonging to the Low Pin Count bus. The management control unit 11 performs a soft reset.

In an embodiment, the server device 1 further includes a BIOS memory 14, the BIOS memory 14 is coupled to the central processing unit 12, and the BIOS memory 14 stores information including the parameters that have been changed from the first firmware setting parameters to the aforementioned second The BIOS code of the firmware setting parameters. The central processing unit 12 executes the aforementioned BIOS code to configure the second firmware setting corresponding to the first firmware setting according to the second firmware setting parameter during the boot initialization procedure. A method for changing a firmware setting parameter to the aforementioned second firmware setting parameter is that the server device 1 receives a user's modification instruction for the BIOS setting of the server device 1 through an input interface, so that the user will The first firmware setting parameter originally stored in the BIOS memory 14 is changed to the second firmware setting parameter and stored in the BIOS memory 14. The central processing unit 12 reads the BIOS memory 14 again in step S02 to obtain the first firmware setting parameter. Second firmware setting parameters.

Further, please refer to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a method for real-time changing firmware settings according to the present invention. Since the startup time of the central processing unit 12 in the boot initialization procedure is later than the board management control When the unit 11 is started, the central processing unit 12 first determines the corresponding one of the second firmware settings corresponding to the first firmware settings after the baseboard management control unit 11 configures the first firmware settings according to the first firmware setting parameters. Whether the first firmware setting parameter is changed (step S05). If the first firmware setting parameter corresponding to the second firmware setting is not changed (determined as "No"), the central processing unit 12 continues to execute other boot initialization procedures (step S06) without executing steps S02 and S03; On the one hand, if the first firmware setting parameter corresponding to the second firmware setting is changed (determined as "Yes"), and the first firmware setting parameter corresponding to the second firmware setting is changed to the aforementioned first When the second firmware sets the parameters, the central processing unit 12 executes steps S02 and S03 to send the changed second firmware setting parameters to the baseboard management control unit 11 without resetting or shutting down the server device 1 In the restart situation, only the control board management control unit 11 is reset, that is, the control board management control unit 11 is reset in the same boot initialization procedure, and the reset board management control unit 11 is reset according to the same boot initialization procedure. After the change, the latest second firmware setting parameter configures the first firmware setting of the server device 1, and further reaches the server device 1 during the boot initialization process, among which The processing unit 12 is used to configure the first firmware setting parameter corresponding to the first firmware setting and the second firmware setting is changed to the second firmware setting parameter, and then the substrate management control unit 11 is triggered to use it to configure the first firmware setting parameter. The first firmware setting parameter of a firmware setting is changed to the second firmware setting parameter, so that the board management control unit 11 also configures the first firmware setting of the server device 1 with the second firmware setting parameter, and The central processing unit 12 transmits to the substrate management control unit 11 to change the second firmware setting parameter corresponding to the firmware setting of the substrate management control unit 11 when the server device 1 is not reset or shut down and restarted, that is, It takes effect in the same boot initialization procedure.

For example, if the first firmware setting parameter corresponding to the second firmware setting is originally stored in the BIOS memory 14, if the user of the server device 1 sets the second firmware setting through the aforementioned BIOS setting The matched first firmware setting parameter is changed to the second firmware setting parameter. In step S05, the central processing unit 12 determines that the first firmware setting corresponding to the second firmware setting stored in the BIOS memory is matched. The parameter is changed to the second firmware setting parameter. At this time, the central processing unit 12 sends the changed second firmware setting parameter to the substrate management control unit 11 and controls the substrate management control unit 11 to reset.

In one embodiment, the aforementioned first firmware setting and second firmware setting are respectively the BMC firmware setting and the firmware setting of the BIOS code executed by the CPU, and the first firmware setting and the second firmware setting are Corresponds to the display function of the manufacturer information of the server device 1, so the aforementioned first firmware setting parameter and second firmware setting parameter are respectively the BMC firmware setting parameter and the firmware setting parameter of the BIOS code executed by the CPU, and It is a display setting parameter corresponding to the display setting of the aforementioned manufacturer information. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 1, the server device 1 further includes a display unit 13, which is coupled to the substrate management control unit 11. The substrate management control unit 11 can control the display unit 13 to display a manufacturer information. The substrate management control unit 11 may control the display unit 13 according to the first firmware setting parameter to display the manufacturer information (hereinafter referred to as the first manufacturer information) corresponding to the first firmware setting parameter in step S01, and after resetting, In step S04, according to the second firmware setting parameter sent by the central processing unit 12, the control display unit 1 displays another manufacturer information (hereinafter referred to as the second manufacturer) corresponding to the second firmware setting parameter and different from the first manufacturer information. Information). Therefore, the user of the server device 1 can modify the firmware setting parameters of the BIOS code of the server device 1, that is, the BIOS settings, to change the baseboard management control unit 11 in real time during the boot initialization process by the central processing unit 12. For the display of the controlled manufacturer information, the substrate management control unit 11 can control the display unit 13 to display the changed second manufacturer information after its warm reset.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the display unit 13 is further coupled to the central processing unit 12, and the central processing unit 12 can also control the manufacturer information displayed by the display unit 13. Here, please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 together. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of one embodiment of the method for real-time changing the firmware setting shown in FIG. 3. After the server device 1 is started, the server device 1 enters During the startup initialization procedure, since the startup time of the central processing unit 12 is later than the startup time of the substrate management control unit 11, the central processing unit 12 controls the display unit 13 to display the first manufacturer information in the substrate management control unit 11 in step S011 (step S011 ) After that, the control display unit 13 displays the second manufacturer information corresponding to the second firmware setting parameter (step S07), and the second manufacturer information is different from the first manufacturer information, so the central processing unit 12 displays the first manufacturer information on the control display unit 13. After the information of the two manufacturers, it is determined that the first firmware setting parameter has been changed to the second firmware setting parameter, and the second firmware setting parameter is sent to the baseboard management control unit 11 (step S02), and the baseboard management control unit 11 Cause the substrate management control unit 11 to control the display unit 13 to display the second manufacturer information immediately after the server device 1 is reset in the same boot initialization procedure Step S041) entered into force, causes the display unit 13 displays a consistent vendor information.

In one embodiment, the display interface of the display unit 13 may be a VGA interface, a DVI interface, or an HDMI interface. In addition, the manufacturer information displayed on the display unit 13 may be the brand information of the server device 1 or the brand information of the manufacturer of the server device 1, such as its brand logo.

In one embodiment, the aforementioned first firmware setting and second firmware setting are corresponding to a static Internet Protocol Address setting function connected to a static Internet Protocol Address of the baseboard management control unit 11, and The first firmware setting parameter and the second firmware setting parameter are two static Internet protocol addresses set corresponding to the static Internet protocol address settings. Based on this, in the startup initialization procedure of the server device 1, the baseboard management control unit 11 first sets its static Internet protocol address according to the first firmware setting parameter in step S01. The setting has a first static Internet protocol bit. Then, the central processing unit 12 sends the second firmware setting parameter to the baseboard management control unit 11 in step S02, so that the baseboard management control unit 11 resets the server device 1 in the same boot initialization procedure. Set its static Internet protocol address to have a second static Internet protocol address. Finally, the baseboard management control unit 11 may send the second static Internet protocol address to other units in the server device 1 by broadcasting, so that the changed second static Internet protocol address becomes effective. Based on this, the user can also change the static Internet Protocol address setting of the baseboard management control unit 11 in real time by the central processing unit 12 in the startup initialization procedure of the server device 1.

To sum up, according to an embodiment of the server device and the method for real-time changing the firmware setting of the present invention, the central processing unit can change the firmware parameters associated with the firmware setting during the server device's boot initialization process and The control board management control unit is reset in the server device during the same boot initialization procedure, so that the firmware parameter changes associated with the firmware settings controlled by the board management control unit can take effect immediately, without waiting for the server device to perform Cold reset or multiple warm resets and the changed firmware settings will not take effect until the server device has another boot initialization procedure. This can reduce the need to reset the server device to change the firmware settings Waiting time.

Although this case has been disclosed with examples as above, it is not intended to limit this case. Any person with ordinary knowledge in the technical field can make some changes and retouching without departing from the spirit and scope of this case. Therefore, the scope of protection of this case Subject to the scope of the attached patent application.

1‧‧‧ server device

11‧‧‧ substrate management control unit

12‧‧‧ Central Processing Unit

13‧‧‧Display unit

14‧‧‧BIOS memory

S01-S07‧‧‧step

S011‧‧‧step

S041‧‧‧step

[Figure 1] A block diagram of an embodiment of a server device according to the present invention. [FIG. 2] A flowchart of an embodiment of a method for instantly changing firmware settings according to the present invention. [FIG. 3] A flowchart of another embodiment of a method for instantly changing firmware settings according to the present invention. [Fig. 4] A flowchart of an implementation aspect of a method for real-time changing firmware settings illustrated in Fig. 3. [Fig.

Claims (10)

A server device includes: a substrate management control unit configured to configure a first firmware setting of the server device according to a first firmware setting parameter during a boot initialization procedure of the server device; and a central A processing unit, configured to send the second firmware setting parameter different from the first firmware setting parameter to the substrate management control unit in the boot initialization program after the substrate management control unit configures the first firmware setting, And the central processing unit controls the substrate management control unit to reset in the boot initialization procedure, so that the substrate management control unit reconfigures the first in the boot initialization procedure according to the second firmware setting parameter after the reset. Firmware settings. The server device according to claim 1, further comprising: a BIOS memory storing the first firmware setting parameters and the second firmware matched with one of the second firmware settings corresponding to the first firmware setting One of the body setting parameters; wherein, the central processing unit determines in the boot initialization procedure whether the first firmware setting parameter matched with the second firmware setting has been changed to be different from the first firmware setting The second firmware setting parameter of the parameter, when the first firmware setting parameter matched with the second firmware setting is changed to the second firmware setting parameter different from the first firmware setting parameter, the center The processing unit sends the second firmware setting parameter to the substrate management control unit. The server device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the server device further comprises: a display unit, which is used when the substrate management control unit configures the first firmware setting according to the first firmware setting parameter. Controlled by the substrate management control unit to display first manufacturer information corresponding to one of the first firmware setting parameters, and the display unit reconfigures the first firmware on the substrate management control unit according to the second firmware setting parameter The setting is controlled by the baseboard management control unit and displays a second manufacturer information corresponding to the second firmware setting parameter and different from one of the first manufacturer information. The server device according to claim 3, wherein the central processing unit controls the display unit to display the second display unit according to the second firmware setting parameter after the substrate management control unit controls the display unit to display the first manufacturer information. Manufacturer information, and after the display unit displays the second manufacturer information, the second firmware setting parameter is sent to the substrate management control unit. The server device according to claim 2, wherein the first firmware setting and the second firmware setting are static Internet Protocol address settings used to connect to the baseboard management control unit, and the first The firmware setting parameter and the second firmware setting parameter are two different static Internet protocol addresses. A method for changing firmware settings in real time, which is suitable for a server device, the method includes: configuring a server device according to a first firmware setting parameter in a boot initialization procedure of the server device through a substrate management control unit One of the first firmware settings; a second firmware setting different from the first firmware setting parameter is sent in the boot initialization procedure after the first firmware setting is configured in the substrate management control unit via a central processing unit Parameters to the substrate management control unit; the central processing unit controls the substrate management control unit to reset in the boot initialization procedure after sending the second firmware setting parameter to the substrate management control unit; and the substrate management control unit is at After the reset, the first firmware setting is reconfigured according to the second firmware setting parameter in the boot initialization procedure. The method for real-time firmware setting change as described in claim 6, before the central processing unit sends the second firmware setting parameter to the substrate management control unit, the method for real-time firmware setting further includes: the central processing The unit determines whether the first firmware setting parameter stored in a BIOS code corresponding to one of the first firmware settings and the second firmware setting has been changed in the boot initialization procedure to be different from the first firmware setting. The second firmware setting parameter of the body setting parameter; and when the first firmware setting parameter of the second firmware setting is changed to the second firmware setting parameter different from the first firmware setting parameter , The central processing unit sends the second firmware setting parameter to the substrate management control unit. The method for changing firmware settings in real time as described in claim 7, wherein the first firmware setting and the second firmware setting are manufacturer information display settings, and the board management control unit sets parameters according to the first firmware In the step of configuring the first firmware setting, the substrate management control unit controls a display unit to display a first manufacturer information corresponding to the first firmware setting parameter according to the first firmware setting parameter; wherein in the substrate management In the step of the control unit reconfiguring the first firmware setting according to the second firmware setting parameter, the substrate management control unit controls the display unit to display a display corresponding to the second firmware setting parameter according to the second firmware setting parameter. Not the same as one of the first manufacturer information. The method for instantly changing the firmware setting as described in claim 8, wherein after the substrate management control unit controls the display unit to display the first manufacturer information and the central processing unit sends the second firmware setting parameter to the Before the board management control unit, the method for real-time changing the firmware setting further includes: the central processing unit controls the display unit to display a display corresponding to the second firmware setting parameter different from the first manufacturer according to the second firmware setting parameter One of the information is the second manufacturer information. The method for real-time changing the firmware setting as described in claim 7, wherein the first firmware setting and the second firmware setting are static Internet Protocol address settings for connecting to the baseboard management control unit The first firmware setting parameter and the second firmware setting parameter are two different static Internet protocol addresses.