Patent Application
20230022789
The present disclosure relates to information handling systems and, more specifically, firmware and other types of updates for information handling systems.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Firmware updates for a server or storage device often require hundreds of megabytes of storage and large datacenters may include thousands of servers. It is also not uncommon for a datacenter to house multiple server and storage device models with different components, different operating system models, and different firmware update schedules. Accordingly, a datacenter administrator may need to dedicate multiple GBs of storage just for updates. If the administrator uses a system management appliance or application, the update storage space required would have to allocated either on the appliance or externally. Configuring a management appliance for additional storage and sequencing is generally not trivial and external storage carries an inherent risk of exposure or tampering. Moreover, every device update has to be downloaded to every instance of that device within the applicable domain, thereby consuming scarce and valuable network bandwidth.
Common problems associated with managing information handling system updates in large scale computing environments are addressed by disclosed management systems and methods. In accordance with subject matter disclosed in the following detailed description, a method for managing information handling system updates includes identifying topological groups within a managed domain of information handling system devices and identifying one or more homogeneous subgroups, each of which corresponds to a single device type, within each of the identified topological groups. Device updates may then be performed for the managed domain based on the homogeneous subgroups. All instances of a particular device type within the managed domain are updated by performing subgroup-aware update operations that include transmitting a single update image for the particular device type to each topological group that includes a homogeneous subgroup corresponding to the particular device type. The single update image is then distributed to each instance of the particular device type within the topologic group.
The devices to be updated include servers, storage devices, and other types of information handling resources. In at least one embodiment suitable for datacenter environments comprising a plurality of rack cabinets, each topological group is associated with a rack cabinet and each node corresponds to a the rack cabinets top of rack device.
Identifying the homogeneous subgroups may include clustering all devices within a topological group based on quantitative indicators of homogeneity determined for each of the devices within the topological group. The clustering process may include generating a dissimilarity matrix for the devices within the topological group. The dissimilarity matrix may be generated by calculating Gower distances amongst the devices based on categorical device inventory data. After the distance matrix is established, clustering may process based on divisive clustering techniques, agglomerative cluster techniques, or a combination of both.
Technical advantages of the present disclosure may be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the figures, description and claims included herein. The objects and advantages of the embodiments will be realized and achieved at least by the elements, features, and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are examples and explanatory and are not restrictive of the claims set forth in this disclosure.
A more complete understanding of the present embodiments and advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like features, and wherein:
Exemplary embodiments and their advantages are best understood by reference to
For the purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, entertainment, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a consumer electronic device, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include memory, one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (“CPU”), microcontroller, or hardware or software control logic. Additional components of the information handling system may include one or more storage devices, one or more communications ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input/output (“I/O”) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communication between the various hardware components.
Additionally, an information handling system may include firmware for controlling and/or communicating with, for example, hard drives, network circuitry, memory devices, I/O devices, and other peripheral devices. For example, the hypervisor and/or other components may comprise firmware. As used in this disclosure, firmware includes software embedded in an information handling system component used to perform predefined tasks. Firmware is commonly stored in non-volatile memory, or memory that does not lose stored data upon the loss of power. In certain embodiments, firmware associated with an information handling system component is stored in non-volatile memory that is accessible to one or more information handling system components. In the same or alternative embodiments, firmware associated with an information handling system component is stored in non-volatile memory that is dedicated to and comprises part of that component.
For the purposes of this disclosure, computer-readable media may include any instrumentality or aggregation of instrumentalities that may retain data and/or instructions for a period of time. Computer-readable media may include, without limitation, storage media such as a direct access storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive or floppy disk), a sequential access storage device (e.g., a tape disk drive), compact disk, CD-ROM, DVD, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and/or flash memory; as well as communications media such as wires, optical fibers, microwaves, radio waves, and other electromagnetic and/or optical carriers; and/or any combination of the foregoing.
For the purposes of this disclosure, information handling resources may broadly refer to any component system, device or apparatus of an information handling system, including without limitation processors, service processors, basic input/output systems (BIOSs), buses, memories, I/O devices and/or interfaces, storage resources, network interfaces, motherboards, and/or any other components and/or elements of an information handling system.
In the following description, details are set forth by way of example to facilitate discussion of the disclosed subject matter. It should be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the field, however, that the disclosed embodiments are exemplary and not exhaustive of all possible embodiments.
Throughout this disclosure, a hyphenated form of a reference numeral refers to a specific instance of an element and the un-hyphenated form of the reference numeral refers to the element generically. Thus, for example, “device 12-1” refers to an instance of a device class, which may be referred to collectively as “devices 12” and any one of which may be referred to generically as “a device 12”.
As used herein, when two or more elements are referred to as “coupled” to one another, such term indicates that such two or more elements are in electronic communication, mechanical communication, including thermal and fluidic communication, thermal, communication or mechanical communication, as applicable, whether connected indirectly or directly, with or without intervening elements.
Referring now to the drawings,
In datacenter embodiments, the information handing system devices 115 are removable attached to rack cabinet structures or, more simply, rack cabinets 112. Each rack cabinet 112 illustrated in
The update process illustrated in
Referring now to
Each topological group may correspond to a node of the domain or network managed by management server 120. In datacenter environments implemented with a plurality of rack cabinets, there may be a 1:1 correspondence between topological groups and rack cabinets such that each topological group may comprise all devices located within the applicable rack cabinet. In at least one such embodiment, some or all of the rack cabinets include a top of rack device coupled to the management server via the network switch 116 illustrated in
One or more homogeneous subgroups may then be identified (step 404) within each topological group where each homogeneous subgroup corresponds to a single device type. Device updates may then be performed for the managed domain based on the homogeneous subgroups. Specifically, in at least one embodiment, all instances of a particular device type within the managed domain are updated by performing subgroup-aware update operations that include transmitting a single update image for the particular device type to each topological group that includes a homogeneous subgroup corresponding to the particular device type. The single update image may then be distributed to each instance of the particular device type within the topologic group.
Referring to
The assessment of clustering techniques is based on evaluations of compactness and separation. In the experiments performed with actual device inventory data, agglomerative clustering was a more effective and efficient tool for identifying clusters.
This disclosure encompasses all changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications to the example embodiments herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend. Similarly, where appropriate, the appended claims encompass all changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications to the example embodiments herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend. Moreover, reference in the appended claims to an apparatus or system or a component of an apparatus or system being adapted to, arranged to, capable of, configured to, enabled to, operable to, or operative to perform a particular function encompasses that apparatus, system, or component, whether or not it or that particular function is activated, turned on, or unlocked, as long as that apparatus, system, or component is so adapted, arranged, capable, configured, enabled, operable, or operative.
All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical objects to aid the reader in understanding the disclosure and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art, and are construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
