Power module upgrading method, mainboard and server

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a power module upgrading method, a server, electronic equipment, a storage medium and a program product. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring firmware version information of a target power supply module; when the firmware version information indicates that the firmware version of the target power module is inconsistent with the target version, acquiring a firmware identifier of the target power module; under the condition that the firmware identifier indicates that the firmware upgrading mode of the target power supply module is reset upgrading, controlling the target power supply module to be powered off, and replacing the firmware data of the target power supply module and the current firmware version with the firmware data corresponding to the target version so as to upgrade the firmware of the target power supply module; and under the condition that the firmware identifier indicates that the firmware upgrading mode of the target power supply module is real-time upgrading, replacing the firmware data of the target power supply module and the firmware data of the current firmware version with the firmware data corresponding to the target version so as to upgrade the firmware of the target power supply module. According to the method, the power module can be quickly upgraded.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of servers, and in particular to a power module upgrading method, a mainboard and a server. Background Art

[0002] In a server, multiple power modules are provided. As the "heart" of the server, the power module provides indispensable power support for its stable operation. The power module may be, for example, a point of load (POL) or a voltage regulator module (VRM).

[0003] In the server, the power module is not only responsible for converting AC power into DC power required by the internal components of the server, but also bears multiple responsibilities such as voltage regulation, current distribution, overload protection and energy efficiency management. Usually, when upgrading the firmware of the power module, the power module is often directly powered off. After the firmware upgrade is completed, the power module is powered on again. During this period, the load equipment corresponding to the power module will be interrupted due to power interruption, causing business interruption and affecting business operations. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a power module upgrade method, a mainboard, and a server to achieve a rapid upgrade effect of the power module.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a power module upgrading method, comprising:

[0006] Get the firmware version information of the target power module;

[0007] When the firmware version information indicates that the firmware version of the target power module is inconsistent with the target version, obtaining a firmware identifier of the target power module;

[0008] When the firmware identifier indicates that the firmware upgrade mode of the target power module is reset upgrade, the target power module is controlled to be powered off,

[0009] and replacing the current firmware version of the target power module with the target firmware corresponding to the target version to upgrade the firmware of the target power module;

[0010] When the firmware identifier indicates that the firmware upgrade mode of the target power module is real-time upgrade, the target firmware corresponding to the target version is used to replace the current version firmware of the target power module to upgrade the firmware of the target power module.

[0011] The above-mentioned power module upgrade method can directly convert the analysis process of the configuration information of the power module into the process of firmware identification recognition. By directly marking the power module, the firmware upgrade method of the power module is directly marked, thereby avoiding the process of analyzing the hardware configuration information of the power module. When the firmware data of the target version of the target power module is received and the firmware of the target power module needs to be upgraded, the firmware identifier of the target power module can be directly compared with the firmware identifiers corresponding to the two upgrade methods, so as to quickly determine the firmware upgrade method of the firmware of the target power module and realize the rapid upgrade of the power module.

[0012] In a possible implementation manner, controlling the target power module to power off includes:

[0013] Generate a power-off instruction, and send the power-off instruction to the power supply through the integrated control bus to control the power supply to stop obtaining AC power from the outside; the power supply is connected to the voltage regulation module, the load point power supply and the load device, and is used to convert the AC power into DC power and output it to the voltage regulation module, the load point power supply and the load device respectively;

[0014] The power module includes one of the power supply, the voltage regulation module, and the load point power supply.

[0015] The power module upgrade method can control the power supply to stop obtaining AC power from the outside, thereby powering off the main power of the motherboard, and transmits the power-off command through the integrated control bus, thereby ensuring the reliable transmission of the power-off command.

[0016] In a possible implementation manner, replacing the current version firmware of the target power module with the target firmware corresponding to the target version includes:

[0017] In the register corresponding to the target power module, the current version firmware of the target power module is rewritten into the target firmware corresponding to the target version.

[0018] The power module upgrade method can achieve fast and effective version management and maintenance by modifying the firmware data in the register.

[0019] In a possible implementation manner, after controlling the target power module to power off and replacing the current version firmware of the target power module with the target firmware corresponding to the target version to upgrade the firmware of the target power module, the method further includes:

[0020] A first power-on instruction is generated, and the first power-on instruction is sent to the power supply through an integrated control bus to control the power supply to continue to obtain AC power from the outside.

[0021] In a possible implementation manner, after controlling the target power module to power off and replacing the current version firmware of the target power module with the target firmware corresponding to the target version to upgrade the firmware of the target power module, the method further includes:

[0022] A second power-on instruction is generated, and the second power-on instruction is sent to the control module through the integrated control bus, so that the control module and the power supply continue to obtain AC power from the outside.

[0023] The above-mentioned power module upgrade method can control the power supply to continue to obtain AC power from the outside after the target power module completes the firmware upgrade, thereby realizing the main power supply of the main board, and the power supply can continue to supply power to the voltage regulation module and the load point power supply, so that the voltage regulation module and the load point power supply can continue to supply power to the corresponding target device, thereby realizing the rapid firmware upgrade of the target power module.

[0024] In a possible implementation manner, after controlling the target power module to power off, the method further includes:

[0025] Obtaining configuration information of the target power module;

[0026] Based on the configuration information, a substitute power module corresponding to the target power module is determined, and the substitute power module is used to supply power to a target device corresponding to the target power module.

[0027] The above-mentioned power module upgrade method adopts an alternative power module to provide additional power guarantee, which not only reduces the risk of system downtime caused by failure of the target power module, but also prevents the target power module from having problems during the firmware upgrade process, resulting in the corresponding load device being unable to obtain stable power supply, thereby ensuring the stable operation of the system.

[0028] In a possible implementation manner, determining, based on the configuration information, a replacement power module corresponding to the target power module includes:

[0029] When the configuration information indicates that the target device has a corresponding backup battery, using the backup battery as the alternative power module;

[0030] When the configuration information indicates that the target device is connected to any other power module on the mainboard, the power module connected to the target power module is used as the replacement power module.

[0031] The above-mentioned power module upgrade method can screen out an alternative power module that can replace the target power module to power the target device from the connection relationship of the target device, and can realize seamless switching of power supply between the target power module and the alternative power module, thereby completing the switching of the power supply object of the target device without interrupting the power supply of the load device corresponding to the target power module.

[0032] In a possible implementation manner, after controlling the target power module to power off, the method further includes:

[0033] Obtaining power supply information of a target device corresponding to the target power module;

[0034] When the power supply information indicates that the target device is connected to a multi-output power module, the multi-output power module is used as the replacement power module.

[0035] The above-mentioned power module upgrade method can pre-connect the multi-output power module to two different load devices. When the main power supply module corresponding to one of the load devices needs to be upgraded in firmware, the load device can be powered by the multi-output power module. Through this setting, there is no need to set up a separate backup power module on the mainboard, which saves space on the mainboard and can ensure stable power supply for each load device at the same time.

[0036] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a mainboard, characterized in that it includes: a baseboard management controller, at least one power module, and at least one load device;

[0037] The baseboard management controller is connected to the power module; the baseboard management controller is used to upgrade the firmware of the power module by adopting the power module upgrade method in the first aspect and / or various possible power module upgrade methods in the first aspect;

[0038] The power supply module is correspondingly connected to the load device.

[0039] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a server, characterized in that the server adopts the mainboard in the second aspect above.

[0040] The power module upgrade method, mainboard and server provided in the embodiments of the present application can directly convert the analysis process of the configuration information of the power module into an identification matching process, and directly mark the firmware upgrade method of the power module by directly marking the power module, thereby avoiding the process of analyzing the hardware configuration information of the power module. When the target version information of the target power module is received and the firmware of the target power module needs to be upgraded, the firmware label of the target power module can be directly compared with the labels of the two upgrade modes, so as to quickly determine the firmware upgrade method of the target power module and realize the rapid upgrade of the power module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0042] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the process of upgrading the power module provided in this application;

[0043] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the main board provided for this application;

[0044] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the server provided for this application.

[0045] The above drawings have shown clear embodiments of the present application, which will be described in more detail later. These drawings and text descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way, but to illustrate the concept of the present application to those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments made by ordinary technicians in this field under the enlightenment of the embodiments belong to the scope of protection of the present application.

[0047] The terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth", etc. (if any) in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0048] Glossary:

[0049] The motherboard is responsible for connecting all the hardware components in the server and providing communication channels between hardware devices.

[0050] The Baseboard Manager Controller (BMC) is a small operating system independent of the server system. It can perform some operations on electronic devices (such as servers) such as firmware upgrades and viewing of electronic devices when the electronic devices are not turned on. BMC is usually an independent chip or module, which is independent of other components on the server motherboard and can remotely access and manage the server through the network.

[0051] The Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) is a device that provides an adaptive supply voltage for the CPU on the server motherboard. It can be directly soldered on the motherboard or installed as a module daughter card. Since it can transform and adjust the supply voltage, it can provide corresponding adaptive voltages for different controllers or CPUs on the motherboard.

[0052] Point of Load (POL) can be understood as the power regulator of the load device on the motherboard. POL can be set up separately near the load device to ensure power supply efficiency and accuracy. POL is used to convert high voltage into low voltage suitable for the load device. Among them, the load device can be, for example, BMC, Central Processing Unit (CPU), Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), etc.

[0053] The power supply unit (PSU) is used to convert the alternating current (AC) input from the outside of the server into direct current (DC), and output the converted DC power to various power modules on the motherboard, such as VRM, POL, etc. The power supply is used to provide a stable power supply to the power modules installed on the motherboard.

[0054] Traditional firmware upgrade methods usually require the power module to be powered off before the firmware upgrade, that is, to completely cut off the power output of the power module. The original intention of this practice is to ensure the security and stability of the firmware upgrade process and avoid firmware damage or system abnormalities caused by power fluctuations or instability during the upgrade process. However, this power-off processing method will inevitably cause all load devices that rely on the power module to stop running, which will cause the operation of the load device to be interrupted and may cause the loss of the load device operation data, which will affect the continuity and stability of data operation.

[0055] The present application pre-marks the firmware identifier on the power module and distinguishes the firmware upgrade method of the power module by the firmware identifier, cleverly avoiding the limitation of the traditional firmware upgrade method of simply powering off the power module in advance, thereby significantly improving the flexibility and reliability of the firmware upgrade process.

[0056] In one embodiment, a power module upgrade method is provided. This embodiment uses the power module upgrade method applied to a BMC as an example. Figure 1 As shown, the power module upgrade method includes:

[0057] Step 202: Obtain firmware version information of the target power module.

[0058] The power module refers to a device used to supply power to various load devices on the mainboard, such as VRM, POL or PSU, etc. Among them, the input end of the PSU is connected to the external AC power supply, and the output end is respectively connected to the input end of the VRM, POL and other devices on the mainboard, and the output end of the VRM and POL is connected to the corresponding load devices. As an example, the PSU is used to convert the 220V AC power provided by the external AC power supply into 12V DC power, and output it to the VRM and POL to power the VRM and POL. The VRM and POL can convert the 12V DC power into the DC power required by the corresponding load device, such as 3.3V DC power.

[0059] Firmware refers to the basic software or program inside the target power module. The firmware version information is used to indicate the firmware version of the power module, and may generally include the firmware version number, identification, etc., and may further include the firmware release date, change log or update instructions, etc. The firmware version information may be stored in a non-volatile memory such as a ROM, Flash memory, or EEPROM of the target power module itself.

[0060] In this embodiment, the BMC may obtain the firmware version information of the target power module after receiving the upgrade instruction. The upgrade instruction refers to an instruction to upgrade the firmware of the power module, for example, the firmware may be repaired, patched, or updated, so that the power module adds new functions, improves performance, or fixes known problems.

[0061] Among them, the upgrade instruction can be issued by the staff through the human-computer interaction interface of the server external terminal. The human-computer interaction interface of the terminal can specifically display a specific platform interface. The staff issues an upgrade instruction to the BMC by inputting the new version program of the basic software to be updated on the platform interface and clicking the control used to represent the firmware upgrade on the platform interface. Alternatively, the upgrade instruction can also be automatically generated by the BMC when receiving the new version program of the firmware in the power module. The new version program of the firmware can be released by the operating manufacturer of the power module, or it can be written and issued by the staff. It should be noted that the new version program of the firmware in the power module can carry a module label, and the module label can be composed of at least one of letters, characters or numbers, which is used to uniquely refer to the corresponding specific power module on the mainboard. The mapping relationship between the power module and the module label is pre-stored in the BMC of this embodiment. After receiving the new version program carrying the module label, the BMC can determine the corresponding target power module based on the module label carried by the new version program.

[0062] In this embodiment, after the power module operating manufacturer releases a new version of the firmware, or the staff writes a new version of the firmware by themselves, the BMC on the mainboard can receive the new version of the firmware from the operating manufacturer's server or the server's external terminal; then, the BMC can determine the target power module corresponding to the new version of the firmware based on the module label carried by the new version of the firmware and the pre-stored mapping relationship between the power module and the module label; further, the BMC can generate an information extraction instruction and send it to the target power module to obtain the firmware version information of the target power module from the non-volatile memory of the target power module.

[0063] Usually, a server's motherboard can be provided with multiple load devices and power modules corresponding to each load device, and the power module is used to supply power to the corresponding load device. A load device refers to a device connected to the motherboard, obtains power and signals from the motherboard, and performs specific functions. The load device may include, for example, a processor, memory, storage, complex programmable logic device (CPLD), etc. A power module refers to a device that provides a stable power supply to the motherboard and various load devices thereon, and may include, for example, a voltage regulator module (VRM), a point of load (POL), etc., wherein VRM is a chip that specifically provides an adaptive supply voltage for the CPU, which can be directly soldered on the motherboard to adjust and stabilize the power supply voltage of the CPU; POL can supply power to load devices such as a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, and a CPLD, and it is usually located on the motherboard near these load devices to reduce losses and interference during power transmission.

[0064] Step 204: When the firmware version information indicates that the firmware version of the target power module is inconsistent with the target version, obtain the firmware identifier of the target power module.

[0065] The target version is used to indicate the internal firmware of the power module and the version that needs to be updated. It can include the latest version number, the latest release date, the latest change log, or the latest update description.

[0066] The firmware identifier can also be composed of at least one of letters, characters or numbers, and is used to indicate the upgrade mode of the corresponding power module. The upgrade mode can include a real-time effective mode and a power-off effective mode. The real-time effective mode means that the corresponding power module supports hot plugging, and the firmware can be directly upgraded during the operation of the power module. After the upgrade is completed, the new basic software or program can take effect immediately; the power-off effective mode means that the corresponding power module does not support hot plugging, and the power module must be upgraded when the main power of the motherboard is powered off. After the upgrade is completed, the main power of the motherboard where the power module is located needs to be powered on again to make the new basic software or program effective.

[0067] Step 206: When the firmware identifier indicates that the firmware upgrade mode of the target power module is reset upgrade, control the target power module to power off, and use the target version firmware to replace the current version firmware of the target power module to upgrade the firmware of the target power module.

[0068] It should be noted that the power off of the target power module refers to the power off of the business system of the server corresponding to the mainboard, usually refers to the power off of the main power on the mainboard of the server. The main power voltage can be 12v. The main power is used to power the central processing unit (CPU) on the mainboard. When the main power is on, the CPU and the operating system can work normally. When the business system of the server is powered off, the CPU and the operating system cannot work normally. At this time, there is still standby power supply on the server mainboard, and the CPLD and BMC on the mainboard can work normally.

[0069] After updating the firmware in the target power module, the BMC needs to control the target power module to restart. After the target power module restarts, the updated firmware can take effect. Then, the service system of the server is powered on, that is, the main power is turned on, and the server can run normally.

[0070] In one implementation, the BMC may send a command through I2C to send a restart command of the target power module to the CPLD, and after the CPLD receives the restart command, it controls the target power module to restart;

[0071] In one implementation, the BMC may also directly control the target power module to restart. Step 208: When the firmware identifier indicates that the firmware upgrade mode of the target power module is real-time upgrade, the target version firmware is used to replace the current version firmware of the target power module to upgrade the firmware of the target power module.

[0072] In this embodiment, the BMC, for example, pre-stores a firmware identifier corresponding to a reset upgrade mode and a firmware identifier corresponding to a real-time upgrade mode, as well as a firmware upgrade mode corresponding to the above firmware identifiers; reset upgrade refers to an upgrade mode that requires powering off the main power of the motherboard where the target power module is located before performing a firmware upgrade, and real-time upgrade refers to an upgrade mode that does not require powering off the main power of the motherboard where the target power module is located and directly performs a firmware upgrade. The BMC determines the upgrade mode of the target power supply by comparing the firmware identifier obtained from the target power module with the firmware identifier pre-stored in itself.

[0073] The firmware identifier can also be composed of at least one of letters, characters or numbers. It can be understood that each power module on the mainboard carries a firmware identifier for indicating the upgrade method to be adopted when the power module performs a firmware upgrade.

[0074] Specifically, the step of replacing the current version firmware of the target power module with the target version firmware may include: rewriting the current version firmware of the target power module into the target firmware corresponding to the target version in a register corresponding to the target power module.

[0075] In this embodiment, after the power module operating manufacturer releases a new version of the firmware, or the staff writes a new version of the firmware by themselves, the BMC on the mainboard can receive the new version of the firmware from the operating manufacturer's server or the server's external terminal; then, the BMC can determine the target power module corresponding to the new version of the firmware based on the module label carried by the new version of the firmware and the pre-stored mapping relationship between the power module and the module label; further, the BMC can generate an information extraction instruction and send it to the target power module to obtain the firmware version information of the target power module from the non-volatile memory of the target power module.

[0076] Furthermore, the BMC can compare the firmware version indicated by the firmware version information with the target version indicated by the new version program of the firmware. When the firmware version indicated by the firmware version information is consistent with the target version, it can be considered that the current firmware of the target power module is already the latest version, and there is no need to update the firmware of the target power module at this time. When the firmware version indicated by the firmware version information is inconsistent with the target version, it can be determined that the firmware of the target power module needs to be updated. At this time, the firmware identifier of the target power module is compared with the firmware identifier corresponding to the reset upgrade mode and the firmware identifier corresponding to the real-time upgrade mode stored in the BMC respectively. When the firmware identifier of the target power module indicates that the firmware upgrade mode of the target power module is reset upgrade, it can be considered that the target power module needs to be powered off and then powered on again. Perform firmware upgrade. At this time, the BMC can control the main power on the server's mainboard to power off, and then write the new version of the firmware into the corresponding register of the target power module, and delete the current version of the target power module firmware previously stored in the register, thereby completing the upgrade. Subsequently, the BMC controls the main power on the server's mainboard to power on to complete the firmware upgrade of the target power module. When the firmware identifier of the target power module indicates that the firmware upgrade mode of the target power module is real-time upgrade, it can be considered that the target power module can directly perform firmware upgrade during operation. At this time, the BMC directly writes the new version of the firmware into the corresponding register of the target power module, and deletes the current version of the target power module firmware in the register, thereby completing the firmware upgrade of the target power module.

[0077] The above-mentioned power module upgrade method can directly convert the analysis process of the configuration information of the power module into the process of firmware identification recognition. By directly marking the power module, the firmware upgrade method of the power module is directly marked, thereby avoiding the process of analyzing the hardware configuration information of the power module. When a new version of the target power module firmware is received and the target power module needs to be upgraded, the firmware identifier of the target power module can be directly compared with the firmware identifiers corresponding to the two upgrade methods, thereby quickly determining the firmware upgrade method of the target power module firmware and realizing the rapid upgrade of the power module.

[0078] In some optional embodiments, the step of controlling the target power module to power off includes:

[0079] Generate a power-off instruction, and send the power-off instruction to the power supply through the integrated control bus to control the power supply to stop obtaining AC power from the outside; the power supply is connected to the voltage regulation module, the load point power supply and the load device, and is used to convert the AC power into DC power and output it to the voltage regulation module, the load point power supply and the load device respectively;

[0080] The power module includes one of the power supply, the voltage regulation module, and the load point power supply.

[0081] In this embodiment, the BMC generates a power-off instruction and sends it to the PSU through an integrated control bus (Inter-Integrated Circuit, IIC). The PSU receives the power-off instruction from the BMC through its built-in communication interface and stops obtaining AC power from the external power supply based on the power-off instruction.

[0082] In some optional embodiments, after step 206, the following steps are included:

[0083] A first power-on instruction is generated, and the first power-on instruction is sent to the power supply through an integrated control bus to control the power supply to continue to obtain AC power from the outside.

[0084] In this embodiment, the BMC generates a first power-on instruction and sends it to the PSU through the IIC. The PSU receives the first power-on instruction from the BMC through its built-in communication interface and resumes obtaining AC power from the external power supply based on the second power-on instruction.

[0085] Alternatively, after step 206, the following steps may be performed:

[0086] A second power-on instruction is generated, and the second power-on instruction is sent to the control module through the integrated control bus, so that the control module and the power supply continue to obtain AC power from the outside.

[0087] In this embodiment, the BMC generates a second power-on instruction and sends it to the control module through the IIC. The control module may be, for example, a CPLD. The CPLD is used to generate a third power-on instruction and send it to the PSU after receiving the second power-on instruction from the BMC. The PSU resumes obtaining AC power from the external power supply based on the third power-on instruction.

[0088] In this embodiment, after the BMC completes the firmware upgrade of the target power module, if the upgrade mode of the target power module is a reset upgrade firmware upgrade mode, the BMC controls the PSU to obtain AC power from the outside again, thereby restoring the PSU to output DC power to the VRM and POL, so that the VRM and POL continue to supply power to the corresponding load devices, thereby realizing a rapid firmware upgrade of the target power module.

[0089] In some optional embodiments, after controlling the target power module to power off, the method further includes:

[0090] Obtaining configuration information of a target device corresponding to the target power module;

[0091] Based on the configuration information, an alternative power module corresponding to the target device is determined, and the target device is powered by the alternative power module.

[0092] The configuration information is used to indicate the target device's operating parameter settings, function configuration, and connection relationships with other power modules, load devices, and other devices.

[0093] The replacement power module refers to a power module that replaces the target power module to supply power to the target device during the firmware upgrade process of the target power module.

[0094] The alternative power module in this embodiment provides additional power supply guarantee, which not only reduces the risk of system downtime caused by failure of the target power module, but also prevents problems with the target power module during the firmware upgrade process, resulting in the corresponding load equipment being unable to obtain stable power supply, thereby ensuring stable operation of the system.

[0095] In some optional embodiments, the step of determining a replacement power module corresponding to the target device based on the configuration information includes:

[0096] When the configuration information indicates that the target device has a corresponding backup battery, the backup battery is used as a replacement power module;

[0097] When the configuration information indicates that the target device is connected to any other power module on the mainboard, the power module connected to the target power module is used as a replacement power module.

[0098] The backup battery refers to a battery that is specifically used to provide additional power for the load device corresponding to the target power module. The backup battery can output DC power that meets the requirements of the target device. The backup battery can be the same power module as the target power module.

[0099] Specifically, when the configuration information includes the connection relationship between the target device and an additional backup battery, the backup battery can be directly used as a replacement power module; or, when the configuration information includes the connection relationship between the target device and any other power modules on the mainboard, and any other power module connected to the target device can output DC power that meets the requirements of the target device, the power module connected to the target device will be used as a replacement power module.

[0100] In this embodiment, an alternative power supply module that can replace the target power supply module to power the target device can be screened out from the connection relationship of the target device, and seamless switching of power supply between the target power supply module and the alternative power supply module can be achieved, thereby completing the switching of the power supply object of the target device without interrupting the power supply of the load device corresponding to the target power supply module.

[0101] In another optional embodiment, the power module upgrading method further includes:

[0102] When the configuration information indicates that a multi-output power module is connected to the target device, the multi-output power module is used as a replacement power module.

[0103] A multi-output power module is a power module that can provide additional power for multiple load devices. It can be connected to multiple load devices and provide power for multiple load devices. The multi-output power module is designed with multiple independent output ports, which can provide stable power for different load devices simultaneously or separately.

[0104] In this embodiment, the target device corresponding to the target power module can be connected to the multi-output power module in addition to being connected to the target power module. It can be understood that the target device can obtain electric energy from both the target power module and the multi-output power module. It should be noted that the multi-output power module can be used as a backup power supply module for the target device, and the target power module serves as a main power supply module to provide the target device with the daily electric energy required. When the firmware identifier of the target power module indicates that the firmware upgrade mode of the target power module is reset upgrade, the target power module needs to be powered off first and then perform the firmware upgrade. At this time, the target power module can no longer output electric energy to the corresponding target device, and the target device can obtain the required electric energy from the multi-output power module to ensure the normal operation of the device.

[0105] In the above-mentioned power module upgrade method, the multi-output power module can be pre-connected to two different load devices. When the main power supply module corresponding to one of the load devices needs to be upgraded in firmware, the load device can be powered by the multi-output power module. Through this setting, there is no need to set up a separate backup power module on the mainboard, which saves space on the mainboard and can ensure stable power supply to each load device at the same time.

[0106] The power module upgrade method provided in the embodiment of the present application can directly convert the analysis process of the configuration information of the power module into an identification matching process. By directly marking the ancient sword representation on the power module, the firmware upgrade method of the power module is directly marked, thereby avoiding the process of analyzing the hardware configuration information of the power module. When the firmware data of the target version of the target power module is received and the firmware of the target power module needs to be upgraded, the firmware identifier of the target power module can be directly compared with the firmware identifiers corresponding to the two upgrade methods, so as to quickly determine the firmware upgrade method of the target power module and realize the rapid upgrade of the power module.

[0107] Furthermore, when the target power module needs a firmware upgrade, the backup power module of the target power module can be used to take over the power supply, or the multi-output power module connected to the target device can be used to take over the target power supply, thereby ensuring stable power supply to the target device.

[0108] It should be understood that, although the steps in the flowcharts involved in the above embodiments are displayed in sequence according to the indication of the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in sequence according to the order indicated by the arrows. Unless there is a clear explanation in this article, the execution of these steps is not strictly limited in order, and these steps can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least a part of the steps in the flowcharts involved in the above embodiments may include multiple steps or multiple stages, and these steps or stages are not necessarily executed at the same time, but can be executed at different times, and the execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily carried out in sequence, but can be executed in turn or alternately with other steps or at least a part of the steps or stages in other steps.

[0109] Based on the same inventive concept, Figure 2 As shown, the embodiment of the present application further provides a mainboard 200, including: a baseboard management controller 210, at least one power module 220, and at least one load device 230;

[0110] The baseboard management controller 210 is connected to the power module 220; the baseboard management controller 210 is used to upgrade the firmware of the power module 220 by adopting the power module upgrade method in any of the above embodiments;

[0111] The power module 220 is connected to the load device 230 accordingly.

[0112] In some optional embodiments, the mainboard 200 further includes a power supply 240 , which is connected to each power module 220 for supplying power to each power module 220 .

[0113] In some optional embodiments, the mainboard 200 further includes at least one of a backup battery and a multi-output power supply module.

[0114] like Figure 3 As shown, the embodiment of the present application further provides a server 300, and the server 300 adopts the mainboard 200 in any of the above embodiments.

[0115] Those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the steps of implementing the above-mentioned method embodiments can be completed by hardware related to program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, the steps of the above-mentioned method embodiments are executed; and the aforementioned storage medium includes: ROM, RAM, disk or optical disk and other media that can store program codes.

[0116] Finally, it should be noted that those skilled in the art will readily conceive of other embodiments of the present invention after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. The present invention is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the present invention, which follow the general principles of the present invention and include common knowledge or customary technical means in the art not disclosed by the present invention, are not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the drawings, and may be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A power module upgrade method, characterized in that: include: Get the firmware version information of the target power module; When the firmware version information indicates that the firmware version of the target power module is inconsistent with the target version, obtaining a firmware identifier of the target power module; In the case where the firmware identifier indicates that the firmware upgrade mode of the target power module is reset upgrade, the target power module is controlled to be powered off, and the current version of the firmware of the target power module is replaced with the target firmware corresponding to the target version to upgrade the firmware of the target power module; When the firmware identifier indicates that the firmware upgrade mode of the target power module is real-time upgrade, the target firmware corresponding to the target version is used to replace the current version firmware of the target power module to upgrade the firmware of the target power module.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The controlling the target power module to power off includes: Generate a power-off instruction, and send the power-off instruction to the power supply through the integrated control bus to control the power supply to stop obtaining AC power from the outside; the power supply is connected to the voltage regulation module, the load point power supply and the load device, and is used to convert the AC power into DC power and output it to the voltage regulation module, the load point power supply and the load device respectively; The power module includes one of the power supply, the voltage regulation module, and the load point power supply.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Replacing the current version firmware of the target power module with the target firmware corresponding to the target version includes: In the register corresponding to the target power module, the current version firmware of the target power module is rewritten into the target firmware corresponding to the target version.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: After controlling the target power module to power off and replacing the current version firmware of the target power module with the target firmware corresponding to the target version to upgrade the firmware of the target power module, the method further includes: A first power-on instruction is generated, and the first power-on instruction is sent to the power supply through an integrated control bus to control the power supply to continue to obtain AC power from the outside.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that: After controlling the target power module to power off and replacing the current version of the target power module firmware with the target firmware corresponding to the target version to upgrade the firmware of the target power module, the method further includes: A second power-on instruction is generated, and the second power-on instruction is sent to the control module through the integrated control bus, so that the control module and the power supply continue to obtain AC power from the outside.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that After controlling the target power module to power off, the method further includes: Obtaining configuration information of a target device corresponding to the target power module; Based on the configuration information, an alternative power module corresponding to the target device is determined, and the target device is powered by the alternative power module.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The determining, based on the configuration information, a replacement power module corresponding to the target device includes: When the configuration information indicates that the target device has a corresponding backup battery, using the backup battery as the alternative power module; When the configuration information indicates that the target device is connected to any other power module on the mainboard, the power module connected to the target power module is used as the replacement power module.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that The determining, based on the configuration information, a replacement power module corresponding to the target device further includes: When the configuration information indicates that the target device is connected to a multi-output power module, the multi-output power module is used as the replacement power module.

9. A motherboard, characterized in that: include: A baseboard management controller, at least one power module, and at least one load device; The baseboard management controller is connected to the power module; The baseboard management controller is used to upgrade the firmware of the power module by adopting the power module upgrade method according to any one of claims 1 to 8; The power supply module is correspondingly connected to the load device.

10. A server, characterized in that: The server adopts the mainboard as claimed in claim 8.

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