Non-Volatile Driver Store for Seamless OS Updates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing security systems face challenges in updating device drivers without causing system reboots, leading to downtime and reduced protection against cybersecurity threats during updates, especially when multiple components need to be updated simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a technique that allows for the installation and updating of PnP drivers without triggering OS interactions like reboots, enabling communication between PnP and non-PnP drivers across different versions, and coordinating updates to reduce interruptions and maintain system protection between updates and reboots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If device drivers are updated through traditional OS installation processes, then driver functionality is improved, but system reboot is required causing downtime and reduced security protection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent stages driver files in advance in a non-volatile storage location (such as the driver store) before the system reboot. This preliminary action allows the new driver to be ready for immediate loading after reboot, minimizing the time the system is without security protection and reducing overall downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent separates the driver installation process into distinct phases: staging the driver files in non-volatile storage during the update process, then loading only the necessary driver components after reboot. This segmentation allows the system to maintain operation with existing drivers while preparing and deploying updated drivers in a controlled manner, reducing system downtime.
2Productivity
If multiple driver components are updated simultaneously, then update efficiency is improved, but coordination complexity increases and may cause installation failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple driver updates into a single staged installation process. All driver files are staged in advance in the driver store before the reboot, and then loaded together in a coordinated sequence after reboot. This merging approach maintains update efficiency while managing complexity through centralized control of the installation timeline.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the driver store and coordinated loading process) that manages multiple driver updates. This intermediary stages all driver files and controls their loading sequence, simplifying the coordination of multiple updates and reducing the risk of installation failures while maintaining deployment efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If driver updates are performed without staging in non-volatile storage, then installation process is simpler, but system reboot is triggered causing interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary staging of driver files in non-volatile storage (driver store) before the reboot is triggered. This preliminary action simplifies the actual installation process during reboot since files are already in place, while also reducing reboot interruption time by preparing everything in advance so the system can quickly load and activate new drivers.
Data Source
AI summary
In some examples, a processing unit can install a second driver to an installed-driver backing store on a non-volatile (nonV) memory, and replace a first driver in a driver store of the nonV memory with the second driver without replacing the first driver in the volatile memory with the second driver. The processing unit can, subsequently, determine that the second driver has been loaded into the volatile memory, and write, by the second driver loaded into the volatile memory, a driver-configuration entry in a configuration datastore. An example computing system can include the first driver in volatile memory, and the nonV memory. The nonV memory can include a driver-configuration file, a driver store holding a first copy of the second driver, and an installed-driver backing store holding a second copy of the second driver. Some examples can roll back failed installation operations.