Patent ID: 7673301

Claim:
A method for updating firmware within at least one network attached computer over a distributed network comprising: receiving over the distributed network at the network attached computer, an instruction to begin a firmware recovery procedure, the instruction received while executing an operating system, the operating system being separate from the firmware; in response to receiving the instruction, rebooting the network attached computer to an operating system independent operating environment; receiving a new firmware image in fragments over the distributed network in the operating system independent environment; receiving a broadcast status request prior to updating a current firmware with the new firmware image; in response to receiving the broadcast status request, determining whether a rebroadcast of any fragment of the new firmware image is necessary; in response to determining that the rebroadcast of one or more fragments is necessary, sending a request for the rebroadcast of the fragments; in response to sending the request for the rebroadcast of the fragments, receiving the rebroadcast of the fragments in response to sending the request; and in response to receiving the new firmware image, updating the current firmware within the network attached computer with the new firmware image, in the operating system independent environment.