Patent ID: 7823020

Claim:
A method for implementing a firmware update in a multiprocessor data processing system, said method comprising: updating firmware in said multiprocessor data processing system from a first firmware setting to a second firmware setting; and iteratively applying said second firmware setting to hardware within said multiprocessor data processing system by: when said second firmware setting includes at least one destructive operation targeted to a first hardware device within said multiprocessor data processing system, de-allocating workload from said first hardware device and re-allocating said workload to a second hardware device within said multiprocessor data processing system; performing said destructive operation on said first hardware device; rebooting said first hardware device; and, when said rebooting said first hardware device is complete, de-allocating said workload from said second hardware device and re-allocating said workload to said first hardware device; and when said second firmware setting does not include at least one destructive operation, applying said second firmware setting to said first hardware device without said de-allocating said workload from and said re-allocating said workload to said first hardware device.