Remote File Access System for Generic Ericsson Processor Boards : File transfer service, Random Access Memory-based file system and secure file transfer solution research

• Main Author: García Moral, Daniel Jesús
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: KTH, Skolan för informations- och kommunikationsteknik (ICT) 2011
• Subjects: UEFI; BIOS; TFTP; FTP; UEFI Shell; RAM Disk; GEP boards; firmware applications; TECHNOLOGY; TEKNIKVETENSKAP
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-53448

Generic Ericsson Processor boards are general purpose hardware platforms which provide generic processing services. They support the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface Specification. They have several network interfaces available and they are connected to Ericsson’s laboratory network. Several servers are also connected to this network. These boards require periodic firmware upgrades. They also require acquiring new firmware components and data files. Currently, an application to download or upload files from and to Ericsson’s laboratory servers when an Operating System has not already been booted does not exist. Therefore, the files have to be transferred to USB drives which are connected later to the boards in order to transfer the files. This is a time consuming operation which decreases Ericsson’s productivity. In addition, although Generic Ericsson Processor boards have an optional solid-state drive as secondary storage, Ericsson wants to be able to operate without it. This is because this secondary storage is not always available and Ericsson does not want to use it when the Generic Ericsson Processor boards are operating before an Operating System has been loaded. They prefer to use Random Access Memory storage. This project is focused on studying possible solutions for those two problems. Several file transfer protocols are analyzed. Several file system solutions mounted on Random Access Memory are also explored. A Trivial File Transfer Protocol client application and a Random Access Memory Disk driver prototype are designed, implemented and tested. They are tailored to work on a pre-boot environment, when the boards have not booted an Operating System yet, in Ericsson’s laboratory network. Finally, a secure file transfer protocols’ study is developed. This study will be used to assess Ericsson on the optimal secure file transfer protocol choice in order to implement possible secure future versions of the system.