Intel is working on method to install server BIOS updates without reboot

Intel is working on an “Intel Seamless Update” feature that will enable UEFI and bios updates without the need to reboot the computer. The technology is aimed at servers and Linux systems. There is no proof yet that the feature is also coming to Windows.

The feature was discovered by tech website Phoronix in new Linux kernel patches and can be found in an Intel white paper on the UEFI forum website from August. The feature is designed to reduce downtime for certain computers by performing firmware updates without a reboot.

Intel Seamless Update is primarily aimed at Intel customers with a high service level agreement for whom restarting a system for, for example, a security update can be impactful, such as in a data center. Intel is currently working on Linux kernel support for Seamless Update, according to patch notes for Intel’s Platform Firmware Runtime Update and Telemetry drivers.

Phoronix expects the new feature to be introduced when Intel releases its Xeon Scalable Sapphire Rapids server processors sometime next year. There is no indication yet that the feature will also be coming to Windows devices or consumer PCs. It seems that this one is only intended for Linux servers at first.