Anover-the-air update (orOTA update), also known asover-the-air programming (orOTA programming), is an update to anoperating system,[1][2] or to firmware for anembedded system,[3] that is delivered through awireless network, such asWi-Fi or acellular network.[4] These systems includemobile phones,tablets,set-top boxes,cars andtelecommunications equipment. OTA updates for cars andinternet of things devices can also be calledfirmware over-the-air (FOTA).[5][6] Various components may be updated OTA, including the device's operating system, applications, configuration settings, or parameters likeencryption keys.
The termover-the-air update applies toembedded systems.[4] Before OTA updates, embedded devices could only beflashed through direct physical access (with aJTAG) or wired connections (usually throughUSB or aserial port). It is also used for mobile devices such assmartphones andtablet computers.
Over-the-air delivery may allow updates to be distributed at larger scales, reduce the cost of delivering updates,[7] or increase therate of adoption of these updates.
The distributor of these updates can decide whether users are allowed to decline these updates, and may choose to disable certain features on end-user devices until an update is applied. Users may be unable to revert an update after it is installed.
OTA updates are designed to be as small as possible in order to minimize energy consumption, network usage, and storage space. This is achieved by only transferring the differences between the old firmware and the new firmware, rather than transmitting the entire firmware. Adelta of the old and new firmware is produced through a process calleddiffing; then, the delta file is distributed to the end-device, which uses the delta file to update itself.[8]
Onsmartphones, tablets, and other devices, an over-the-air update is a firmware oroperating system update that is downloaded by the device over theinternet. Previously, users had to connect these devices to a computer overUSB to perform an update. These updates may add features, patchsecurity vulnerabilities, or fixsoftware bugs. The two main mobile operating systems areiOS andAndroid.
iOS gained support for over-the-air updates iniOS 5.[9] iOS updates are distributed exclusively by Apple, resulting in wide availability and relatively high adoption rates. Major iOS releases are usually installed on 60%–70% of iPhones within a few months of release.[10][11][12]
Android OTA updates are device-dependent, and are not distributed by Google but bydevice manufacturers and sometimeswireless carriers.[13] This has led to inconsistent availability of updates, and toAndroid fragmentation.[11][12] In the past, fragmentation increased the complexity of developing third-party apps for Android due to inconsistent availability of the latestsoftware frameworks on users' phones,[14] and led to security concerns due to delays in the distribution of security updates.[15] Google reduced Android fragmentation through the 2017Project Treble, which allows OEMs to release OS updates without needing to re-test hardware drivers for each version,[13][16] and the 2019 Project Mainline, which allows Google to update Android components[16] and deliver security patches[17] through itsPlay Store without requiring a full OS update.[16] Project Mainline significantly lowers the role of middlemen in delivering OTA updates.[18][17] SinceAndroid 8.0, Android OTA updates follow an A/Bpartition scheme, in which an update is installed to a second ("B") partition in the background, and the phone switches to that partition the next time it is rebooted, reducing the time taken to install updates.[19]
Windows Phone OTA updates were usually distributed byOEMs such as Nokia, and sometimeswireless carriers. OTA updates for Windows Phone devices labelledMicrosoft Mobile were usually distributed by Microsoft.
Cars can support OTA updates to theirin-car entertainment system, navigation map,telematic control unit, or theirelectronic control units (the onboard computers responsible for most of the car's operation).[20] In cars, the telematic control unit is in charge of downloading and installing updates,[4] and OTA updates are downloaded through cellular networks, like smartphones. Cars cannot be driven while an OTA update is being installed. Before an update, the car checks that the update is genuine, and after the update completes, it verifies the integrity of all affected systems.[20]
OTA updates provide several benefits. In the past, Volkswagen had to recall 11 million vehicles to fix an issue with its cars' emissions control software, and other manufacturers have instituted recalls due to software bugs affecting the brakes, or the airbags, requiring all affected customers to travel to dealership to receive updates. OTA updates would have removed the need to go through dealerships, leading to lower warranty costs for manufacturers and lower downtime for customers. OTA updates also allow manufacturers todeploy potential new features and bug fixes more quickly, making their cars more competitive in the market, and resulting in an increased pace of product improvements for consumers. For example, OTA updates can deliver improvements to a car'sdriver assistance systems and improve the car's safety.[5]: 138–139 [20]
However, OTA updates can also present a newattack vector for hackers, since security vulnerabilities in the update process could be used by hackers to remotely take control of cars. Hackers have discovered such vulnerabilities in the past, and many car manufacturers have responded by instituting vulnerability disclosure programs (a.k.a.bug bounty programs).[20][21] Attack vectors specific to OTA updates include "spoofing, tampering, repudiation [attacks],information leakage,denial-of-service,"replay attacks, andprivilege escalation attacks. Example scenarios include a hacker successfully interrupting an ongoing update (deemed a "flashing fail"), which may corrupt the car's computer systems and make the car malfunction later on; another scenario is "arbitrary flashings", in which hackers trick the car into installing a malicious OTA update.[5]: 141–142
With the newer concepts ofwireless sensor networks and theInternet of Things (IoT), where the networks consist of hundreds or thousands of nodes, OTA is taken to a new direction: for the first time OTA is applied using unlicensed frequency bands (868 MHz, 900 MHz, 2400 MHz) and with low consumption and low data rate transmission using protocols such as802.15.4 andZigbee.[22]
Sensor nodes are often located in places that are either remote or difficult to access. As an example,Libelium has implemented an OTA programming system for Zigbee WSN devices. This system enablesfirmware upgrades without the need of physical access, saving time and money if the nodes must be re-programmed.[23]
OTA is similar to firmware distribution methods used by other mass-producedconsumer electronics, such ascable modems, which useTFTP as a way to remotely receive new programming, thus reducing the amount of time spent by both the owner and the user of the device on maintenance.
Over-the-air provisioning (OTAP) is also available in wireless environments (though it is disabled by default for security reasons). It allows an access point (AP) to discover theIP address of its controller. When enabled, the controller tells the other APs to include additional information in the Radio Resource Management Packets (RRM) that would assist a new access point in learning of the controller. It is sent in plain text however, which would make it vulnerable to sniffing. That is why it is disabled by default.
Over-the-air provisioning (OTAP) is a form of OTA update by whichcellular network operators can remotelyprovision a mobile phone (termed aclient ormobile station in industry parlance) and update the cellular network settings stored on itsSIM card. This can occur at any time while a phone is turned on. The termover-the-air parameter administration (OTAPA) is synonymous.[24][25] OTA provisioning allows mobile phones to remain properly configured when cellular network operators make changes to their networks. It also configures phones with the settings required to access certain features, likeWAP (an early incarnation of themobile web),MMS messaging, andcellular data (which requires the configuration of anAccess Point Name).
The similar termover-the-air service provisioning (OTASP) specifically refers to the wireless initial provisioning ("activation") of a phone. During activation, a mobile phone is provisioned with parameters like its phone number,mobile identification number, andsystem ID, granting it initial access to the cellular network. OTASP is sometimes calledover-the-air activation orover-the-air bootstrapping. The alternative to OTA bootstrapping is SIM bootstrapping, where the phone reads the network settings stored on aSIM card. SIM bootstrapping has limitations: settings stored on a SIM card may become stale between the time the SIM is manufactured and the time it is used; also, some phones (and other cellular client equipment) do not use SIM cards.[25][26]
Various standards bodies have issued OTA provisioning standards. In 2001, theWAP Forum published the WAP Client Provisioning standard. After theOpen Mobile Alliance subsumed the WAP Forum, this standard became known asOMA Client Provisioning (OMA CP). In OMA CP, phones are provisioned by "invisible" SMS messages sent by the cellular network, which contain the requisite settings. OMA CP was followed by a newer standard,OMA Device Management (OMA DM), which use a different form of SMS-based provisioning (called "OMA Push"). OMA DM sessions are always client-initiated. The "invisible" SMS does not contain configuration settings; instead, it tells the phone (the "DM Client") to connect to a DM Server (operated by the cellular network provider); once connected, the DM Server sends configuration commands to the client.[26]
There are a number of standards that describe OTA functions. One of the first was theGSM 03.48 series. The Zigbee suite of standards includes the Zigbee Over-the-Air Upgrading Cluster which is part of the Zigbee Smart Energy Profile and provides an interoperable (vendor-independent) way of updating device firmware.
