Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support performing a live update or upgrade of a firmware of an embedded networking device to a successful completion without resetting the embedded networking device. For the live update or upgrade to the firmware of the embedded networking device, a new version of the firmware that includes new features/enhancements to improve the product functionality or fix bugs encountered in previous versions of the firmware is installed seamlessly on the embedded networking device to replace the current version of the firmware on one or more cores at a time. During the live firmware updating or upgrading process, various software applications running on other cores of the embedded networking device continue to perform packet processing operations without any interruption. The live firmware update process continues until all cores of the embedded networking device are updated with the newly updated/upgraded firmware.