System and method for server customization

• US 10,430,209 B1
• Filed: 05/09/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Feeser, Colin, Spreha, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Das, Chameli
• Application Number:
  US15/590,722
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 717176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44578 Preparing or optimising for loading
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Customization of a plurality of servers in a computer network. A server customizer module is generated that includes a server customizer initialization file containing a plurality of arguments for populating and running a plurality of standardized applications, scripts and utilities on each server. The server customizer module is installed on each of the plurality of servers for subsequent execution as part of the server build/customization process. A server unattended install launch module, cooperative with the server customizer module is generated that includes an unattended install launch initialization file for launching a plurality of standardized processes on each server. The server unattended install launch module is installed on each of the plurality of servers for subsequent execution as part of the server build/customization process. The server customizer module and server unattended install launch module are executed on each of the plurality of servers to complete customization of each server.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

accessing build software on a server to be built, the build software including a server customizer module and a server unattended install launch module;

chaining, on the server to be built, a plurality of standardized processes based on a version of a server customizer initialization file of the server customizer module; and

executing the server customizer module and the server unattended install launch module on the server;

wherein the server customizer module comprises selectable functions each comprising a set of keys that provide a value for a name, a location, and a plurality of arguments;

wherein the set of keys provides a value for an update path associated with the selectable function;

wherein the set of keys includes a key that instructs the server customizer module on an action to take upon completion of a launched process; and

wherein execution of the server customizer module and the server unattended install launch module are performed independently on the server;

wherein the action to take is selected from a group comprising a reboot of the server, a prompt to reboot the server, a prompt to rename the server, a prompt to join a domain, and a deletion of a specified file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the execution of the server unattended install launch module is launched from the server customizer module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the server unattended install launch module comprises an unattended install launch initialization file to launch a plurality of standardized processes on the server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the unattended install launch initialization file is generated from a plurality of initialization file inputs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the server customizer initialization file comprises at least one of:

a plurality of arguments to populate and run a plurality of standardized applications, scripts, and utilities on the server; and

a functional section and an application settings section.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the functional section comprises at least one of a build section, a customize section, an install section, and a utilities section.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the server customizer module further comprises a user interface.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user interface for the server customizer module comprises a plurality of tabs that are created by the server initialization file.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each tab comprises the plurality of selectable functions, with each selectable function comprising a log file associated with the selectable function, and wherein the set of keys is associated with the selectable function.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the set of keys further comprises the key that instructs the server customizer module on the action to take upon completion of the launched process.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the server customizer module further comprises a domain list and a plurality of application settings.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the domain list comprises each domain that is managed by the server customizer module.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein

the plurality of application settings comprises identification of a central network location storing a most current version of the server customizer module and initialization files, and

the server customizer module and server customer initialization file are automatically updated from a corresponding centrally stored version.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the server unattended install launch module comprises a functional section comprising a plurality of functions, each function representing a specific process, and an application settings section.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of processes launched by the server unattended launch module on the at least one server comprise at least one of a registry configuration, a keyword substitution, a file execution, an executable file installation, a local file update with a centrally maintained file, a server reboot, a customization service start, stop and restart, a share file creation, a share file deletion, and an addition or removal of a local identifier or group from the server.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, are configured to cause the at least one processor to:

access build software on a server to be built, the build software including a server customizer module and a server unattended install launch module;

chain, on the server to be built, a plurality of standardized processes based on a version of a server customizer initialization file of a server customizer module; and

execute the server customizer module and the server unattended install launch module on the server;

wherein the server customizer module comprises selectable functions each comprising a set of keys that provide a value for a name, a location, and a plurality of arguments;

wherein the set of keys provides a value for an update path associated with the selectable function;

wherein the set of keys includes a key that instructs the server customizer module on an action to take upon completion of a launched process; and

wherein the execution of the server customizer module and the server unattended install launch module is performed independently on the server;

wherein the action to take is selected from a group comprising a reboot of the server, a prompt to reboot the server, a prompt to rename the server, a prompt to join a domain, and a deletion of a specified file.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to launch the server unattended install launch module from the server customizer module.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to generate a functional section and an application settings section.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the functional section comprises at least one of a build section, a customize section, an install section and a utilities section.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to cause the least one processor to generate a user interface for the server customizer module.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of tabs on the user interface.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein each tab comprises the plurality of selectable functions, with each selectable function comprising a log file associated with the selectable function, and wherein the set of keys is associated with the selectable function.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the set of keys further comprises the key that instructs the server customizer module on the action to take upon completion of the launched process.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the server unattended install launch module comprises an unattended install launch initialization file to launch a plurality of standardized processes on the server, wherein the unattended install launch initialization file is generated from a plurality of initialization file inputs.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the server customizer module further comprises a domain list and a plurality of application settings.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the domain list comprises each domain that is managed by the server customizer module.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein:

the plurality of application settings identifies a central network location storing a most current version of the program instructions for the server customizer module and initialization files, and

the computer program instructions are further configured to cause the server customizer module and server customer initialization file to automatically be updated from a corresponding centrally stored version.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the server unattended install launch module comprises a functional section comprising a plurality of functions, each function representing a specific process, and an application settings section.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the server unattended launch module on the server comprises at least one of a registry configuration, a keyword substitution, a file execution, an executable file installation, a local file update with a centrally maintained file, a server reboot, a customization service start, stop and restart, a share file creation, a share file deletion, and an addition or removal of a local identifier or group from the server.

30. A system, comprising:

a storage device to store build software, the storage device included in a server to be built, the build software including a server customizer module and a server unattended install launch module,

the server unattended install launch module comprising an unattended install launch initialization file to launch a plurality of standardized processes executed by at least one processor on the server to be built; and

the server customizer module cooperative with the server unattended install launch module, comprising a server customizer initialization file comprising a version of the server customizer initialization file of said server customizer module;

wherein the server customizer module comprises selectable functions each comprising a set of keys that provide a value for a name, a location, and a plurality of arguments;

wherein the set of keys provides a value for an update path associated with the selectable function;

wherein the set of keys includes a key that instructs the server customizer module on an action to take upon completion of a launched process; and

wherein the execution of the server customizer module and the server unattended install launch module is performed independently of the server customizer module on the server;

wherein the action to take is selected from a group comprising a reboot of the server, a prompt to reboot the server, a prompt to rename the server, a prompt to join a domain, and a deletion of a specified file.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the server customizer initialization file comprises a functional section and an application setting section.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the functional section of the server customizer initialization file comprises at least one of a build section, a customize section, an install section, and a utilities section.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein each tab comprises the plurality of selectable functions, with each selectable function comprising a log file associated with the selectable function, and wherein the set of keys is associated with the selectable function.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the set of keys further comprises the key that instructs the server customizer module on the action to take upon completion of the launched process.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein the unattended install launch initialization file is generated from a plurality of initialization file inputs.

36. The system of claim 30, wherein the server customizer module further comprises a domain list and a plurality of application settings.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the domain list comprises each domain that is managed by the server customizer module.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein:

the plurality of application settings comprises identification of a central network location storing a most current version of the server customizer module and initialization files, and

the server customizer module and server customer initialization file are automatically updated from a corresponding centrally stored version.

39. The system of claim 30, wherein the server unattended install launch module comprises a functional section comprising a plurality of functions, each function representing a specific process, and an application settings section.

40. The system of claim 30, wherein the plurality of processes launched by the server unattended launch module on each server comprises at least one of a registry configuration, a keyword substitution, a file execution, an executable file installation, a local file update with a centrally maintained file, a server reboot, a customization service start, stop and restart, a share file creation, a share file deletion, and an addition or removal of a local identifier or group from the server.