METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING FIELD DIAGNOSTICS ON A COMPUTER SYSTEM

• US 20010054161A1
• Filed: 07/15/1998
• Published: 12/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ivanti, Inc. (Ivanti Software, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Landesk Holdings, Inc. (Ivanti Software, Inc.)
• Inventors: WOODDRUFF, ROBERT J
• Granted Patent: US 6,438,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test

Abstract

A method for managing a computer system includes initiating a reset of the computer system from a remote location. Diagnostic software on the computer system is downloaded from the remote location.

Claims

1. A method for managing a computer system, comprising:

initiating a reset of the computer system from a remote location; and

running diagnostic software on the computer system downloaded from the remote location.

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein initiating the reset of the computer system from the remote location, comprises:

interfacing the computer system via a remote connection; and

sending a request to a shut down agent in the computer system via the remote connection.

3. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of interrogating the computer system to determine types of diagnostic software to download onto the computer system.

4. The method of

claim 3

, wherein interrogating the computer system comprises retrieving BIOS information from the computer system.

5. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of downloading diagnostic software onto the computer system.

6. The method of

claim 5

, wherein downloading diagnostic software onto the computer system comprises transmitting data that includes diagnostic software code and a location in memory to write the diagnostic software code to a communications driver in the computer system.

7. The method of

claim 2

, wherein interfacing the computer system via a remote connection, comprises interfacing the computer system via an Ethernet connection to a management module connected to the computer system.

8. The method of

claim 2

, wherein interfacing the computer system via a remote connection, comprises interfacing the computer system via a modem connection to a management module connected to the computer system.

9. The method of

claim 2

, wherein interfacing the computer system via a remote connection, comprises interfacing the computer system via a serial connection to a serial interface connected to the computer system.

10. The method of

claim 2

, wherein interfacing the computer system via a remote connection, comprises interfacing the computer system via a modem connection to a serial interface connected to the computer system.

11. A method for managing a computer system, comprising:

determining whether a remote computer system is requesting a diagnostic session; and

writing diagnostic software code received from the remote computer system into locations in memory as specified by the remote computer system.

12. The method of

claim 11

, wherein determining whether a remote computer system is requesting a diagnostic session, comprises:

transmitting a query message to the remote computer system via a communications interface; and

monitoring the communications interface for a diagnostic session request message from the remote computer system.

13. The method of

claim 11

, further comprising determining whether the remote computer system is authorized to participate in the diagnostic session.

14. The method of

claim 11

, further comprising executing the diagnostic software.

15. A computer-readable medium having a sequence of instructions stored thereon, the sequence of instructions, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the steps of:

determining whether a remote computer system is requesting a diagnostic session; and

writing diagnostic software code received from the remote computer system into locations in memory as specified by the remote computer system.

16. The computer-readable medium of

claim 15

, wherein determining whether a remote computer system is requesting a diagnostic session, comprises:

transmitting a query message to the remote computer system via a communications interface; and

monitoring the communications interface for a diagnostic session request message from the remote computer system.

17. The computer-readable medium of

claim 15

, further comprising instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to determine whether the remote computer system is authorized to participate in a diagnostic session.

18. The computer-readable medium of

claim 15

, wherein the computer-readable medium is a read only memory and the sequences of instructions are in a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) of a computer system.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a shutdown agent that resets a computer system in response to receiving a shut down request from a remote computer system;

a session manager that determines whether the remote computer system is requesting a diagnostic session; and

a data handler that writes diagnostic software code received from the remote computer system into locations in memory as specified by the remote computer system.

20. The apparatus of

claim 19

, further comprising a session authorizer that determines whether the remote computer system is authorized to request the diagnostic session.

21. The apparatus of

claim 19

, further comprising a system status provider that provides the remote computer system with information to determine types of diagnostic software to download to the computer system.

22. A computer system, comprising:

a bus;

a processor coupled to the bus;

a memory coupled to the bus;

a diagnostic manager, coupled to the bus, that includes a shut down agent that resets a computer system in response to receiving a shut down request from a remote computer system, a session manager that determines whether the remote computer system is requesting a diagnostic session, and a data handler that writes diagnostic software code received from the remote computer system into locations in memory as specified by the remote computer system.