SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SERVER MANAGED MODIFICATION OF OPERATING SYSTEM DATA STORED WITHIN A NETWORK DEVICE

• US 20030105847A1
• Filed: 09/30/1999
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: JENNERY, AIDON P., GOTWALD, CHARLES A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,742,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A network is described including a server and a network device remotely coupled to the server. The network device includes a non-volatile storage device having data stored therein: operating system data (including instructions) and/or application programs. The computer system includes hardware and software for server managed modification of the data stored within the non-volatile storage device. The data stored within the non-volatile storage device is preferably modified solely in response to instructions generated by the server. During initialization, the network device performs an operating system boot sequence in order to load an operating system into a memory of the network device. In one embodiment, the network device performs a first portion of the operating system boot sequence, then generates trigger data forwarded to the server. The trigger data includes identification information for identifying the network device. In response to the trigger data, the server generates action data while the network device performs a second portion of the operating system boot sequence. The action data includes one or more data update instructions for modifying (i.e., updating) the data, including operating system data, stored within the non-volatile storage device. Following the second portion of the operating system boot sequence, the action data is forwarded from the server to the network device. If the action data includes one or more update instructions, the network device performs the one or more update instructions and repeats the operating system boot sequence.

Claims

1. A network device, comprising a non-volatile storage device having data that can be modified during an operating system boot sequence solely in response to data update instructions generated by a server located remote from the network device, and wherein the operating system boot sequence is repeated following modification of the data.

2. The network device as recited in claim 1, wherein the network device further comprises a memory, and wherein the operating system boot sequence loads an operating system into the memory.

3. The network device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a central processing unit (CPU) adapted to execute instructions, and wherein the data stored within the non-volatile storage device of the network device includes instructions.

4. The network device as recited in claim 1, wherein the data stored within the non-volatile storage device of the network device is organized as a plurality of files each having a different file name.

5. The network device as recited in claim 4, wherein each data update instruction comprises a file name and a corresponding file update instruction, and wherein the file update instruction directs the network device to either:

(i) copy a file having the file name from the server to the data stored within the non-volatile storage device of the network device, or (ii) delete a file having the file name from the data store within the non-volatile storage device of the network device.

6. The network device as recited in claim 1, wherein the network device is adapted to receive the data update instructions from the server.

7. The network device as recited in claim 1, wherein the network device is adapted to fetch the data update instructions from the server.

8. A network, comprising:

a network device having a non-volatile storage device adapted to store data comprising operating system data;

a server coupled to the network device and comprising configuration data including information about the data stored within the non-volatile storage device; and

wherein the network device is adapted to;

generate trigger data during an operating system boot sequence, wherein the trigger data includes identification information for identifying the network device;

update the data during the operating system boot sequence solely in response to action data conveyed from the server, wherein the action data includes at least one data update instruction for updating the operating system data;

generate update data during the operating system boot sequence for updating the configuration data; and

repeat the operating system boot sequence.

9. The network as recited in claim 8, wherein the network device further comprises a memory, and wherein the operating system boot sequence loads an operating system into the memory.

10. The network as recited in claim 8, wherein the network device comprises a central processing unit (CPU) adapted to execute instructions, and wherein the data stored within the non-volatile storage device of the network device includes instructions.

11. The network as recited in claim 8, wherein the data stored within the non-volatile storage device of the network device is organized as a plurality of files each having a different file name.

12. The network as recited in claim 11, wherein the at least one data update instruction comprises a file name and a corresponding file update instruction, and wherein the file update instruction directs the network device to either:

(i) copy a file having the file name from the server to the data stored within the non-volatile storage device of the network device, or (ii) delete a file having the file name from the data stored within the non-volatile storage device of the network device.

13. The network as recited in claim 12, wherein the data stored within the non-volatile storage device comprises a first file, and wherein the server comprises a second file stored within a storage device, and wherein the second file is an updated version of the first file such that the first and second files have the same file name.

14. The network as recited in claim 13, wherein the file name of the at least one data update instruction is the file name of the first file, and wherein the file update instruction directs the network device to copy a file having the file name of the first file from the server to the data stored within the non-volatile storage device of the network device, and wherein the network device is adapted to respond to the file update instruction by copying the second file from the server to the data stored within the non-volatile storage device such that the first file is overwritten by the second file.

15. A method for updating data within a computer system, comprising:

forwarding trigger data from a network device to a server located remote from the network device during an operating system boot sequence, wherein the trigger data identifies the network device; and

conveying action data from the server to the network device during the operating system boot sequence, wherein the action data includes at least one data update instruction for updating data stored within a non-volatile storage device of the network device, and wherein the data stored within the non-volatile storage device includes operating system data; and

repeating the operating system boot sequence.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the data stored within the non-volatile storage device of the network device is updated by the network device only in response to the action data.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the data stored within the non-volatile storage device of the network device is organized as a plurality of files each having a different file name.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the at least one file update instruction includes a file name and a corresponding file update instruction, and wherein the file update instruction directs the network device to either:

(i) copy a file having the file name from the server to the data stored within the non-volatile storage device of the network device, or (ii) delete a file having the file name from the data stored within the non-volatile storage device of the network device.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising performing the at least one data update instruction of the action data.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising updating configuration data stored exclusively within the server to reflect the data stored within the non-volatile storage device of the network device.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the updating is accomplished subsequent to the performing the at least one data update instruction and prior to the repeating the operating system boot sequence.

22. A method for updating data within a non-volatile storage device of a network device, comprising:

forwarding trigger data during an operating system boot sequence, wherein the trigger data identifies the network device; and

receiving action data during the operating system boot sequence, wherein the action data includes at least one data update instruction for updating data stored within a non-volatile storage device of the network device, and wherein the data stored within the non-volatile storage device includes operating system data; and

repeating the operating system boot sequence.

23. A method for updating data within a non-volatile storage device of a network device, comprising:

receiving trigger data from the network device following a first portion of an operating system boot sequence occurring within the network device, wherein the trigger data identifies the network device;

generating action data dependent upon the trigger data, wherein the action data includes at least one data update instruction for updating data stored within a non-volatile storage device of the network device, and wherein the data stored within the non-volatile storage device includes operating system data; and

forwarding the action data to the network device such that the network device receives the action data following a second portion of the operating system boot sequence.