Methods and apparatuses to configure and deploy servers

• US 20030131078A1
• Filed: 01/07/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Traxler, Jonathan M., Scheer, Lyle N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,580,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

Various methods, apparatuses, and systems that configure a digital image for a target server, build the digital image, and deploy the digital image onto the target server.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a design of a network;

configuring network settings for one or more servers in the network into a digital image, the configuration of the network settings based upon the design of the network;

building the digital image for at least one of the servers in the network; and

deploying the digital image onto at least one of the servers in the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a server farm.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deploying two or more digital images at approximately the same time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

producing an operational server farm.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more digital images built include network settings configured for an operational state.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the network design.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital image is dynamically built.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

deploying the dynamically-built digital image over a network connection in response to a netboot request from a first server.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rebuilding the digital image for at least one server in the network; and

redeploying the digital image for the at least one server.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a master configurer having logic to configure a digital image for a target server, build the digital image, and deploy the digital image onto the target server.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic comprises a combination of electric circuits that follow the rules of Boolean Logic and software that contain patterns of instructions.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic comprises instructions stored on a computer readable medium, which when executed by the master configurer, cause the master configurer to configure a digital image for a target server, build the digital image, and deploy the digital image onto the target server.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a design rule logic block that contains instructions on how a component in the network can and cannot be employed in the network.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a graphic user interface to generate a network topology for the network.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a database to store one or more digital images of a server, one or more network topologies, and network configurations.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a digital image building logic block to deploy the digital image over a network connection in response to a broadcast request of the server to restore the digital image.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the master configurer comprises a server.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the digital image to deploy over a network connection onto the servers.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the master configurer configures, builds, and deploys the digital image, after receiving the network design, without user intervention.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a design of a network;

means for configuring network settings for one or more servers in the network into a digital image, the configuration of the network settings based upon the design of the network;

means for building the digital image for at least of one of the servers in the network; and

means for deploying the digital image onto at least of one of the servers in the network.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, comprising:

means for deploying two or more digital images at approximately the same time.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, comprising:

means for generating the network design.

23. A system, comprising:

a master configurer having logic to configure a digital image for a target server, build the digital image, and deploy the digital image onto the target server.

24. The system of claim 23. further comprising:

a database to store one or more digital images of a server, one or more network topologies, and network configurations.