System and method for prevention of boot storms in a computer network

• US 20040003082A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Piazza, William Jospeh, Dake, Gregory William, Pruett, Gregory Brian, Abbondanzio, Antonio, Chu, Simon, Rhoades, David Benson, Murphrey, Stephen Woodrow, Buchanan, William W. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,415,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4405 Initialisation of multiprocessor systems
• 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

This invention is useful in a networked system with densely packaged servers or server blades. The servers are connected to a system management network, a communication network and an image server. A management module attached to the system management network and a network switch monitors and controls network booting from an image server on the communication network to prevent over commitment of network and image server resources in order to avoid a boot storm. The management module collects system information and calculates the number of servers or clients the networked system can boot at any one instant of time without burdening the system. The management module logic controls booting via the system management network and service processor elements, which can block server booting and release servers to boot when other servers have completed their boot process.

Claims

1. A network, comprising:

an image server for downloading software images;

a plurality of clients coupled to said image server;

a controller coupled to each of said clients, said controller for individually controlling the operation of each of said clients and for building a wait list of each of said clients requiring an image from said image server, said controller for repetitively enabling each of said clients on the wait list to download an image from said image server until the total number of said clients that have been enabled to download an image is equal to “

M”

or until no more of said clients remain on the wait list, wherein “

M”

is the maximum number of said clients that are permitted to download an image from said image server at any one time.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein said controller for enabling the next one of said clients on the wait list to download an image from said image server as each previously enabled client completes the download of an image from said image server, such that the total number of said clients downloading an image from said image server at any one time is equal to or less than “

M”

.

3. The network of claim 1, further comprising a programable switch coupling each of said clients to said image server, wherein said controller enables at least one of said clients on the wait list to download an image from said image server by programming said switch to communicate with said image server.

4. The network of claim 2, further comprising a programable switch coupling each of said clients to said image server, wherein said controller enables at least one of said clients on the wait list to download an image from said image server by programming said switch to communicate with said image server.

5. An assembly of clients, for use with an image server, said assembly comprising:

a plurality of clients connectable to the image server;

a controller coupled to each of said clients, said controller for individually controlling the operation of each of said clients and for building a wait list of each of said clients requiring an image from the image server, said controller for repetitively enabling each of said clients on the wait list to download an image from the image server until the total number of said clients that have been enabled to download an image is equal to “

M”

or until no more of said clients remain on the wait list, wherein “

M”

is the maximum number of said clients that are permitted to download an image from the image server at any one time.

6. The assembly of clients of claim 5 wherein said controller for enabling the next one of said clients on the wait list to download an image from the image server as each previously enabled client completes the download of an image from the image server, such that the total number of said clients downloading an image from the image server at any one time is equal to or less than “

M”

.

7. The assembly of clients of claim 5, further comprising a programable switch for coupling each of said clients to the image server, wherein said controller enables at least one of said clients on the wait list to download an image from the image server by programming said switch to communicate with the image server.

8. The assembly of clients of claim 6, further comprising a programable switch for coupling each of said clients to the image server, wherein said controller enables at least one of said clients on the wait list to download an image from the image server by programming said switch to communicate with the image server.

9. A method for controlling the downloading of images from an image server to a plurality of clients, comprising the steps of:

building a wait list of clients that are requesting an image from the image server; and

repetitively enabling each client on the wait list to download an image from the image server until the total number of clients that have been enabled to download an image is equal to “

M”

, or until no more clients remain on the wait list, wherein “

M”

is the maximum number of clients that are permitted to download an image from the image server at any one time.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of enabling the next client on the wait list to download an image from the image server as each previously enabled client completes the download of an image from the image server, such that the total number of clients downloading an image from the image server at any one time is equal to or less than “

M”

.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of repetitively enabling each client on the wait list to download an image further includes the step of programming a switch to establish a communications link between the image server and at least one of the clients.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of repetitively enabling each client on the wait list to download an image further includes the step of programming a switch to establish a communications link between the image server and at least one of the clients.