Automated system setup

• US 20040006688A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nikaido, Michio, Pike, Nicky D., Hariharan, Ram G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,266,818 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

Automated system setup includes automated configuration of an operating system on a computing device(s), automated configuration of custom software on a computing device(s), and/or automated configuration of a network switch(es). The various information used for the automated configuration(s) can also optionally be maintained for asset tracking purposes.

Claims

1. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, causes the one or more processors to:

start a pre-execution environment on the computing device;

retrieve, based on an identifier of the computing device, configuration information for an operating system of the computing device; and

install, using the configuration information, the operating system on the computing device.

2. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more computer readable media having stored thereon the instructions that cause the one or more processors to start the pre-execution environment comprises an optical disk.

3. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more computer readable media having stored thereon the instructions that cause the one or more processors to start the pre-execution environment comprises a memory device of a network interface card (NIC).

4. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifier of the computing device comprises a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of a network interface card (NIC) of the computing device.

5. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to retrieve configuration information for the operating system comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to:

obtain, based on the identifier, a device type that corresponds to the computing device;

obtain, based on the device type, a profile identifier that corresponds to the computing device; and

obtain, based on the profile identifier, the configuration information.

6. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises software and hardware configuration information.

7. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises data to be included in an unattended install answer file.

8. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to retrieve configuration information for the operating system comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to retrieve the configuration information from a server device in a same data center as the computing device is located in.

9. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

retrieve, based on the identifier, custom software configuration information for the computing device; and

install, using the custom software configuration information, custom software on the computing device.

10. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to start the pre-execution environment, retrieve the configuration information, and install the operating system only if the device is a new device and no operating system has been previously installed on the computing device.

11. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to start the pre-execution environment, retrieve the configuration information, and install the operating system only if the device is to be rebuilt with the operating system.

12. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to start the pre-execution environment, retrieve the configuration information, and install the operating system only if one or more of the following applies:

the device is a new device and no operating system has not been previously installed on the computing device, or the device is to be rebuilt with the operating system.

13. A method comprising:

determining whether an operating system is to be installed on a computing device;

if the operating system is not to be installed, then executing a previously installed operating system; and

if the operating system is to be installed, then,

obtaining an identifier of the computing device,

using the identifier to obtain, from a remote device, configuration information for the operating system, and

using the configuration information to install the operating system on the computing device.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the identifier is one of a plurality of identifiers that uniquely identify the computing device.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the identifier of the computing device comprises a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of a network interface card (NIC) of the computing device.

16. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein using the identifier to obtain configuration information comprises:

using the identifier to obtain a device type that corresponds to the computing device, wherein the device type is mapped to a profile identifier that corresponds to the computing device, and wherein the profile identifier identifies the configuration information.

17. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the configuration information comprises software and hardware configuration information.

18. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

retrieving, based on the identifier, custom software configuration information for the computing device; and

installing, using the custom software configuration information, custom software on the computing device.

19. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, causes the one or more processors to:

begin execution of an installed operating system on the computing device;

retrieve, based on a unique identifier of the computing device, custom software configuration information for the computing device; and

install, using the custom software configuration information, the custom software on the computing device.

20. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the custom software configuration information comprises information identifying which type of a plurality of types of devices the computing device is to be, and further comprises information identifying one or more application programs to be installed on the computing device in order for the computing device to provide the functionality associated with the type.

21. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the identifier is a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of one of a plurality of network interface cards (NICs) of the computing device.

22. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to, prior to beginning execution of the installed operating system:

start a pre-execution environment on the computing device;

retrieve, based on the unique identifier of the computing device, configuration information for the operating system; and

install, using the configuration information for the operating system, the operating system on the computing device.

23. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 22, wherein the one or more computer readable media having stored thereon the instructions that cause the one or more processors to start the pre-execution environment comprises an optical disk.

24. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 22, wherein the one or more computer readable media having stored thereon the instructions that cause the one or more processors to start the pre-execution environment comprises a memory device of a network interface card (NIC).

25. A method comprising:

determining whether application software is to be installed on a computing device; and

if the application software is to be installed, then,

obtaining an identifier that uniquely identifies the computing device,

using the identifier to obtain, from a remote device, application software configuration information for the computing device, and

using the application software configuration information to install the application software on the computing device.

26. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the application software configuration information comprises information identifying which type of a plurality of types of devices the computing device is to be, and further comprises information identifying one or more application programs to be installed on the computing device in order for the computing device to provide functionality associated with the type.

27. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the identifier is a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of one of a plurality of network interface cards (NICs) of the computing device.

28. A method comprising:

receiving, from a pre-execution environment on a computing device, a computing device identifier;

identifying, based on the computing device identifier, configuration information for an operating system of the computing device; and

sending, to the computing device, the configuration information for installation of the operating system on the computing device.

29. A method as recited in claim 28, wherein the identifying comprises:

obtaining, based on the computing device identifier, a device type that corresponds to the computing device;

obtaining, based on the device type, a profile identifier that corresponds to the computing device; and

obtaining, based on the profile identifier, the configuration information.

30. A method as recited in claim 28, wherein the configuration information includes components of the operating system.

31. A method comprising:

receiving, from a computing device, a computing device identifier that uniquely identifies the computing device;

identifying, based on the computing device identifier, custom software configuration information for the computing device; and

sending, to the computing device, the custom software configuration information for installation of the custom software on the computing device.

32. A method as recited in claim 31, wherein the identifier is a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of one of a plurality of network interface cards (NICs) of the computing device.

33. A method as recited in claim 31, wherein the identifying comprises:

obtaining, based on the computing device identifier, a device type that corresponds to the computing device;

obtaining, based on the device type, a profile identifier that corresponds to the computing device; and

obtaining, based on the profile identifier, the custom software configuration information.

34. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, causes the one or more processors to:

retrieve, from a network switch, a mapping of network interface card (NIC) identifiers to ports of the network switch;

identify, for one or more of the network interface card (NIC) identifiers, a type of network the corresponding network interface card (NIC) is to be on;

generate switch configuration information based on the mappings and the identified network types; and

write the switch configuration information to the network switch.

35. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 34, wherein the computing device comprises a server device in a same data center as the network switch is in.

36. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 34, wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to identify the type of network the corresponding network interface card (NIC) is to be on comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to access a table mapping network interface card (NIC) identifiers to network types.

37. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 34, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive, via the network switch, a computing device identifier from a pre-execution environment on a computing device;

identify, based on the computing device identifier, configuration information for an operating system of the computing device; and

send, to the computing device via the network switch, the configuration information for installation of the operating system on the computing device.

38. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 34, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive, via the network switch, a computing device identifier that uniquely identifies the computing device from a computing device;

identify, based on the computing device identifier, custom software configuration information for the computing device; and

send, to the computing device via the network switch, the custom software configuration information for installation of the custom software on the computing device.

39. A method comprising:

receiving, from a network switching device, a mapping of ports of the device to network interface card (NIC) identifiers;

determining, for each of the network interface card (NIC) identifiers, a network type associated with the network interface card (NIC) identifier;

generating configuration information for the network switching device based at least in part on the determined network types; and

saving the configuration information to the network switching device.

40. A method as recited in claim 39, wherein determining the network type comprises accessing a table mapping network interface card (NIC) identifiers to network types.

41. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, causes the one or more processors to:

receive a request for a new server;

send a purchase request for the new server to a seller;

receive an indication that the new server has been received from the seller and coupled to a network that the computing device is coupled to;

transmit, to the new server, configuration information for an operating system of the new server and have the new server install its operating system based on the configuration information; and

transmit, to the new server, custom software configuration information and have the new server install software based on the custom software configuration information.

42. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 41, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to obtain an approval, from an authorized source, to purchase the new server.

43. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 41, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to obtain a purchase order number to allow purchasing of the new server.

44. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 41, wherein the seller comprises a manufacturer of the new server.

45. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 41, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive, from the seller, information describing the new server; and

use the received information to identify the configuration information for the operating system of the new server and to identify the custom software configuration information for the new server.

46. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 45, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to maintain the information received from the seller and use the information received from the seller for asset tracking.

47. A method comprising:

receiving an indication that a new computing device is to be obtained;

sending a purchase request for the new computing device to a computing device supplier;

receiving an indication that the new computing device has been received from the supplier and that the new computing device is in communication with a network;

transmitting, to the new computing device, configuration information for an operating system of the new computing device, wherein the configuration information is to be used by the new computing device when installing the operating system on the new computing device; and

transmitting, to the new computing device, custom software configuration information, wherein the custom software configuration information is to be used by the new computing device when installing software on the new computing device.

48. A method as recited in claim 47, further comprising:

obtaining an approval, from an authorized source, to purchase the new server.

49. A method as recited in claim 47, further comprising:

obtaining a purchase order number to allow purchasing of the new server.

50. A method as recited in claim 47, further comprising:

receiving, from the seller, information describing the new server; and

using the received information to identify the configuration information for the operating system of the new computing device and to identify the custom software configuration information for the new server.

51. A method as recited in claim 50, further comprising:

maintaining the information received from the seller and using the information received from the seller for asset tracking.

52. A system comprising:

one or more staging servers that maintain mappings of identifiers of computing devices in the system to profiles, wherein each profile indicates a type of functionality a corresponding computing device is to provide, and wherein the one or more staging servers further maintain software configuration information; and

a computing device that starts a pre-execution environment and retrieves, from at least one of the one or more staging servers, configuration information for an operating system of the computing device, and installs the operating system using the configuration information, and wherein the computing device further retrieves custom software configuration information for the computing device and installs, using the custom software configuration information, the custom software on the computing device.

53. A system as recited in claim 52, wherein the one or more staging servers are further configured to:

retrieve, from a network switch, a mapping of network interface card (NIC) identifiers to ports of the network switch;

identify, for one or more of the network interface card (NIC) identifiers, a type of network the corresponding network interface card (NIC) is to be on;

generate switch configuration information based on the mappings and the identified network types; and

write the switch configuration information to the network switch.