Remote management of boot application

• US 20050144493A1
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cromer, Daryl Carvis, Locker, Howard Jeffrey, Springfield, Randall Scott, Freeman, Joseph Wayne, Goodman, Steven Dale, Kern, Eric Richard, Dayan, Richard Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,677,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4408 Boot device selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• 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: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB

Abstract

Systems and arrangements for remotely selecting a bootable image via a WOL packet for a wake-on-LAN (WOL) capable computer are contemplated. Server-side embodiments include hardware and/or software for determining a client to be managed, determining whether the client is active on the network, and transmitting a WOL packet having a vector, or operating system partition identification (OSPID), to describe a bootable image accessible by the WOL capable computer. Some embodiments may include an OSPID that points to a secure bootable image such as a bootable image on a hard drive, a compact disk (CD) connected to the computer, or other local resource. Client-side embodiments may receive the WOL packet at, for instance, a network interface card (NIC), recognize that the WOL packet includes an OSPID that describes the bootable image to boot, and implement an alternative boot sequence to boot from that bootable image.

Claims

1. A method for booting via a selected bootable image on a remote client on a network, the method comprising:

selecting the bootable image for the remote client;

generating a wake-on-LAN packet with a partition identification, the partition identification being associated with a location of the bootable image, wherein the location is accessible by the remote client; and

transmitting the wake-on-LAN packet to the remote client to wake up the remote client and to instruct a pre-boot application of the remote client to boot via the bootable image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the bootable image comprises selecting the bootable image from a drive, the drive being internal to the remote client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the bootable image comprises selecting the bootable image from a secure resource of the remote client.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting the bootable image from the secure resource comprises selecting the bootable image from a hidden partition associated with the remote client.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the bootable image comprises selecting a representation of a bootable image, the representation to be associated with the bootable image by the remote client.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the wake-on-LAN packet comprises extending the wake-on-LAN packet with the partition identification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the wake-on-LAN packet comprises generating a parameter to associate with the partition identification to provide a post-boot instruction to the remote client.

8. A service for booting via a selected bootable image on a remote client on a network, the service comprising:

selecting the bootable image for the remote client;

generating a wake-on-LAN packet with a partition identification, the partition identification being associated with a location of the bootable image, wherein the location is accessible by the remote client; and

transmitting the wake-on-LAN packet to the remote client to wake up the remote client and to instruct a pre-boot application of the remote client to boot via the bootable image.

9. The service of claim 8, wherein selecting the bootable image comprises selecting the bootable image from a secure resource of the remote client.

10. The service of claim 8, wherein generating the wake-on-LAN packet comprises incorporating the partition identification into the wake-on-LAN packet.

11. The service of claim 8, wherein generating the wake-on-LAN packet comprises generating a parameter to associate with the partition identification to provide a post-boot instruction to the remote client.

12. The service of claim 8, wherein transmitting comprises broadcasting the wake-on-LAN packet to the remote client and at least one other remote client.

13. A data processing system for booting via a selected bootable image on a remote client on a network, the system comprising:

a server computer system in communication with at least one client computer system, the server computer system comprising a processor capable of selecting the bootable image for the remote client;

wherein the server computer system is capable of generating a wake-on-LAN packet with a partition identification, the partition identification being associated with a location of the bootable image, wherein the location is accessible by the remote client;

wherein the server computer system is capable of transmitting the wake-on-LAN packet to the remote client to wake up the remote client and to instruct a pre-boot application of the remote client to boot via the bootable image; and

a database, the database comprising an indication of one or more clients and the status of their wake-on-LAN functionality.

14. The data processing system of claim 13, further comprising an Ethernet network coupled to the server computer system and the at least one client computer system.

15. A machine-accessible medium containing instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause said machine to perform operations, comprising:

selecting a bootable image for a remote client;

generating a wake-on-LAN packet with a partition identification, the partition identification being associated with a location of the bootable image, wherein the location is accessible by the remote client; and

transmitting the wake-on-LAN packet to the remote client to wake up the remote client and to instruct a pre-boot application of the remote client to boot via the bootable image.

16. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15, wherein selecting the bootable image comprises selecting the bootable image from a secure resource of the remote client.

17. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15, wherein generating the wake-on-LAN packet comprises extending the wake-on-LAN packet with the partition identification.

18. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15, wherein transmitting comprises broadcasting the wake-on-LAN packet to the remote client and at least one other remote client.

19. A computer-readable medium containing a data structure for use by data processing system on a network, the data structure comprising:

an indication of an address of a server computer system;

an indication of an address for a client computer system;

a synchronization stream; and

an indication of a bootable image accessible by the client computer system to instruct a pre-boot application of the client computer system to boot via the bootable image.

20. An apparatus for booting via a bootable image selected by a remote server on a network, the apparatus comprising:

a packet parser to identify a partition identification associated with the bootable image in a wake-on-LAN packet, the partition identification being associated with a location of the bootable image; and

partition identification logic coupled with the packet parser to store the partition identification in a memory location, the memory location to maintain the partition identification to instruct the boot manager to boot via the bootable image.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising pre-boot logic to scan the memory location to determine the presence of the partition identification and to instruct a boot manager to boot via the bootable image in response to the presence of the partition identification.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a packet authenticator to authenticate the wake-on-LAN packet.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the packet authenticator is designed to decrypt the wake-on-LAN packet with a private key.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the packet parser is configured to parse the wake-on-LAN packet to identify the partition identification.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the packet parser is configured to identify an extension attached to the wake-on-LAN packet as the partition identification.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the partition identification logic is configured to store the partition identification in non-volatile memory.

27. A method for booting via a bootable image selected by a remote server on a network, the method comprising:

identifying a partition identification associated with the bootable image in a wake-on-LAN packet, the partition identification being associated with a location of the bootable image;

storing the partition identification in a memory location, the memory location to maintain the partition identification to instruct the boot manager to boot via the bootable image;

scanning the memory location to determine the presence of the partition identification; and

booting via the bootable image in response to the presence of the partition identification.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising authenticating the wake-on-LAN packet.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein authenticating the wake-on-LAN packet comprises decrypting the wake-on-LAN packet with a private key.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein identifying the partition identification comprises parsing the wake-on-LAN packet to identify the partition identification.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein identifying the partition identification comprises identifying an extension attached to the wake-on-LAN packet as the partition identification.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein storing comprises storing the partition identification in non-volatile memory.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein booting comprises loading the bootable image from a PARTIES partition.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein booting comprises identifying a parameter associated with the partition identification as a post-boot instruction.

35. A machine-accessible medium containing instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause said machine to perform operations, comprising:

identifying a partition identification associated with a bootable image in a wake-on-LAN packet, the partition identification being associated with a location of the bootable image;

storing the partition identification in a memory location, the memory location to maintain the partition identification to instruct the boot manager to boot via the bootable image;

scanning the memory location to determine the presence of the partition identification; and

booting via the bootable image in response to the presence of the partition identification.

36. The machine-accessible medium of claim 35, wherein the operations further comprise authenticating the wake-on-LAN packet.

37. The machine-accessible medium of claim 35, wherein booting comprises loading the bootable image from a hidden partition.