Method and system for remotely booting a computer device using a peer device

• US 20050180326A1
• Filed: 02/13/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xpoint Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Xpoint Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Shah, Sulay Bipinchandra, Roger Jonsson, Jan Olof, Maldaner, Juliano, Wang, Frank, Goldflam, Michael S.
• Application Number:
  US10/778,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20050180326A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A system and method for providing services such as Wake-on-LAN and PXE Boot services to a multi-subnet network system which includes router and/or firewalls between different subnets. This is accomplished by using a peer computer to provide the service when performing such service is required to be transmitted across the router and/or firewall. That is, the system determines whether the service is required to go across the router and/or firewall, and, if so, to identify a computer (a peer computer) which is located on the appropriate subnet, then deliver the service to that peer computer (if necessary) and have that peer computer perform the selected service, such as Wake-on-LAN.

Claims

1. A method of providing a service to a target device, the steps of the method comprising:

determining a service to be provided to a target device coupled to a subnet;

determining if the service is available on the subnet to which the target device is coupled;

if the service is available on the subnet to which the target device is coupled, using the service;

if the service is not available on the subnet, locating a peer device on the subnet;

transferring the service to the peer device; and

using the service on the peer device to operate on the target device.

2. A method including the steps of claim 1 wherein the method includes steps for providing the service to a target device from within the subnet to which the target device is attached.

3. A method including the steps of claim 1 wherein the subnet to which the target device is attached is coupled to a firewall which restricts the service from being implemented through the firewall.

4. A method including the steps of claim 1 wherein the subnet to which the target device is attached is coupled to a router which restricts the service from being implemented through the router.

5. A method including the steps of claim 1 wherein providing the services includes the step of remotely wakening a computer.

6. A method including the steps of claim 6 where providing the services includes the step of providing DHCP services to the target computer.

7. A method including the steps of claim 6 where providing the services includes the step of providing BOOTP services to the target device.

8. A method including the steps of claim 6 wherein the service includes the step of providing TFTP services to the target computer.

9. A system for providing services on a network comprising:

a first subnet including a target terminal and a peer terminal coupled thereto;

a second subnet including a device which wishes to operate on the target terminal;

a device connecting the first subnet and the second subnet which restricts passage of operations;

a locator which identifies the peer terminal;

a determiner which determines whether the peer terminal includes the desired service;

if the peer terminal does not include the desired service, a package which includes the service; and

an instruction to the peer terminal to implement the service on the target terminal.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the connecting device is a router.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the connecting device is a firewall.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the determiner operates based on knowledge of what devices are attached to the network and what services those devices include.

13. A method of using a first computer with a program for waking up a second computer across a routed network having a subnet coupled to a router, the steps of the method comprising:

determining whether the first computer is on the same subnet as the second computer;

if the first and second computers are on the same subnet, using the first computer to send a command to the second computer to wake the second computer;

if the first and second computers are not on the same subnet, determining whether a peer computer on the same subnet as the second computer is available and, if it is, using the peer computer to waken the second computer.

14. A method including the steps of claim 13 wherein the method further includes the step of determining whether the peer computer includes the wakening code and, if not, sending the wakening code to the peer computer.

15. A method including the steps of claim 13 wherein the routing network includes a firewall which restricts the passage of a wakening message through the firewall.

16. A method of providing a service to a selected terminal attached to a network which includes a firewall device which is intended to prevent certain commands from being transmitted through the firewall device where the services needs for the commands to pass through the firewall device, the steps of the method comprising:

determining the selected terminal to which the desired service is to be provided;

determining whether the desired service is available on a terminal on the same subnet as the selected terminal;

if the desired service is not available on the same subnet as the selected terminal, identifying a peer terminal on the same subnet with the desired terminal for which the service is to be provided;

transmitting a package which can provide the service to the peer terminal; and

using the peer terminal to provide the desired service to the selected terminal, whereby the use of the package and the peer terminal allows for the service to pass through the firewall device.

17. A method of providing a DHCP request to a first computer on a first subnet which is coupled to a device which restricts the passage of certain commands, the steps of the method comprising:

determining whether the first subnet has a computer attached thereto with DHCP capabilities;

if the first subnet includes a computer with DHCP capabilities, using those DHCP capabilities to provide a DHCP request to the first computer through the first subnet;

if the first subnet does not include a computer with DHCP capabilities, then locating a second computer on the same first subnet as the first computer and downloading a DHCP program to the second computer; and

using the second computer to provide a DHCP request to the first computer.

18. A computer program for providing a service to a computer attached to a subnet where the subnet is attached to a router which restricts the passage of certain commands and the computer program has the capability to invoke the commands without reconfiguring the router, the computer program having s program on media which includes:

a first module for determining a function which is required on a subnet;

a second module which determines whether the function is available on the subnet;

a third module which loads a program for effecting the required function onto a peer computer on the subnet if the function is not available on the subnet; and

a fourth module which uses the loaded program on the peer computer to invoke the commands on another computer located on the same network, where the commands would not pass through the router without router configuration but can be called from the program which has been loaded on the peer computer to provide the determined function.

19. A computer program for providing a service to a first computer attached to a subnet where the subnet is attached to a router which restricts the passage of certain commands including commands associated with the service, the computer program has the capacity to effect the service without intervention by a user, the computer program having stored instructions on a media and including:

a first module for determining a command which is desired to be sent to the first computer but which can not be sent from the subnet to which the first computer is attached;

a second module for locating a peer computer to the first computer and attached to the same subnet as the first computer;

a third module for downloading to the peer computer an executable program which includes a command which can not pass though the router without intervention by the user; and

a fourth module which executes the executable program at the peer computer and causes the peer computer to issue the command to the first computer and allows the command to pass to the first computer since the first computer and the peer computer are located on the same subnet and within the router, whereby the command is issued to the first computer without user intervention to allow the command to pass through the router.