Operating system installation

• US 20060005016A1
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bordelon, Charles J., Lee, Sam Jung-Won, Hoch, Joseph W., Sharum, Wayne P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/164
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• 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

A programmable electronic device automatically identifies at least a portion of a system configuration for the programmable electronic device and automatically generates an image request based at least in part on the identified system configuration. The programmable electronic device transmits the image request over one or more networks to a server, receives an image of operating system software, and installs the received image.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

automatically identifying by a programmable electronic device at least a portion of a hardware configuration and an operating system for the programmable electronic device;

automatically generating by the programmable electronic device an image request based at least in part on both the identified hardware configuration and the identified operating system;

transmitting the image request by the programmable electronic device over one or more networks to a server;

receiving by the programmable electronic device an image of software for the identified operating system; and

installing the received image on the programmable electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically identifying comprises identifying at least a portion of a hardware configuration based on information in basic input/output system (BIOS) software.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically identifying comprises identifying the operating system based on information in an operating system registry.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically generating comprises generating a file transfer protocol (FTP) request that identifies a file having the image of software for the identified operating system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically identifying, the automatically generating, the transmitting, the receiving, and the installing are performed autonomously by the programmable electronic device.

6. A method comprising:

enabling by a programmable electronic device selection of one of a plurality of versions of operating system software;

automatically identifying by the programmable electronic device at least a portion of a system configuration for the programmable electronic device;

automatically generating by the programmable electronic device an image request based at least in part on a selected version of operating system software and the identified system configuration;

transmitting the image request by the programmable electronic device over one or more networks to a server;

receiving by the programmable electronic device an image of the selected version of operating system software; and

installing the received image on the programmable electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the enabling comprises enabling selection of one of at least a version of operating system software currently installed on the programmable electronic device and an upgrade version of operating system software.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the automatically generating comprises generating a file transfer protocol (FTP) request that identifies a file having the image of the selected version of operating system software.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the automatically identifying, the automatically generating, the transmitting, the receiving, and the installing are performed autonomously by the programmable electronic device.

10. An programmable electronic device comprising:

memory and/or storage to store installation software;

one or more communications interfaces to communicate over one or more networks; and

one or more processors to execute instructions of the installation software to identify automatically at least a portion of a hardware configuration and an operating system, to generate automatically an image request based at least in part on both the identified hardware configuration and the identified operating system, to transmit the image request over one or more networks to a server using one or more communications interfaces, to receive an image of software for the identified operating system using one or more communications interfaces, and to install the received image in memory and/or storage.

11. The programmable electronic device of claim 10, comprising basic input/output system (BIOS) memory to store BIOS software,

wherein one or more processors are to execute one or more instructions of the installation software to identify at least a portion of a hardware configuration based on information in the BIOS software.

12. The programmable electronic device of claim 10, wherein one or more processors are to execute one or more instructions of the installation software to identify the operating system based on information in an operating system registry stored in memory and/or storage.

13. The programmable electronic device of claim 10, wherein one or more processors are to execute one or more instructions of the installation software to generate a file transfer protocol (FTP) request that identifies a file having the image of software for the identified operating system.

14. The programmable electronic device of claim 10, wherein one or more processors are to execute instructions of the installation software to perform the automatically identifying, the automatically generating, the transmitting, the receiving, and the installing autonomously.

15. A programmable electronic device comprising:

memory and/or storage to store installation software;

one or more input devices;

one or more communications interfaces to communicate over one or more networks; and

one or more processors to execute instructions of the installation software to enable selection of one of a plurality of versions of operating system software using one or more input devices, to identify automatically at least a portion of a system configuration, to generate automatically an image request based at least in part on a selected version of operating system software and the identified system configuration, to transmit the image request over one or more networks to a server using one or more communications interfaces, to receive an image of the selected version of operating system software using one or more communications interfaces, and to install the received image in memory and/or storage.

16. The programmable electronic device of claim 15, wherein one or more processors are to execute one or more instructions of the installation software to enable selection of one of at least a version of operating system software currently installed in memory and/or storage and an upgrade version of operating system software using one or more input devices.

17. The programmable electronic device of claim 15, wherein one or more processors are to execute one or more instructions of the installation software to generate a file transfer protocol (FTP) request that identifies a file having the image of the selected version of operating system software.

18. The programmable electronic device of claim 15, wherein one or more processors are to execute instructions of the installation software to perform the automatically identifying, the automatically generating, the transmitting, the receiving, and the installing autonomously.

19. A medium to store instructions which, if executed by a programmable electronic device, perform a method comprising:

automatically identifying at least a portion of a hardware configuration and an operating system for the programmable electronic device;

automatically generating an image request based at least in part on both the identified hardware configuration and the identified operating system;

transmitting the image request over one or more networks to a server;

receiving an image of software for the identified operating system; and

installing the received image on the programmable electronic device.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the automatically generating comprises generating a file transfer protocol (FTP) request that identifies a file having the image of software for the identified operating system.

21. A medium to store instructions which, if executed by a programmable electronic device, perform a method comprising:

enabling selection of one of a plurality of versions of operating system software;

automatically identifying at least a portion of a system configuration for the programmable electronic device;

automatically generating an image request based at least in part on a selected version of operating system software and the identified system configuration;

transmitting the image request over one or more networks to a server;

receiving an image of the selected version of operating system software; and

installing the received image on the programmable electronic device.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the enabling comprises enabling selection of one of at least a version of operating system software currently installed on the programmable electronic device and an upgrade version of operating system software.

23. The medium of claim 21, wherein the automatically generating comprises generating a file transfer protocol (FTP) request that identifies a file having the image of the selected version of operating system software.

24. A programmable electronic device comprising:

means for automatically identifying at least a portion of a hardware configuration and an operating system for the programmable electronic device;

means for automatically generating an image request based at least in part on both the identified hardware configuration and the identified operating system;

means for transmitting the image request over one or more networks to a server;

means for receiving an image of software for the identified operating system; and

means for installing the received image.

25. A programmable electronic device comprising:

means for enabling selection of one of a plurality of versions of operating system software;

means for automatically identifying at least a portion of a system configuration for the programmable electronic device;

means for automatically generating an image request based at least in part on a selected version of operating system software and the identified system configuration;

means for transmitting the image request over one or more networks to a server;

means for receiving an image of the selected version of operating system software; and

means for installing the received image.