Operating system boot from external media

• US 20060206702A1
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Marketing Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wyse Technology Incorporated (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Fausak, Andrew T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,631,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

A system for booting an computing device with a windowing operating system obtained from an external memory media via an external interface, wherein the system includes an initialization module stored in a read-only memory provided in the computing device, the initialization module being executed in a processor disposed in the computing device and establishing a data connection to the external memory media through the external interface, and an external device in which the external memory media is disposed, the external memory media storing a windowing operating system at an external location, the external device sending the windowing operating system image from the external memory media to the computing device via the external interface in response to a request from the computing device, the request being based on memory geometry information of the external memory media, wherein the windowing operating system image is received by the computing device, loaded into a runtime memory in the computing device and then executed by the processor in order to boot the windowing operating system in the computing device.

Claims

1. A system for booting an computing device with a windowing operating system obtained from an external memory media via an external interface, the system comprising:

an initialization module stored in a read-only memory provided in the computing device, the initialization module being executed in a processor disposed in the computing device and establishing a data connection to the external memory media through the external interface; and

an external device in which the external memory media is disposed, the external memory media storing a windowing operating system at an external location, the external device sending the windowing operating system image from the external memory media to the computing device via the external interface in response to a request from the computing device, the request being based on memory geometry information of the external memory media,

wherein the windowing operating system image is received by the computing device, loaded into a runtime memory in the computing device and then executed by the processor in order to boot the windowing operating system in the computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein external device is a server and the data connection is a standardized network connection.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein external memory media also stores a boot agent module which is sent to the computing device before the windowing operating system in response to a request from the computing device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein execution of the initialization module is initiated by a start-up operation of the computing device.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the connection through the external interface to the external location in the server is established by a DHCP request to the server from the external interface.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the computing device configures the external interface based on a response to the DHCP request from the server, and the data connection is established by using connection information received from the server in response to a DHCP event sent from the initialization module to the server via the external interface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the boot agent module and the windowing operating system image are received from the external location in the sever via the connection through the external interface by using a standard data connection protocol.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the external interface is a network interface and the standard connection protocol is the internet protocol, and wherein the computing device and the server are connected to a network.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the windowing operating system image is received by the computing device in response to a request from the boot agent module to the server, and the windowing operating system image is loaded into the runtime memory by unpacking the windowing operating system image in accordance with a predetermined rule set, and writing particular sub-portions of a kernel archive unpacked from the windowing operating system image to corresponding predetermined locations in the runtime memory.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein, once the sub-portions of the kernel archive are written into the runtime memory, a set of arguments and run-time variables, along with process control, are passed to the kernel archive as the kernel archive is executed by the processor.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein an initialization record is used to pass the set of arguments and run-time variables to the kernel archive, which is loaded in runtime memory.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the initialization module is a part of a preboot execution environment supported by the processor.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the initialization module sends the request for the operating system to the external memory media via the external interface if the initialization module detects a valid boot signature at the external location of the external memory media.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein external device is a universal serial bus (USB) hard disk drive the data connection is a standardized USB connection.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the windowing operating system image is received by the computing device in response to a read request from the computing device to the server, and the windowing operating system image is loaded into the runtime memory by unpacking the windowing operating system image in accordance with a predetermined rule set, and writing particular sub-portions of a kernel archive unpacked from the windowing operating system image to corresponding predetermined locations in the runtime memory.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein, once the sub-portions of the kernel archive are written into the runtime memory, a set of arguments and run-time variables, along with process control, are passed to the kernel archive as the kernel archive is executed by the processor.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein an initialization record is used to pass the set of arguments and run-time variables to the kernel archive, which is loaded in runtime memory.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the initialization module sends the read request for the operating system to the external memory media via the external interface if the initialization module detects a valid boot signature at the external location of the external memory media.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the initialization module obtains memory geometry information of the external memory media and then uses the geometry information to set a memory address location in the read request, which is sent to the external memory media to obtain the windowing operating system.

20. A method for booting a computing device with a windowing operating system obtained from an external memory media in a server via an external interface, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a data connection through the external interface to an external location of the external memory media, the external memory media storing a boot agent module and a windowing operating system image at the external location;

sending a boot request from the computing device to the external memory media in the server via the data connection;

receiving the boot agent module from the server via the data connection in response to the boot request;

loading the boot agent module into a runtime memory in the computing device and executing the boot agent module with a processor in the computing device;

sending an operating system request from the boot agent module to the external memory media in the server via the data connection;

receiving, in response to the operating system request from the boot agent module, the windowing operating system image from the sever via the data connection; and

loading the windowing operating system image into the runtime memory and executing the windowing operating system image with the processor.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the establishment of the data connection is initiated by a start-up operation of the computing device.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the data connection through the external interface to the external location in the server is established by a DHCP request from the computing device via the external interface to the server.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the external interface is configured based on a response to the DHCP request from the server, and the connection is established by using connection information received from the server in response to a DHCP event sent from the computing device via the external interface to the server.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the boot agent module and the windowing operating system image are received from the external location in the sever via the data connection through the external interface by using a standard connection protocol.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the external interface is a network interface and the standard connection protocol is the internet protocol.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the windowing operating system image is loaded into the runtime memory by unpacking the windowing operating system image in accordance with a predetermined rule set, and writing particular sub-portions of a kernel archive unpacked from the windowing operating system image to corresponding predetermined locations in the runtime memory.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein, once the sub-portions of the kernel archive are written into the runtime memory, a set of arguments and run-time variables, along with process control, are passed to the kernel archive as the kernel archive is executed by the processor.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein an initialization record is used to pass the set of arguments and run-time variables to the kernel archive, which is loaded in runtime memory.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the operating system request is sent to the external memory media if a valid boot signature is detected at the external location of the external memory media.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein memory geometry information of the external memory media is obtained by the computing device and then used to set a memory address location in the operating system request.

40. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer readable medium, said computer-executable process steps for booting an computing device with a windowing operating system obtained from an external memory media through an interface disposed in the computing device, said computer-executable process steps comprising process steps executable to perform a method according to any of claims 20 to 39.

31. A method for booting a computing device with a windowing operating system obtained from an external memory media in an external serial device via a serial interface, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a serial data connection through the serial interface to an external location of the external memory media, the external memory media storing a windowing operating system image at the external location;

sending a boot request from the computing device to the external memory media via the serial data connection;

detecting, in response to the boot request, a valid boot signature for the external location in the external memory media;

sending an operating system request from the computing device to the external memory media via the serial data connection;

receiving, in response to the operating system request, the windowing operating system image from the external memory media via the serial data connection; and

loading the windowing operating system image into a runtime memory in the computing device and executing the windowing operating system image with a processor in the computing device.

32. The method of claim 32, wherein the establishment of the serial data connection is initiated by a start-up operation of the computing device.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the serial data connection through the serial interface to the external location in the external memory media is a universal serial bus (USB) connection.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the windowing operating system image is loaded into the runtime memory by unpacking the windowing operating system image in accordance with a predetermined rule set, and writing particular sub-portions of a kernel archive unpacked from the windowing operating system image to corresponding predetermined locations in the runtime memory.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the operating system request is sent to the external memory media if a valid boot signature is detected at the external location of the external memory media.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein memory geometry information of the external memory media is obtained by the computing device and then used to set a memory address location in the operating system request.

35. The method of claim 35, wherein, once the sub-portions of the kernel archive are written into the runtime memory, a set of arguments and run-time variables, along with process control, are passed to the kernel archive as the kernel archive is executed by the processor.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein an initialization record is used to pass the set of arguments and run-time variables to the kernel archive, which is loaded in runtime memory.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the set of arguments and run-time variables in the initialization record are obtained from a recording of a previous boot process.