Operating system boot from network location

• US 20060242395A1
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wyse Technology Incorporated (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wyse Technology Incorporated (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Fausak, Andrew T.
• Application Number:
  US11/074,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20060242395A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for booting an intelligent device with an embedded-type operating system obtained through an external interface disposed in the intelligent device, wherein the system includes an initialization module stored in a read-only memory provided in the intelligent device, the initialization module being executed in a processor disposed in the intelligent device and connecting to an external location through the external interface, and a server having a memory media which stores a boot agent module and an embedded-type operating system at the external location, the server sending the boot agent module to the intelligent device through the connection in response to a request from the initialization module, wherein the boot agent module is loaded into a runtime memory in the intelligent device and executed by the processor, the boot agent module then retrieving an embedded-type operating system image from the external location in the sever, whereupon the embedded-type operating system image is loaded into the runtime memory and executed by the processor.

Claims

1. A system for booting an intelligent device with an embedded-type operating system obtained through an external interface disposed in the intelligent device, the system comprising:

an initialization module stored in a read-only memory provided in the intelligent device, the initialization module being executed in a processor disposed in the intelligent device and connecting to an external location through the external interface; and

a server having a memory media which stores a boot agent module and an embedded-type operating system at the external location, the server sending the boot agent module to the intelligent device through the connection in response to a request from the initialization module,

wherein the boot agent module is loaded into a runtime memory in the intelligent device and executed by the processor, the boot agent module then retrieving an embedded-type operating system image from the external location in the sever, whereupon the embedded-type operating system image is loaded into the runtime memory and executed by the processor.

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

3. The system of claim 1, 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.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the external interface configures itself 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 external interface.

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

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the external interface is a network interface and the standard connection protocol is the internet protocol, and wherein the intelligent device and the server are connected to a network.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the external interface is a USB interface and wherein the intelligent device and the server are connected via a USB connection.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the embedded-type operating system image is loaded into the runtime memory by unpacking the embedded-type operating system image in accordance with a predetermined rule set, and writing particular sub-portions of a kernel archive unpacked from the embedded-type operating system image to corresponding predetermined locations in the runtime memory.

9. The system of claim 8, 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.

10. The system of claim 9, 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.

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

12. A method for booting an intelligent device with an embedded-type operating system obtained through an external interface disposed in the intelligent device, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection through the external interface to an external location in a server, the server having a memory media which stores a boot agent module and an embedded-type operating system at the external location;

receiving the boot agent module from the server via the connection in response to a request from an initialization module being executed by a processor in the intelligent device;

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

receiving, in response to a request from the boot agent module, the embedded-type operating system image from the sever via the connection; and

loading the embedded-type operating system image into the runtime memory and executing the embedded-type operating system image with the processor.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the establishment of the connection is initiated by a start-up operation of the intelligent device.

14. The method of claim 12, 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.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the external interface configures itself 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 external interface.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the boot agent module and the embedded-type operating system image are received from the external location in the sever via the connection through the external interface by using a standard connection protocol.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the external interface is a network interface and the standard connection protocol is the internet protocol, and wherein the intelligent device and the server are connected to a network.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the external interface is a USB interface and wherein the intelligent device and the server are connected via a USB connection.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the embedded-type operating system image is loaded into the runtime memory by unpacking the embedded-type operating system image in accordance with a predetermined rule set, and writing particular sub-portions of a kernel archive unpacked from the embedded-type operating system image to corresponding predetermined locations in the runtime memory.

20. The method of claim 19, 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.

21. The method of claim 20, 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.

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

23. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer readable medium, said computer-executable process steps for booting an intelligent device with an embedded-type operating system obtained through an external interface disposed in the intelligent device, said computer-executable process steps comprising process steps executable to perform a method according to any of claims 12 to 22.