System and methods for software distribution and management

• US 20060253565A1
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Peter E., Savage, Paul R., Doherty, Matthew T., Sillonis, Kathleen L., Erickson, Ryan B., Ruse, Andrew L.
• Application Number:
  US11/484,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253565A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method and system for controlling and obtaining service from a pull-based management server is presented. A BIOS of a client indicates whether a previous boot up of the client was to the pull-based management server. An indicator in the BIOS is checked by a checking mechanism. A changing mechanism will change a boot sequence of the client if the indicator signifies that the previous boot up was to the pull-based management server. The changing mechanism orders the boot sequence of the client to boot to a local computer-readable medium before booting to a remote management server. Additionally, a boot sequence setting mechanism on a remote computer will have the client boot to a remote management server before booting to a local computer-readable medium.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an obtaining of service from a pull-based management server over a network, the method comprising:

providing an indicator in a basic input/output system (BIOS) of a client, the indicator signifying whether a previous boot up of the client was to the pull-based management server;

checking, by a first mechanism, the indicator at a boot up of the client; and

changing, by a second mechanism, a boot sequence in the BIOS of the client if the indicator signifies that the previous boot up of the client was to the pull-based management server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pull-based management server comprises a preboot execution environment (PXE) server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises a flag in the BIOS of the client.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the flag comprises a counter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the checking and the changing are performed by the BIOS.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing of the boot sequence includes ordering a local computer-readable medium before a remote management server in the boot sequence.

7. The method of claim 1, further including setting, in accordance with the changing of the boot sequence, the indicator to specify that the previous boot up of the client was not to the pull-based management server.

8. The method of claim 1, further including setting, by a remote computer, the boot sequence on the client, the setting of the boot sequence including ordering a remote management server before a local computer-readable medium in the boot sequence.

9. A system for controlling an obtaining of service, comprising:

a pull-based management server to control an obtaining of a service over a network; and

a client, coupled to the pull-based management server, the client including;

an indicator configured to signify whether a previous boot up of a client was to the pull-based management server,

a checking mechanism configured to check the indicator at a boot up of the client, and

a changing mechanism configured to change a boot sequence on the client if the indicator signifies that the previous boot up of the client was to the pull-based management server.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the pull-based management server includes a preboot execution environment (PXE) server.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the client includes a preboot execution environment (PXE) server.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the indicator comprises a flag in a basic input/output system (BIOS) of the client.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the flag comprises a counter.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the checking mechanism and the changing mechanism are implemented in a basic input/output system (BIOS) of the client.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the changing mechanism is configured to order a local computer-readable medium before a remote management server in the boot sequence.

16. The system of claim 9, further includes a setting mechanism configured to set, in accordance with a changing by the changing mechanism, the indicator to specify that the previous boot up of the client was not to the pull-based management server.

17. The system of claim 9, further includes a remote computer, coupled to the management server and the client over the network, the remote computer including a boot sequence setting mechanism configured to order a remote management server before a local computer-readable medium in the boot sequence on the client.

18. A computer-readable medium encoded with a plurality of instructions, which when executed cause a client to:

provide an indicator, the indicator signifying whether a previous boot up of the client was to a pull-based management server;

check, by a first mechanism, the indicator at a boot up of the client; and

change, by a second mechanism, a boot sequence on the client if the indicator signifies that the previous boot up of the client was to the pull-based management server.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the indicator comprises a flag in a basic input/output system (BIOS) of the client.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the changing of the boot sequence includes ordering a local computer-readable medium before the pull-based management server in the boot sequence.