System and Method for Management and Installation of Operating System Images for Computers
First Claim
1. A method for provisioning a target computer with an operating system, the method comprising the steps of:
- booting the target computer in a pre-operating system environment;
collecting configuration information for the target computer;
transmitting the configuration information to a predetermined server;
searching a database in the server for a pre-existing operating system image corresponding to the configuration information from the target computer;
if a corresponding operating system image is found, transferring the pre-existing operating system image to the target computer; and
installing the pre-existing operating system image on the target computer.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Shown is a method and system for provisioning a target computer with an operating system, which calls for booting the target computer in a pre-operating system environment, collecting configuration information for the target computer, and transmitting the configuration information to a predetermined server. The approach shown also provides for searching a database in the server for a pre-existing operating system image corresponding to the configuration information from the target computer. If a corresponding operating system image is found, then the present approach involves transferring the pre-existing operating system image to the target computer and installing the pre-existing operating system image on the target computer.
323 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for provisioning a target computer with an operating system, the method comprising the steps of:
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booting the target computer in a pre-operating system environment; collecting configuration information for the target computer; transmitting the configuration information to a predetermined server; searching a database in the server for a pre-existing operating system image corresponding to the configuration information from the target computer; if a corresponding operating system image is found, transferring the pre-existing operating system image to the target computer; and installing the pre-existing operating system image on the target computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system for provisioning an operating system on target computers over a network, the system comprising:
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at least one target computer configured to respond to initialization by requesting a network address for communication over the network, respond to receiving the network address by requesting a boot file over the network, respond to receiving the boot file by executing the boot file in a pre-operating system environment to create a client agent, where the client agent is configured to perform an inventory of the target computer to collect configuration data and transmit the configuration data in a request for an operating system image to a predetermined server, the client agent being further configured to receive an operating system image and, responsive thereto, install the operating system image on the target computer and execute the operating system; a network address server configured to monitor the network for the request for a network address and, responsive thereto, allocate the network address for communication over the network and return it to the requesting device; a boot server configured to monitor the network for the request for the boot file and, responsive thereto, transmit the boot file to the requester; and an operating system management server configured to monitor the network for the request for an operating system image, receive the request along with the configuration data, use the configuration data to search for a corresponding operating system image and, if the corresponding operating system image is found, transmit the corresponding operating system image to the target computer. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15)
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12. A method for determining an operating system for target computers over a network the method comprising the steps of:
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booting a target computer in a pre-operating system environment; collecting policy criteria data for the target computer; transmitting the policy criteria data to an operating system management server; providing policy data defining a relationship between specific policy criteria data instances and operating system image instances; resolving an appropriate operating system image for the target computer based on the policy criteria data from the target computer and the policy information; and transmitting to the target computer an operating system object identifier corresponding to the resolved operating system image. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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16. A system for installing an operating system on a target computer using a network, the system comprising:
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means for collecting configuration information for the target computer in a pre-operating system environment; means for requesting download of an operating system image that corresponds to the configuration information for the target computer; means for identifying an operating system image that corresponds to the configuration information from the target computer; means for downloading an operating system image that corresponds to the configuration information from the target computer if the corresponding operating system image is found; and means for installing and executing the corresponding operating system image on the target computer.
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17. A method for constructing a set of operating system images for a target computer, the method comprising the steps of:
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booting the target computer in a pre-operating system environment; collecting configuration information for the target computer; transmitting the configuration information to a predetermined server; searching a database in the server for a set of pre-existing operating system images corresponding to the configuration information from the target computer; for each one of the operating system images in the set, if the operating system image is not found, then running an install script on the target computer to construct an operating system for the target computer, imaging the operating system constructed on the target computer, uploading the constructed operating system image from the target computer to the predetermined server, and storing the constructed operating system image and the configuration data in the database in the server.
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Specification