PACKETIZED BOOT SERVICE BROADCASTING

• US 20080172448A1
• Filed: 01/16/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wonus, Kevin C.
• Application Number:
  US11/623,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20080172448A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

A system and method that facilitates and effectuates partitioning, broadcasting and reassembling of a virtual file system on a machine dispersed on a network topology. The system and method includes partitioning virtual file systems into blocks and thereafter continually disseminating the blocks in packets. Additionally the system and method include receiving the packets in an arbitrary sequence, contemporaneously reassembling the blocks contained in the packets to constitute the virtual file system and utilizing the reconstituted virtual file system to boot the machine on which the virtual file system has been reassembled.

Claims

1. A machine implemented system that partitions, distributes and reassembles a virtual file system, comprising:

a server that partitions the virtual file system into blocks and continually distributes the blocks in one or more packets; and

a client that receives the one or more packets in mid sequence of the distribution of the one or more packets, the client contemporaneously reassembles blocks contained in the one or more packets immediately on receipt of the one or more packets to constitute the virtual file system.

2. The system of claim 1, the server continuously distributes the one or more packets.

3. The system of claim 1, the server distributes the one or more packets in an arbitrary order.

4. The system of claim 1, the server disseminates the one or more packets in an ordered sequence.

5. The system of claim 1, the client employs information associated with the one or more packets to allocate space on a persisting device sufficient to contain the constituted virtual file system.

6. The system of claim 1, information associated with the server is included with the one or more packets containing the virtual file system.

7. The system of claim 6, the information associated with the server includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address.

8. The system of claim 1, the one or more packets contain information associated with a total size of the virtual file system.

9. The system of claim 1, the one or more packets contain information related to a total number of blocks into which the virtual file systems has been partitioned.

10. The system of claim 1, the server receives an indication that the client requires the virtual file system.

11. The system of claim 10, the indication generated by a microkernel associated with the client.

12. The system of claim 1, the constituted file system employed on the client to boot the client.

13. The system of claim 1, the virtual file system includes one or more of operating system software and application software.

14. The system of claim 1, the virtual file system associated with disparate operating system and application software builds and versions.

15. The system of claim 1, the virtual file system customized to execute on one or more specialized processing devices.

16. The system of claim 15, the one or more specialized processing devices include one or more of a Smart phone, an industrial automation device, a digital video recording device, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), and a Personal Computing (PC) device.

17. A method effectuated on a machine for partitioning, disseminating and reassembling a virtual file system, comprising:

partitioning the virtual file system into a block;

ensconcing the block into a packet;

broadcasting the packet over a network topology in an arbitrary sequence;

receiving the packet in the arbitrary sequence; and

contemporaneously reconstructing the virtual file system from the packet as received in the arbitrary sequence.

18. The method of claim 17, the broadcasting includes continuously distributing the packet over the network topology.

19. The method of claim 17, the broadcasting includes continually disseminating the packet over the network topology.

20. A system that partitions, broadcasts and constructs a virtual file system, comprising:

means for partitioning the virtual file system into a block;

means for including the blocks into packets;

means for transmitting the packets over a network;

means for receiving the packets in a random sequence and reconstructing the virtual file system on a persisting means associated with the means for receiving, the reconstructed virtual file system employed to boot the means for receiving.