System and Method for Deployment of a Software Image

• US 20090049160A1
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Pankaj, Chawla, Gaurav, Cherian, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US11/838,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20090049160A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Systems and methods for deployment of a software image are disclosed. A system for deployment of a software image may include a host communicatively coupled to a first logical unit including a generic boot image and a software image, and to a second logical unit communicatively coupled to the first logical unit. The host may be operable to (a) boot from the generic boot image via a transport protocol; (b) copy the software image from the first logical unit to the second logical unit via the transport protocol; and (c) boot from the software image via the transport protocol.

Claims

1. A system for deploying a software image, comprising:

a host communicatively coupled to a first logical unit including a generic boot image and a software image, and to a second logical unit communicatively coupled to the first logical unit, the host operable to;

boot from the generic boot image via a transport protocol;

copy the software image from the first logical unit to the second logical unit via the transport protocol; and

boot from the software image via the transport protocol.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the transport protocol comprises Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) protocol.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the transport protocol comprises a protocol selected from the group consisting of:

Fibre Channel, Frame Relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Internet protocol (IP), other packet-based protocol, small computer system interface (SCSI), advanced technology attachment (ATA), serial ATA (SATA), advanced technology attachment packet interface (ATAPI), serial storage architecture (SSA), and integrated drive electronics (IDE).

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first logical unit includes an image repository including the software image and one or more other software images.

5. A system according to claim 4, the at least one host further operable to locate within the image repository the software image to be copied.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more software images comprise an operating system.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least one host comprises a network port, and

the at least one host is further operable to configure the network port to communicate with the first logical unit and the second logical unit via the transport protocol.

8. A method for the deployment of a software image comprising:

a host booting from a generic boot image located on a first logical unit via a transport protocol;

the host copying a software image located on the first logical unit to the second logical unit via the transport protocol; and

the host booting from the software image via the transport protocol.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the transport protocol comprises Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) protocol.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the transport protocol comprises a protocol selected from the group consisting of:

Fibre Channel, Frame Relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Internet protocol (IP), other packet-based protocol, small computer system interface (SCSI), advanced technology attachment (ATA), serial ATA (SATA), advanced technology attachment packet interface (ATAPI), serial storage architecture (SSA), integrated drive electronics (IDE).

11. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the host locating, via the transport protocol, the software image within an image repository including the software image and one or more other software images.

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein the one or more software images comprise an operating system.

13. A method according to claim 8, further comprising configuring a network port disposed in the at least one host to communicate via the transport protocol.

14. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor; and

a network port communicatively coupled to the processor and the memory, and interfacing with a storage array;

the processor operable to communicate via the network port with the storage array to;

boot the information handling system from a generic boot image located on a first logical unit disposed in the storage array via a transport protocol;

copy a software image located on the first logical unit to a second logical unit disposed in the storage array via a transport protocol; and

boot the information handling system from the software image via a transport protocol.

15. An information handling system according to claim 14, wherein the transport protocol comprises Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) protocol.

16. An information handling system according to claim 14, wherein the transport protocol comprises a protocol selected from the group consisting of:

Fibre Channel, Frame Relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Internet protocol (IP), other packet-based protocol, small computer system interface (SCSI), advanced technology attachment (ATA), serial ATA (SATA), advanced technology attachment packet interface (ATAPI), serial storage architecture (SSA), and integrated drive electronics (IDE).

17. An information handling system according to claim 14, wherein the first logical unit comprises an image repository comprising the software image and one or more other software images.

18. An information handling system according to claim 17, the at least one host further operable to locate within the image repository the software image to be copied via the transport protocol.

19. An information handling system according to claim 14, wherein the one or more software images comprise an operating system.

20. An information handling system according to claim 14, the processor further operable to configure the network port to communicate with the first logical unit and the second logical unit via the transport protocol.