Method and apparatus for automatically installing operating system onto computer

• US 20090106753A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Legend Holdings Limited, Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Cheng, Ningting, Wang, Jun
• Application Number:
  US12/286,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106753A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and an apparatus of automatically installing an operating system onto a computer. The method is characterized in that: the computer establishes a connection with a remote server through a network; the computer sends configuration information to the remote server; the computer receives a corresponding installation script sent from the remote server based on the configuration information; and the computer installs the operation system according to the installation script. The present invention only requires performing updates of the installation script and various drivers in the remote server, which enables an automatic installation for various configurations of the computer. In addition, the present invention need not to allocate a navigation disc or other installation load discs to the computer, which saves the costs.

Claims

1. A method of automatically installing an operating system onto a computer which is characterized in that:

the computer establishes a connection with a remote server through a network;

the computer sends configuration information to the remote server;

the computer receives a corresponding installation script sent from the remote server based on the configuration information; and

the computer installs the operating system according to the installation script.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the installation script is searched for or customized by the remote server based on the configuration information from the computer.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising that:

the computer receives corresponding drivers together with the installation script, the drivers are also sent from the remoter server based on the configuration information.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein

the computer receives the installation script and the drivers from the remote server, stores the received installation script and drivers in a memory, and carries out the installation by cooperating with a local operating system in a local installation storage medium.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information includes a host serial number of the computer.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the configuration information further comprises configuration information of various components in the computer, in addition to the host serial number of the computer.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a corresponding component list is firstly searched for by the remote server based on the host serial number contained in the configuration information, and then the installation script and drivers of the components are searched for by the remote server based on the component list.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the installation script and drivers of various components are searched for by the remote server according to the configuration information of the components.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network is connected via a Basic Input Output System/Extensible Firmware Interface based on a network card driver;

and

the computer effectively communicates with the remote server by configuring environment-related network parameters.

10. A method of automatically returning an installation script which is characterized in that:

a remote server searches for or customizes a corresponding installation script based on configuration information sent from a computer, in which the following steps are performed;

step A;

if the remote server finds an appropriate installation script according to a host serial number of the computer contained in the configuration information, the remote sever sends the installation script to the computer;

otherwise, it goes to step B;

step B;

the remote server carries out a match search based on configuration information of various components in the computer, and if an appropriate installation script is found, the remote server sends the installation script to the client server;

otherwise, it goes to step C;

step C;

the remote server customizes an installation script according to the configuration information of the various components, and sends the installation script to the computer;

if the customization is failed, the remote server notifies the computer that an appropriate installation script can not be found.

11. A computer capable of automatically installing an operating system therein, comprising:

means for establishing a connection with a remote server through a network;

means for sending configuration information to the remote server;

means for receiving a corresponding installation script sent from the remote server based on the configuration information; and

means for installing the operating system according to the installation script.

12. The computer according to claim 11, wherein the means for receiving also receives corresponding drivers together with the installation script, and the drivers are also sent from the remote server based on the configuration information.

13. The computer according to claim 12, wherein the means for receiving receives the installation script and the drivers from the remote server, and stores the received installation script and drivers in a memory, and the computer carries out the installation by cooperating the received installation script and drivers with a local operating system in a local installation storage medium.

14. The computer according to claim 11, wherein the configuration information includes a host serial number of the computer.

15. The computer according to claim 14, wherein the configuration information further comprises configuration information of various components in the computer, in addition to the host serial number of the computer.

16. The computer according to claim 11, wherein the means for establishing connects the network via a Basic Input Output System/Extensible Firmware Interface based on a network card driver;

and

the means for establishing effectively communicates with the remote server by configuring environment-related network parameters.

17. A remote server capable of automatically returning an installation script, comprising:

means for receiving configuration information sent from a computer;

means for searching for or customizing a corresponding installation script based on the received configuration information,

wherein the means for searching or customizing deals with the following cases;

case a;

if an appropriate installation script is found according to the received configuration information, returning the installation script;

case b;

if an appropriate installation script is not found according to the received configuration information, carrying out a match search based on configuration information of various components in the computer, and if an appropriate installation script is found, returning the installation script; and

case c;

otherwise, customizing an installation script according to the configuration information of the various components, and returning the installation script; and

means for sending the returned installation script to the computer.

18. The remote server according to claim 17, wherein if means for searching or customizing fails the customization, it returns a message to indicate that an appropriate installation script can not be found, and the means for sending sends the returned message.