Methods, Systems and Media for Configuring Boot Options

• US 20090113198A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Chao, Ching-Lung, Munger, William Carl, Liu, Wei
• Granted Patent: US 8,239,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting

Abstract

Implementations described herein generally provide methods of configuring boot options. One method may generally include receiving on a remote management information handling system (IHS), boot information relating to a remotely configured HIS, using the boot information on the remote management IHS to create boot options and sending the boot options from the remote management IHS to the remotely configured IHS.

Claims

1. A method of configuring boot options, comprising:

receiving on a remote management information handling system (IHS), boot information relating to a remotely configured IHS;

using the boot information on the remote management IHS to create boot options; and

sending the boot options from the remote management IHS to the remotely configured IHS.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the boot information comprises information identifying a plurality of bootable devices installed on the remotely configured IHS.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the boot information comprises a plurality of unique signatures identifying plurality of bootable devices, device description strings describing the bootable devices, and boot priority values together identifying a boot order.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the boot information comprises information identifying the plurality of bootable devices installed on the remotely configured IHS and a plurality of boot priority values corresponding to bootable devices installed on the remotely configured IHS;

and wherein the information identifying the plurality of bootable devices and their corresponding boot priority values make up a first boot order.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the boot options comprise information identifying the plurality of bootable devices installed on the remotely configured IHS and a plurality of priority values corresponding to the plurality of bootable devices installed on the remotely configured IHS;

and wherein the information identifying the plurality of bootable devices and their corresponding boot priority values make up a second boot order.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second boot order is different than the first boot order.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the information identifying the plurality of bootable devices installed on the remotely configured IHS in the second boot order comprises a unique signature for at least one bootable device installed on the remotely configured IHS and a corresponding boot priority value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving boot information relating to a remotely configured IHS on a remote management IHS, comprises:

sending the boot information from memory of the remotely configured IHS to a baseboard management controller (BMC) installed in the remotely configured IHS;

sending the boot information from the BMC to the remote management IHS; and

receiving the boot information on the remote management IHS.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein using the boot information on the remote management IHS to create boot options comprises:

presenting the boot information in a graphical user interface to a user of the remote management IHS; and

allowing the user to modify the boot information to create boot options.

10. A computer-readable medium containing computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

receiving boot information relating to a remotely configured information handling system (IHS) on a remote management IHS;

using the boot information on the remote management IHS to create boot options;

sending the boot options from the remote management IHS to the remotely configured IHS, and

modifying a boot configuration of the remotely configured IHS based on the boot options.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein:

the boot information comprises unique signatures corresponding to bootable devices installed in the remotely configured IHS, device description strings corresponding to the bootable devices, and priority values corresponding to the bootable devices; and

wherein the boot information indicates a first boot order.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein:

the boot options comprise unique signatures corresponding to bootable devices installed in the remotely configured IHS, device description strings corresponding to the bootable devices, and priority values corresponding to the bootable devices; and

wherein the boot options indicate a second boot order.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10a wherein the boot options further indicate a persistent boot order change or a one-shot boot.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein receiving boot information relating to a remotely configured IHS on a remote management IHS comprises:

sending the boot information from memory of the remotely configured IHS to a baseboard management controller (BMC) installed in the remotely configured IHS;

sending the boot information from the baseboard management controller to the remote management IHS; and

receiving the boot information on the remote management IHS.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein modifying the boot configuration of the remotely configured IHS based on the boot options comprises;

comparing a boot order specified by the boot options to a current boot order specified in a current boot table saved in the remotely configured IHS; and

if the boot order specified by the boot options is different than the current boot order, saving the boot order specified by the boot options as the current boot order.

16. A remotely configured information handling system (IHS), comprising:

memory, and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to send boot information to a baseboard management controller (BMC) installed in the remotely configured IHS, the BMC coupled to a communications network; and

wherein the BMC is configured to send the boot information via the communications network to a remote management IHS; and

wherein the remote management IHS may be configured to present the boot information to a user of the remote management IHS, accept input related to the boot information from the user of the remote management IHS, create boot options based on the input, and send the boot options to the BMC.

17. The remotely configured IHS of claim 16, wherein the BMC is further configured to receive the boot options;

and in response to receiving the boot options the BMC may be further configured to store the boot options and reset the remotely configured IHS.

18. The remotely configured IHS of claim 17, wherein after a reset of the remotely configured IHS, the processor may be further configured to query the BMC for the boot options and compare a boot order specified by the boot options to a boot order specified by a current boot table stored in the memory.

19. The remotely configured IHS of claim 18, wherein the processor may be further configured to modify the current boot table stored in the memory if the boot order specified by the boot options differs from the boot order specified by the current boot table stored in memory.

20. The remotely configured IHS of claim 18, wherein the processor may be further configured to attempt to load an operating system from a bootable device specified in the boot options.