Using Task Sequences to Manage Devices

• US 20100333086A1
• Filed: 09/01/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sutton, Paul C., Steeb, Curt A., Xu, Zeyong, Holladay, Martin L., Prabu, Munisamy, Pedrizetti, Raymond D., Gallop, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,782,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies

Abstract

Task sequences are used to manage devices. According to one aspect, a user-defined or user-selected task sequence is received. The task sequence is converted into an ordered series of steps, and the series of steps are performed, in accordance with their order, in managing a device over a network. In certain implementations, the ordered series of steps are steps for automatically deploying an operating system on the device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

causing deployment of a full operating system to a target device by;

causing download of a deployment agent to the target device, the deployment agent designed for the target device based on information regarding hardware components of the target device, wherein the deployment agent is configured to control one or more of the hardware components of the target device when executed at the target device;

causing download of the full operating system to the target device; and

transmitting a command to the target device to cause the deployment agent to reboot the target device into the full operating system.

2. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1 further comprising prior to causing download of the deployment agent to the target device, dynamically building the deployment agent by:

causing download of a deployment agent loader to the target device, the deployment agent loader configured to gather the information regarding the hardware components of the target device when executed at the target device; and

receiving the information regarding the hardware components of the target device from the deployment agent loader.

3. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a secure connection with the deployment agent after causing download of the deployment agent to the target device; and

sending one or more preparation commands to the deployment agent to cause the deployment agent to prepare the target device for installation of the full operating system.

4. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 3, wherein the one or more preparation commands include at least one command to partition hard disks of the target device.

5. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein causing download of the full operating system to the target device comprises causing copying of a full operating system image file to the target device, the full operating system image file containing files that constitute the full operating system that can be executed on the target device.

6. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the deployment agent comprises a temporary operating system that contains functionality to enable the full operating system to be installed on the target device.

7. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the target device is not equipped with an operating system prior to causing download of the deployment agent to the target device.

8. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising causing deployment of the full operating system to one or more additional target devices at least partially concurrently with causing deployment of the full operating system to the target device.

9. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 8, wherein causing download of the deployment agent is performed asynchronously for the target device and the one or more additional target devices, and wherein causing download of the full operating system is performed concurrently for the target device and the one or more additional target devices.

10. One or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform a method comprising:

causing deployment of a full operating system to a target device by;

causing download of a deployment agent to the target device, the deployment agent designed for the target device based on information regarding hardware components of the target device, wherein the deployment agent is configured to control one or more of the hardware components of the target device when executed at the target device;

causing download of the full operating system to the target device; and

transmitting a command to the target device to cause the deployment agent to reboot the target device into the full operating system.

11. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 10 further comprising prior to causing download of the deployment agent to the target device, dynamically building the deployment agent by:

causing download of a deployment agent loader to the target device, the deployment agent loader configured to gather the information regarding the hardware components of the target device when executed at the target device; and

receiving the information regarding the hardware components of the target device from the deployment agent loader.

12. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the one or more processors to perform a method further comprising:

establishing a secure connection with the deployment agent after causing download of the deployment agent to the target device; and

sending one or more preparation commands to the deployment agent to cause the deployment agent to prepare the target device for installation of the full operating system.

13. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 12, wherein the one or more preparation commands include at least one command to partition hard disks of the target device.

14. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 10, wherein causing download of the full operating system to the target device comprises causing copying of a full operating system image file to the target device, the full operating system image file containing files that constitute the full operating system that can be executed on the target device.

15. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 10, wherein the deployment agent comprises a temporary operating system that contains functionality to enable the full operating system to be installed on the target device.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 10, wherein the target device is not equipped with an operating system prior to causing download of the deployment agent to the target device.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the one or more processors to perform a method further comprising causing deployment of the full operating system to one or more additional target devices at least partially concurrently with causing deployment of the full operating system to the target device.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage media recited in claim 17, wherein causing download of the deployment agent is performed asynchronously for the target device and the one or more additional target devices, and wherein causing download of the full operating system is performed concurrently for the target device and the one or more additional target devices.

19. A system comprising:

a processor; and

one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform a method of causing deployment of a full operating system to multiple devices, the method comprising;

determining a hardware configuration of each of the multiple devices;

causing download of a deployment agent to each of the multiple devices, the deployment agent comprising a temporary operating system that is designed for the hardware configuration of each of the multiple devices and includes one or more device drivers that are configured to control hardware components on the multiple devices that can be used to cause deployment of the full operating system on each of the multiple devices;

causing download of the full operating system to each of the multiple devices by causing copying of an operating system image file to each of the multiple devices; and

transmitting a command to each of the multiple devices to cause each of the multiple devices to reboot into the full operating system.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the deployment agent is dynamically built for each of the multiple devices based on the hardware configuration of each of the multiple devices.