PROVISIONING OF OPERATING ENVIRONMENTS ON A SERVER IN A NETWORKED ENVIRONMENT

• US 20110072255A1
• Filed: 09/23/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Horn, William P., Nagar, Shailabh, Rendahl, Randy A., Mohindra, Ajay, Gopalakrishnan, U.
• Granted Patent: US 8,332,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

The illustrative embodiments disclose a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for provisioning a server on a network. In one embodiment, the process sends a server identifier to a management server in response to receiving a boot command. The management server uses the server identifier for identifying a designated operating environment for the server to form a designated operating environment identifier. The process then receives, from the management server, the designated operating environment identifier and a first bootstrap code. The process uses the first bootstrap code to extract information for identifying a local operating environment on the server. Thereafter, the process compares the local operating environment to the designated operating environment and initiates a final boot sequence of the server based on the comparison of the local operating environment and the designated operating environment.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for provisioning a provisionable server on a network, the computer implemented method comprising:

responsive to receiving a boot request, sending a server identifier to a management server, wherein the management server uses the server identifier to create a designated operating environment identifier for identifying a designated operating environment for the provisionable server;

receiving, from the management server, the designated operating environment identifier and a first bootstrap code, wherein the first bootstrap code is executed on the provisionable server to identify a local operating environment on the provisionable server;

comparing the local operating environment to the designated operating environment; and

initiating a final boot sequence of the provisionable server based on the comparison of the local operating environment and the designated operating environment.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the comparing step further comprises:

responsive to detecting a difference between the designated operating environment and the local operating environment, copying the designated operating environment from a software server to a local storage device.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

scrubbing the local storage device of the provisionable server before copying the designated operating environment into the local storage device.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a second bootstrap code from a management server, wherein the second bootstrap code is used to generate the operating environment identifier.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the initiating step further comprises:

responsive to detecting a difference between the designated operating environment and the local operating environment, rebooting the provisionable server using the designated operating environment stored in a local storage device; and

configuring the designated operating environment using run-once scripts.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the initiating step further comprises:

responsive to a detecting a match between the designated operating environment and the local operating environment, rebooting the provisionable server using the local operating environment stored on a local storage device.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the server identifier is a network address.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the operating environment identifier comprises a set of boot parameters.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the designated operating environment and the local operating environment are identified by at least one of a condition, an operating system type, a middleware type, a tenant identity.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the local operating environment is stored in a local storage device of the provisionable server, and wherein the local storage device comprises one of a random access memory, a flash memory, a hard drive, a network accessible storage device, or a storage device on a storage area network.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording changes in operating environments on the provisionable server for billing or chargeback.

12. A computer program product for provisioning a provisionable server on a network, the computer program product comprising:

a computer recordable-type medium;

first program instructions for sending a server identifier to a management server in response to receiving a boot request, wherein the management server uses the server identifier to create a designated operating environment identifier for identifying a designated operating environment for the provisionable server;

second program instructions for receiving, from the management server, the designated operating environment identifier and a first bootstrap code, wherein the first bootstrap code is executed on the provisionable server to identify a local operating environment on the provisionable server;

third program instructions for comparing the local operating environment to the designated operating environment;

fourth program instructions for initiating a final boot sequence of the provisionable server based on the comparison of the local operating environment and the designated operating environment; and

wherein the first program instructions and the second program instructions are stored on the computer recordable-type medium.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the third program instructions further comprises:

fifth program instructions for copying the designated operating environment from a software server to the local storage device in response to detecting a difference between the designated operating environment and the local operating environment.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the fifth program instructions further comprises:

sixth program instructions for scrubbing the local storage device of the provisionable server before copying the designated operating environment into the local storage device.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

seventh program instructions for retrieving a second bootstrap code from a management server, wherein the second bootstrap code is used to generate the designated operating environment identifier.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the fourth program instructions further comprises:

eighth program instructions for rebooting the provisionable server using the designated operating environment stored in a local storage device in response to detecting a difference between the designated operating environment and the local operating environment; and

ninth program instructions for configuring the designated operating environment using run-once scripts.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the fourth program instructions further comprises:

tenth program instructions for rebooting the provisionable server using the local operating environment stored on a local storage device in response to a detecting a match between the designated operating environment and the local operating environment.

18. An apparatus for provisioning a provisionable server on a network, the apparatus comprising:

a bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to send a server identifier to a management server, wherein the management server uses the server identifier to create a designated operating environment identifier for identifying a designated operating environment for the provisionable server in response to receiving a boot request;

receive, from the management server, the designated operating environment identifier and a first bootstrap code, wherein the first bootstrap code is executed on the provisionable server to identify a local operating environment on the provisionable server;

compare the local operating environment to the designated operating environment; and

initiate a final boot sequence of the provisionable server based on the comparison of the local operating environment and the designated operating environment.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable program code to copy the designated operating environment from a software server to a local storage device in response to detecting a difference between the designated operating environment and the local operating environment;

and scrub the local storage device of the provisionable server before copying the designated operating environment into the local storage device.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable program code to retrieve a second bootstrap code from a management server, wherein the second bootstrap code is used to generate the operating environment identifier.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable program code to reboot the provisionable server using the local operating environment stored on a local storage device in response to detecting a match between the designated operating environment and the local operating environment;

and reboot the provisionable server using the designated operating environment stored in the local storage device in response to detecting a difference between the designated operating environment and the local operating environment, wherein the processing unit further configures the designated operating environment using run-once scripts.

22. A computer implemented method for deploying an operating environment onto a provisionable server, the computer implemented method comprising:

responsive to detecting a provisioning event, assigning the operating environment from an operating environment configuration management database to the provisionable server;

storing a record of the assignment in a deployment configuration management database; and

updating a management server with a designated operating environment identifier of the assignment.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 22, wherein the provisioning event is at least one of acceptance of a new operating environment, an addition of a provisionable server to a data center, and request for reassigning the provisionable server.

24. The computer implemented method of claim 22, further comprising:

responsive to detecting the provisioning event comprising an acceptance of a new operating environment, assigning an operating environment identifier to the new operating environment;

storing, in a software server, software for the new operating environment; and

updating an operating environment configuration management database with the new operating environment identifier and a locator for locating the software in the software server.

25. The computer implemented method of claim 22, further comprising:

responsive to detecting the provisioning event comprising an addition of a provisionable server to a data center, registering a media access control address of the provisionable server in a provisionable server configuration management database.