SERVER MANAGEMENT WITH DYNAMIC CONSTRUCTION OF PRE-BOOT IMAGES

• US 20130007435A1
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Bayani, Simir
• Granted Patent: US 9,250,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

A request handler may receive an image capture request for an operating system (OS) executing on a server. A pre-boot image handler may generate a pre-boot image, based on the image capture request and on the executing operating system. An image handler may capture an image of the operating system, based on the pre-boot image.

Claims

1. A computer system including instructions recorded on a computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor, the system comprising:

a request handler configured to receive an image capture request for an operating system (OS) executing on a server;

a pre-boot image handler configured to generate a pre-boot image, based on the image capture request and on the executing operating system; and

an image handler configured to capture an image of the operating system, based on the pre-boot image

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the request handler is executed using a management server that is remote from the server.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the request handler is configured to receive the image capture request from a system administrator by way of a graphical user interface (GUI).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-boot image handler is executed using a management server that is remote from the server, and is configured to instruct a pre-boot image generator implemented using the server to construct the pre-boot image.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the pre-boot image generator is configured to analyze the executing operating system to determine components thereof for inclusion in the pre-boot image, based on a utility of the components in booting the operating system.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the pre-boot image generator is configured to include capture components within the pre-boot image which are configured to capture the image during booting of the server using the pre-boot image.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the pre-boot image generator is configured to update a booting procedure of a boot loader of the server to utilize the pre-boot image during an immediately-subsequent booting thereof, in place of a standard boot configuration.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the pre-boot image generator is configured to further update the booting procedure of the boot loader, during booting based on the pre-boot image, to utilize the standard boot configuration during an immediately-subsequent booting thereof.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the image handler is executed using a management server that is remote from the server.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-boot image is constructed and utilized at the server for booting thereof, and is deleted therefrom in conjunction with the capture of the image.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the operating system is a Linux operating system.

12. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving an image capture request for an operating system (OS) executing on a server;

generating a pre-boot image, based on the image capture request and on the executing operating system; and

capturing an image of the operating system, based on the pre-boot image

13. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the pre-boot image comprises instructing a pre-boot image generator implemented using the server to construct the pre-boot image.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the pre-boot image generator is configured to analyze the executing operating system to determine components thereof for inclusion in the pre-boot image, based on a utility of the components in booting the operating system.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the pre-boot image generator is configured to include capture components within the pre-boot image which are configured to capture the image during booting of the server using the pre-boot image.

16. A computer program product, the computer program product being tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising instructions that, when executed, are configured to:

receive an image capture request for an operating system (OS) executing on a server;

generate a pre-boot image, based on the image capture request and on the executing operating system; and

capture an image of the operating system, based on the pre-boot image.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, are configured to:

analyze the executing operating system to determine components thereof for inclusion in the pre-boot image, based on a utility of the components in booting the operating system.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, are configured to:

include capture components within the pre-boot image which are configured to capture the image during booting of the server using the pre-boot image.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, are configured to:

update a booting procedure of a boot loader of the server to utilize the pre-boot image during an immediately-subsequent booting thereof, in place of a standard boot configuration; and

update the booting procedure of the boot loader, during booting based on the pre-boot image, to utilize the standard boot configuration during an immediately-subsequent booting thereof.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, are configured to:

construct and utilize the pre-boot image at the server for booting thereof and

delete the pre-boot image therefrom in conjunction with the capture of the image.