Local area network and network operating system for formatting a client disk and installing a client operating system

• US 5,758,165 A
• Filed: 07/07/1995
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Shuff, Patrick R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chavis, John Q.
• Application Number:
  US08/499,228
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 395/652, 395/712
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

Unattended initialization of client disks according to foreign operating systems is supported. The data written on the client disk is provided from a server disk across a local area network (LAN), rather than from floppy disks. The client system is booked over the LAN with a first, network-oriented operating system, such as the UNIX-based Solaris™ operating system developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. Solaris™ is then used to format the client disk. This formatting is done according to the file access table (FAT) file system. Then Solaris™ copies a disk image to the client disk from the server disk via the LAN. The disk image copied includes a second, client-oriented operating system, such as Windows™ that uses the FAT file system. Then the client system is rebooted with Windows™. Network services, such as naming services or remote file access, can then be provided to Windows™ running on the client by Solaris™ running on the server.

Claims

1. A method of initializing a disk coupled to a client from a first operating system controlling a server, comprising the steps of:

responding to said client coupled to said server via a local area network by making a version of said first operating system adaptable to a second operating system of said client;

booting said client with said version of said first operating system, said booting comprising copying portions of said version of said first operating system from said server to a main memory within said client;

executing said version of said first operating system from said main memory so as to format said disk, said formatting being in accordance with said second operating system;

executing said version of said first operating system to mount said disk;

causing said server to write a disk image to a server disk; and

executing said version of said first operating system from said main memory so as to copy said disk image from said server disk to said disk coupled to said client.

2. A method according to claim 1, subsequently comprising:

executing said first operating system from said main memory so as to reboot said client, said rebooting occurring with said second operating system from said disk.

3. A method according to claim 2, subsequently comprising:

said second operating system executing on said client calling upon said first operating system executing on said server for network services.

4. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for initializing a disk coupled to a client, said computer program product comprising;

computer readable program code devices configured to respond to said client coupled to a server via a local area network by making a version of a first operating system adaptable to a second operating system of said client;

computer readable program code devices configured to boot said client with said version of said first operating system, said boot comprising copying portions of said version of said first operating system from said server to a main memory within said client;

computer readable program code devices configured to execute said version of said first operating system from said main memory so as to format said disk, said formatting being in accordance with said second operating system, said first operating system further mounting said disk;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause said server to write a disk image to a server disk; and

computer readable program code devices configured to execute said version of said first operating system from said main memory so as to copy said disk image from said server to said disk coupled to said client.

5. A computer program product according to claim 4, further comprising:

computer readable program code devices configured to execute said first operating system from said main memory so as to reboot said client, said rebooting occurring with said second operating system from said disk.

6. A computer program product according to claim 4, further comprising:

computer readable program code devices configured so that said second operating system executing on said client calls upon said first operating system executing on said server for network services.