Computing system and operating method for booting and running a graphical user interface (GUI) with r/w hard drive partition unavailable

• US 6,279,109 B1
• Filed: 01/07/1999
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Brundridge, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckler, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/227,154
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

A computing system and operating method are executable on a target processor and bootstrap loads and run an application program or interface from an alternative medium, for example a CD-ROM medium or via a network link, when an operating system associated with the application program or interface is not installed on the target processor. For example, a computing system includes an executable program code or command entries that load and run a graphical user interface functionality when the operating system associated with the graphical user interface is not installed. The computing system typically includes a processor, a CD-ROM drive coupled to the processor, and a Random-Access Memory (RAM) Drive coupled to the processor. The executable program code or command entries substitute a designator of the RAM-Drive in place of predefined drive designators that are hard-coded into base code of the operating system. The executable program code or command entries disable various functionalities of the operating system that interfere with operating system operations arising from the RAM-Drive. The executable program code or command entries modify a registry in the operating system to permit storage of data on the RAM-Drive and to execute applications from an alternative source such as the CD-ROM drive or via a network link, for example.

Claims

1. A method of creating a bootable operating system image on a medium alternative to a persistent magnetic storage medium comprising:

creating an operating system image for subsequent transfer to an alternative bootable medium;

diverting bootstrap loading from the persistent magnetic storage medium to an alternative bootable medium;

creating a persistent bootable image and a non-persistent bootable image for usage on the alternative bootable medium;

modifying startup files to support bootstrap loading from the alternative bootable medium; and

creating the alternative bootable medium.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

the operation of creating an operating system image further includes;

installing the operating system on the persistent magnetic storage medium;

and

transferring the installed operating system to an alternative directory.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

the operation of creating an operating system image further includes;

creating a plurality of virtual drives on the persistent magnetic storage medium for multiple partition usage.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

the operation of creating an operating system image further includes;

installing the operating system on the persistent magnetic storage medium; and

transferring the installed operating system to an alternative directory; and

diverting bootstrap loading from the persistent magnetic storage medium to an alternative bootable medium includes;

removing unnecessary directories and files from the alternative directory; and

changing a directory registry to otherwise support a bootable image on the alternative bootable medium.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

creating an operating system image further includes;

installing the operating system on the persistent magnetic storage medium; and

transferring the installed operating system to an alternative directory;

diverting bootstrap loading from the persistent magnetic storage medium to an alternative bootable medium includes;

removing unnecessary directories and files from the alternative directory; and

changing a directory registry to otherwise support a bootable image on the alternative bootable medium; and

creating a persistent bootable image and a non-persistent bootable image on the alternative bootable medium includes;

making a self-extracting image of the alternative directory;

placing the self-extracting image in a root location of the alternative bootable medium; and

copying an image of the persistent bootable image to the alternative bootable medium.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

modifying startup files to support bootstrap loading from the alternative bootable medium includes;

modifying an operating system control file to set data fields controlling a bootstrap process;

modifying a system configuration to load a plurality of aspects of operating system behavior; and

modifying a batch file to support the alternative bootable medium.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

creating the alternative bootable medium includes;

making a sector image of a boot flexible diskette for usage as a bootstrap image; and

writing selected files to the alternative bootable medium.

8. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

bootstrap loading an operating system from the alternative bootable medium.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

the alternative bootable medium is a CD-ROM medium.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

the alternative bootable medium is a plurality of signals communicated via a network link.

11. A computer program product including computer usable media having computable readable code embodied therein executing a method comprising:

creating an operating system image for subsequent transfer to an alternative bootable medium;

diverting bootstrap loading from the persistent magnetic storage medium to an alternative bootable medium;

creating a persistent bootable image and a non-persistent bootable image for usage on the alternative bootable medium;

modifying startup files to support bootstrap loading from the alternative bootable medium; and

creating the alternative bootable medium.

12. A method of bootstrap loading to a processor an operating system that is bootable from an image on a medium alternative to a persistent magnetic storage medium, the method comprising:

loading a system configuration file from the alternative bootable medium;

installing operating system control structures, files, controllers, and drivers;

redirecting legacy software code access operations;

copying a batch file to control bootstrap loading of the operating system to a virtual drive in system memory,

installing alternative bootable medium extensions to an extension file to assign a drive letter under DOS for the alternative bootable medium drive to a driver execution file;

substituting drive assignments to redirect operating system drive accesses to virtual drive accesses;

uncompressing a self-extracting operating system image to the virtual drive; and

assigning the virtual drive as the operating system fundamental operational drive.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein:

the alternative medium is a CD-ROM medium.

14. A method according to claim 12 wherein:

the alternative bootable medium is a plurality of signals communicated via a network link.

15. A method according to claim 12 wherein:

the operation of loading a system configuration file further includes;

loading CONFIG.SYS from the alternative medium including;

enabling and disabling system features;

setting limits on resources; and

loading device drivers and control hardware.

16. A method according to claim 12 wherein:

installing operating system control structures, files, controllers, drivers includes;

installing HIMEM.SYS;

installing RAMDRIVE.SYS;

installing controllers and CD-ROM drivers; and

installing DOS and Windows drivers.

17. A method according to claim 12 wherein:

redirecting legacy software code access operations comprises;

creating a virtual drive in system memory;

querying a boot operating system to determine the drive letter for the virtual drive;

protecting against inadvertent write operations from legacy software code that attempts to write to a conventional operating system disk including;

redirecting the legacy writes to the virtual drive.

18. A method according to claim 12 wherein:

substituting drive assignments to redirect operating system drive accesses to virtual drive accesses includes;

querying a low level operating system to determine which drive letter is assigned to the alternative bootable medium;

receiving a response from the low level operating system;

checking the response drive letter to determine whether the response correctly matches the virtual drive letter; and

if the response drive letter is not the same as the virtual drive letter, executing a substitute drive command to substitute the drive letter current assigned to the virtual drive for the response driver letter, equating the virtual drive to the response drive letter.

19. A method according to claim 12 further comprising:

executing a bootstrap batch operation from a drive assigned as a current operating system fundamental operational drive.

20. A method according to claim 12 further comprising:

executing a bootstrap batch operation from a drive assigned as a current operating system fumdamental operational drive including;

assigning the virtual drive as the current operating system fundamental operational drive; and

executing an operating system bootstrap batch operation from the virtual drive.

21. A method according to claim 12 further comprising:

executing a bootstrap loaded operating system from the alternative fundamental operational drive.

22. A method according to claim 12 wherein:

the method bootstrap loads and runs a Windows graphical user interface (GUI) although a Windows operating system (OS) is not installed on the processor.

23. A computer program product including computer usable media having computable readable code embodied therein executing a method comprising:

providing a processor with an operating system that is bootable from an image on a medium alternative to a persistent magnetic storage medium;

loading a system configuration file from the alternative bootable medium;

installing operating system control structures, files, controllers, and drivers;

redirecting legacy software code access operations;

copying a batch file to control bootstrap loading of the operating system to a virtual drive in system memory;

installing alternative bootable medium extensions to an extension file to assign a drive letter under DOS for the alternative bootable medium drive to a driver execution file;

substituting drive assignments to redirect operating system drive accesses to virtual drive accesses;

uncompressing a self-extracting operating system image to the virtual drive; and

assigning the virtual drive as the operating system fundamental operational drive.

24. A computer program product including computer usable media having computable readable code embodied therein comprising:

a computing system including;

a target processor;

a Random-Access Memory (RAM) coupled to the target processor; and

an executable program code that is executable on the target processor and bootstrap loads and runs a program from a CD-ROM medium when an operating system associated with the program is not installed for execution on the target processor, the executable program code including;

a routine for creating a RAM-drive in the RAM; and

a routine that substitutes a designator of the RAM-Drive in place of predefined drive designators that are hard-coded into base code in the operating system.

25. A computer program product according to claim 24 wherein:

the program is an application program or an interface.

26. A computer program product including computer usable media having computable readable code embodied therein comprising:

an executable code that is stored on and accessed from a CD-ROM, the executable code including;

a designator directed to address a nonpersistent storage on a RAM-Drive and to address a persistent storage on the CD-ROM, the designators being found by substituting an alternative file structure for a conventional file structure, changing registry entries from the conventional file structure to a known location in the alternative file structure, and allocating nonpersistent operating system files to the RAM-Drive and persistent operating system files to the CD-ROM.

27. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a CD-ROM drive coupled to the processor;

a Random-Access Memory (RAM) coupled to the processor;

a persistent memory coupled to the processor; and

an executable program code that is stored in the persistant memory and executable on the processor and that loads and runs a graphical user interface functionality when an operating system associated with the graphical user interface is not installed to execute on the processor, wherein the executable program code;

creates a RAM-Drive in the RAM; and

substitutes a designator of the RAM-Drive in place of predefined drive designators that are hard-coded into base code of the operating system.

28. A computer system according to claim 27 wherein the executable program code:

disables functionalities of the operating system that interfere with operating system operations arising from the RAM-Drive.

29. A computer system according to claim 28 wherein:

functionalities of the operating system that are disabled are selected from among;

a functionality of auto-detecting hardware;

a functionality of preloading the operating system registry at boot time;

a functionality of writing boot log files to a boot medium; and

a functionality of allowing an end user to use function keys to change the bootstrap process.

30. A computer system according to claim 27 wherein the executable program code:

modifies a registry in the operating system to permit storage of data on the RAM-Drive and to execute applications from the CD-ROM.

31. A computer system according to claim 27 wherein the executable program code:

redirects the operating system to use the RAM-Drive rather than a persistent magnetic storage for performing operating system functionality.

32. A computer system according to claim 27 wherein the executable program code:

uses a substitute command to redirect accesses from a hard-coded operating system directory to an alternative directory on the RAM-Drive via changes made in an operating system registry.

33. A computer system system comprising:

a processor;

an operating system that is conventionally loaded to a persistent magnetic storage medium coupled to the processor;

an alternative bootable medium coupled to the processor;

a persistent memory coupled to the processor,

an executable program code that is stored in the persistant memory and executable on the processor and that loads and runs a graphical user interface functionality when the operating system associated with the graphical user interface is not installed in the processor to execute on the processor; and

a computer system configuration utility that is executable on the processor,

wherein;

the executable program code and the computer system configuration utility, in combination, form a multi-threaded system which performs multiple operations at one time.

34. A computer system system comprising:

a processor;

an operating system that is conventionally loaded to a persistent magnetic storage medium coupled to the processor;

an alternative bootable medium coupled to the processor;

a persistent memory coupled to the processor,

an executable program code that is stored in the persistant memory and executable on the processor and that loads and runs a graphical user interface functionality when the operating system associated with the graphical user interface is not installed in the processor to execute on the processor; and

a computer system configuration utility that is executable on the processor,

wherein;

the computer system configuration utility includes a diagnostic tester that performs diagnostic testing in parallel on multiple communication devices.

35. A computer system according to claim 34, wherein:

the computer system configuration utility supports diagnostic testing of a plurality of devices in parallel, including initialization and control of the processor state by bootstrap loading.

36. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

an operating system that is conventionally loaded to a persistent magnetic storage medium coupled to the processor;

an alternative bootable medium coupled to the processor;

a persistent memory coupled to the processor,

an executable program code that is stored in the persistant memory and executable on the processor and that loads and runs a graphical user interface functionality when the operating system associated with the graphical user interface is not installed in the processor to execute on the processor; and

a computer system configuration utility that is executable on the processor,

wherein;

the executable program code and the computer system configuration utility, in combination, execute via network-communicated commands.