Method for preparing computer hard disks during installation of a network operating system

• US 6,470,446 B1
• Filed: 01/20/2000
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Beelitz, Alan E., Wilks, Andrew, Krigsfeld, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam, Tuan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KENDALL, CHUCK O
• Application Number:
  US09/488,326
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 717/11, 717/7, 717/168-176, 713/2
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2003/0697 device management, e.g. handlers, drivers, I/O schedulers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

Method and apparatus for partitioning a hard disk during installation of a network OS. In one embodiment, a computer system is booted from a CD-ROM containing a computer server setup (“CSS”) program. The CSS program prompts a user for certain disk preparation data, including the primary and utility partition sizes and volume label. The CSS program then writes a self-loading binary image (“SLBI”) to the first track of the first hard disk immediately following the master boot record (“MBR”). The SLBI includes a bootstrap loader, disk preparation code, and the disk preparation data. The sector address of the SLBI bootstrap loader is placed into a partition descriptor within the master partition table (“MPT”) of the MBR. The computer is then rebooted and control transferred to the SLBI, which the prepares the hard disk by partitioning the disk to include a utility and primary partition of the desired sizes and volume label (primary partition) and formatting these partitions appropriately. The SLBI then removes itself from the first track and updates the MPT with the new descriptors, at which point the computer system is again rebooted.

Claims

1. A method of preparing a hard disk of a computer during installation of a network operating system thereon, the method comprising:

prompting a user to specify disk preparation data for said hard disk including a primary partition size, utility partition size and volume label;

storing said disk preparation data in a self-loading binary image (“

SLBI”

) which includes a bootstrap loader;

writing the SLBI to a first track of the hard disk immediately following a master boot record (MBR) of the hard disk;

placing a sector address of the SLBI bootstrap loader into a partition descriptor of a master partition table (MPT);

rebooting said computer system from said SLBI;

partitioning the hard disk to include the utility partition size and the primary partition size, the primary partition receiving the volume label;

formatting the utility and primary partitions appropriately;

removing the SLBI from the hard disk and updating the MPT of said hard disk by removing its partition descriptor and adding a newly created partition descriptor for each of at least one partition created during said formatting and partitioning, wherein one such partition descriptor is marked as active; and

rebooting said computer system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of, prior to said prompting, booting said computer system from a computer-readable medium containing a computer server setup (“

CSS”

) program, said CSS program including said SLBI.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said computer-readable medium is a CD-ROM inserted in a CD-ROM drive of said computer system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of rebooting said computer system from said SLBI comprises:

updating said MPT to include a partition descriptor for said SLBI, said SLBI partition descriptor being marked as active;

instructing a user to remove said CD-ROM from said CD-ROM drive; and

rebooting said computer system.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said means for updating a master partition table (“

MPT”

) of said hard disk to include a partition descriptor for each of at least one partition created during said formatting and partitioning further comprises means for removing said SLBI partition descriptor.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said computer-readable medium is a CD-ROM inserted in a CD-ROM drive of said computer system.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means for rebooting said computer system from said SLBI comprises:

means for updating said MPT to include a partition descriptor for said SLBI, said SLBI partition descriptor being marked as active;

means for instructing a user to remove said CD-ROM from said CD-ROM drive; and

means for rebooting said computer system.

5. Apparatus for preparing a hard disk of a computer during installation of a network operating system thereon, comprising:

means for prompting a user to specify disk preparation data for said hard disk, the hard disk including a primary partition size, a utility partition size and a volume label;

means for storing said disk preparation data in a self-loading binary image (“

SLBI”

), the SLBI including a bootstrap loader;

means for writing the SLBI to a first track of the hard disk immediately following a master boot record (MBR) of the hard disk whereby a sector address of the SLBI bootstrap loader is placed into a partition descriptor of a master partition table (MPT);

means for rebooting said computer system from the SLBI;

the hard disk being partitioned to include the utility partition size and the primary partition size, the primary partition receiving the volume label;

the utility and primary partitions being formatted appropriately;

means for removing the SLBI from the hard disk and updating the MPT of said hard disk by removing its partition descriptor and adding a newly created partition descriptor for each of at least one partition created during said formatting and partitioning, wherein one such partition descriptor is marked as active; and

means for rebooting said computer system.

9. A computer program product comprising:

a computer program processable by a computer system for causing said computer system to;

prompt a user to specify disk preparation data for said hard disk, said hard disk including a primary partition size, utility partition size and volume label;

store said disk preparation data in a self-loading binary image (“

SLBI”

) which includes a bootstrap loader;

write the SLBI to a first track of the hard disk immediately following a master boot record (MBR) of the hard disk;

place a sector address of the SLBI bootstrap loader into a partition descriptor of a master partition table (MPT);

reboot said computer system from said SLBI;

partition the hard disk to include the utility partition size and the primary partition size, the primary partition size receiving the volume label;

format the utility and primary partitions appropriately;

remove the SLBI from the hard disk and update the MPT of said hard disk by removing its partition descriptor and adding a newly created partition descriptor for each of at least one partition created during said formatting and partitioning, wherein one such partition descriptor is marked as active; and

reboot said computer system; and

apparatus from which said computer program is accessible by said computer system.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein said computer program further causes said computer system to boot said computer system from a computer-readable medium containing a computer server setup (“

CSS”

) program prior to said prompting, said CSS program including said SLBI.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said computer-readable medium is a CD-ROM inserted in a CD-ROM drive of said computer system.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein said rebooting said computer system from said SLBI comprises:

updating said MPT to include a partition descriptor for said SLBI, said SLBI partition descriptor being marked as active;

instructing a user to remove said CD-ROM from said CD-ROM drive; and

rebooting said computer system.