Remotely controlled boot manager

• US 6,539,473 B1
• Filed: 09/02/1999
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hubacher, Kenneth, Sposato, Dennis, Theiller, Philip C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park, Ilwoo
• Application Number:
  US09/389,440
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/219-222, 713/1, 713/2, 717/171-173, 717/176-178
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

An apparatus and method for the administrator of a computer network to make changes to boot manager configuration from a server without any direct involvement at the local workstation.

Claims

1. A method for remote administration of options for booting one or more workstation computers without an operating system and having a medium access code from one or more server computers comprising the steps of:

sending a request for a menu from the workstation to a server;

responsive to matching the medium access code of the workstation to the menu, sending the menu to the workstation;

receiving the menu, configured by an administrator for the workstation with the medium access code, from the server at the workstation;

making a selection from at least one option in the menu;

transmitting the selection to the server;

receiving a program from the server in response to said selection; and

booting said workstation from said program.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

executing a boot code loader in a workstation computer;

loading a remote control program;

sending a discovery frame having a medium access control address from the workstation computer; and

intercepting the discovery frame at a server computer.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

specifying the medium access code to which a server will respond in a menu control program at the server computer.

4. A programmable apparatus for presenting pre-selected choices for booting a workstation to a user of the workstation comprising,

programmable hardware comprising;

at least one server computer; and

a plurality of workstation computers without an operating system and having remote boot capability;

a plurality of network interface cards connected to said programmable hardware;

a network connecting said server computer and said workstation computers;

a first program installed on said workstation computers;

a second program installed on said server computer for providing a menu in response to a request from a first computer provided that said second program receives a discovery frame from said first computer and matches the medium access code in the discovery frame to a menu configured by a system administrator for the first computer;

a plurality of operating systems installed on said server computer;

wherein at least one of said workstation computers is directed by said first program to execute a boot code loader, load a remote control program, send a discovery frame having a medium access control address and request the menu from said server computer; and

responsive to intercepting the discovery frame and matching the medium access control code with the menu, sending the menu to the workstation; and

responsive to receiving a request from the workstation, said server computer transmitting an operating system corresponding to said request to said workstation.

5. A computer readable memory for causing a first computer to present a menu to a plurality of second computers comprising:

a first computer readable storage medium;

a computer program stored in said storage medium;

the storage medium, so configured by said computer program, responsive to a request from at least one second computer, causes the first computer to display a menu to said second computer provided that said computer program receives a discovery frame from said second computer and matches the medium access code in the discovery frame to a menu configured by a system administrator for the second computer; and

responsive to a request from said second computer, cause the first computer to transmit a program selected from said menu to said second computer.

6. A computer implemented process to accomplish booting of a workstation computer from a server computer comprising:

using a workstation computer, performing the following series of steps;

powering the workstation computer;

obtaining control of the workstation computer by means of a first program;

executing, without an operating system, the first program to communicate with a network server by sending a discovery frame having a medium access control code;

responsive to a second program in the server computer matching a menu to the medium access code, sending a menu of boot options to the workstation;

receiving a menu of boot options from the server computer;

selecting a boot option;

receiving a program corresponding to the selected boot option;

booting the first computer;

using a second computer, performing the following series of steps;

intercepting the discovery frame;

responsive to intercepting the discovery frame, sending the menu that corresponds to the medium access code to the first computer; and

responsive to the menu selection from the first computer, sending a program corresponding to the menu selection to the first computer.

7. A method for administering at a server computer, the booting of a client computer, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

executing instructions from a client computer first memory to load a boot code loader from a client computer second memory, wherein the client computer first memory is a BIOS ROM and the client computer second memory is a nonvolatile, read/write memory;

executing the boot code loader to load a control program from the client computer second memory;

executing the control program to load a set of programs from the client computer second memory without loading an operating system;

executing the set of programs to communicate a first message having a medium access code to a network server;

responsive to said first message, retrieving a menu corresponding to the medium access code from the network server;

sending the menu that corresponds to the medium access code to the client computer;

executing the set of programs to communicate a second message to a network server;

responsive to said second message, receiving at least one program from the network server; and

;

executing the program at the workstation computer;

whereby the workstation computer is booted from the program.