Remotely controlled boot manager
First Claim
Patent Images
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.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
7 Claims
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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.
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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.
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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.
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5. A computer readable memory for causing a first computer to present a menu to a plurality of second computers comprising:
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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.
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6. A computer implemented process to accomplish booting of a workstation computer from a server computer comprising:
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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.
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7. A method for administering at a server computer, the booting of a client computer, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:
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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
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executing the program at the workstation computer;
whereby the workstation computer is booted from the program.
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Specification