Method and system for configuring and updating networked client stations using a virtual disk and a snapshot disk
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for configuring and updating networked client stations, comprising:
- a plurality of client stations connected to a network;
a storage device connected to the plurality of client stations via the network and storing configuration information, wherein each of the plurality of client stations is configurable with the configuration information;
a virtual disk containing configuration information identifiers each including a representation of the configuration information and mapping information pointing to the storage device location where the configuration information is stored, wherein the configuration information is retrievable from the storage device by the plurality of client stations with the configuration information identifiers in the virtual disk; and
a snapshot disk created for a modified version of the virtual disk, the snapshot disk containing at least one configuration information identifier that is different than the configuration information identifiers in the virtual disk, wherein the snapshot disk is exportable to any one of the plurality of client stations and the configuration information is retrievable with the configuration information identifiers in the snapshot disk.
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Abstract
A system and method for facilitating configuration of client stations in a computer network. A virtual disk representing configuration information is formed and selectively exported via the network to the client stations. The stations are configured with the configuration information identified by the virtual disk. Snapshot disks representing modifications to the configuration information required at the client stations can also be created, transported across the computer network, and used to upgrade client station.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A system for configuring and updating networked client stations, comprising:
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a plurality of client stations connected to a network;
a storage device connected to the plurality of client stations via the network and storing configuration information, wherein each of the plurality of client stations is configurable with the configuration information;
a virtual disk containing configuration information identifiers each including a representation of the configuration information and mapping information pointing to the storage device location where the configuration information is stored, wherein the configuration information is retrievable from the storage device by the plurality of client stations with the configuration information identifiers in the virtual disk; and
a snapshot disk created for a modified version of the virtual disk, the snapshot disk containing at least one configuration information identifier that is different than the configuration information identifiers in the virtual disk, wherein the snapshot disk is exportable to any one of the plurality of client stations and the configuration information is retrievable with the configuration information identifiers in the snapshot disk. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 21)
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9. A method for configuring networked client stations with configuration information stored on one or more storage devices, the client stations being connected by network connections with the one or more storage devices, the method comprising the steps of:
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storing configuration information identifiers in a virtual disk, each of the configuration information identifiers including a representation of the configuration information and mapping information pointing to one or more storage devices locations, wherein each of the plurality of client stations is configurable with the configuration information;
storing a configuration information identifier in a snapshot disk that indicates a modified version of the virtual disk, the snapshot disk containing at least one configuration information identifier that is different than the configuration information identifiers in the virtual disk;
retrieving the configuration from the one or more storage devices with one or more of the configuration information identifiers in the virtual disk and the snapshot disk; and
configuring each client station with the configuration information. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
storing an identifier that indicates a locations of a master configuration information;
wherein a snapshot includes a pointer mapped to the identifier of the configuration information of the master configuration information.
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11. The method of claim 9, wherein there is more than one virtual disk each associated with configuration information, the method further comprising the steps of:
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retrieving by first and second of the plurality of client stations configuration information from corresponding ones of the virtual disks with the configuration information identifiers therein; and
configuring the first and second client stations with the configuration information.
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12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:
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selecting by a third client station a virtual disk from among the virtual disks;
retrieving by the third client station the configuration information with the configuration information identifiers in the selected virtual disk; and
configuring the third client station with the configuration information.
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13. The method of claim 9, wherein the virtual disk is formed by a copy-on-write technique.
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14. A system for configuring and updating the configuration of networked client stations, comprising:
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one or more storage devices including respective configuration information for configuring client stations connected via a network to each other and to the one or more storage disk devices, wherein each of the client stations is configurable with respective configuration information;
one or more virtual disks respectively containing configuration information identifiers each including a representation of respective configuration information and mapping information pointing to corresponding one or more of the locations in the storage devices where the respective configuration information is stored; and
,a logical copy of each of the one or more virtual disks from which a second virtual disk is respectively created for updating the configuration of any of the client stations;
wherein each of the client stations obtains respective configuration information with the one or more virtual disks and the configuration information identifiers therein, and each client station obtains an updated version of the configuration information with the second virtual disk. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22)
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Specification