METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY INSTALLING AN INITIAL SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION INCLUDING AN OPERATING SYSTEM MODULE FROM A LIBRARY CONTAINING AT LEAST TWO OPERATING SYSTEM MODULES BASED ON RETRIEVED COMPUTER IDENTIFICATION DATA

• US 6,681,323 B1
• Filed: 11/29/1999
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba America Information Systems Incorporated (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba America Information Systems Incorporated (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Stuart, Bruce, Fontanesi, Jeffrey Robert, Howard, Heather
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Dennis M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SURYAWANSHI, SURESH
• Application Number:
  US09/450,163
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 710/10, 717/174
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for automatically installing an initial software configuration on at least one target computer in an installation system. The at least one target computer is booted from a boot storage medium. Identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer is automatically retrieved from the memory of the at least one target computer. Data representative of software component modules is automatically transferred from a library of software component modules stored on a library storage medium to the memory of the target computer based on the retrieved identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer. The transferred software component modules are automatically installed onto the memory of the target computer.

Claims

1. In an installation system including at least one target computer, each target computer having a memory, a hardware configuration, and identification data associated with the hardware configuration, a method for automatically installing an initial software configuration on each target computer, the method comprising:

booting the target computer from a boot storage medium;

automatically retrieving the identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer from a BIOS storage area of the target computer, wherein the identification data includes a unique part number;

automatically transferring data representative of software component modules from a library of software component modules stored on a library storage medium to the memory of the target computer based on the retrieved identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer;

automatically transferring data representative of an operating system module from a library of operating system modules, the library containing at least two operating system modules, stored on the library storage medium to the memory of the target computer based on the retrieved identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer; and

automatically installing the transferred software component modules and the operating system module onto the memory of the target computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the installation system includes a plurality of target computers having different hardware configurations, and further wherein the boot storage medium for each target computer includes logic for booting all of the target computers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

setting CMOS parameters of the target computer;

rebooting for a first time the target computer from the boot storage medium after setting the CMOS parameters of the target computer;

erasing data representative of partitioning and formatting information from the memory of the target computer;

partitioning the memory of the target computer;

rebooting for a second time the target computer from the boot storage medium after partitioning the memory of the target computer; and

formatting the memory of the target computer prior to automatically transferring the software bundle.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

storing data representative of a process flag in the memory of the target computer for indicating whether the booting step, the rebooting for the first time step, or the rebooting for the second time step has been performed; and

after each of the booting step, the rebooting for the first time step, and the rebooting for the second time step, determining which step has been performed based on the process flag.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the memory of each target computer includes a hard disk drive, and the process flag is stored on the hard disk drive of the target computer.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

retrieving data representative of instructions for partitioning and formatting the memory of the target computer from the library storage medium based on the retrieved identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer, wherein the memory of the target computer is partitioned and formatted in accordance with the instructions for partitioning and formatting the memory of the target computer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

establishing a network connection between the target computer and a remote installation server having a memory, wherein the library storage medium is the memory of the installation server, and data is transferred between the target computer and the installation server through the network connection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the library storage medium includes a compact disk local to each target computer.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

verifying that the transferred software bundle was successfully installed onto the memory of the target computer; and

displaying a message on the target computer indicating that the initial software configuration was successfully installed onto the target computer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory of each target computer further includes:

a BIOS storage area for storing the identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer; and

a hard disk drive onto which the initial software configuration is installed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferred software bundle installed onto the memory of the target computer includes an operating system appropriate for the hardware configuration of the target computer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer further includes a screen resolution provided by the target computer, and the method further comprises the step of:

configuring the operating system installed onto the memory of the target computer in accordance with the screen resolution provided by the target computer.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

detecting one or more devices installed onto the target computer, wherein the transferred software bundle installed onto the memory of the target computer includes one or more device drivers corresponding to the devices installed on the target computer.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein the library storage medium is a compact disk local to the target computer.

37. The method of claim 1, further including storing a process flag in the memory of the target computer to keep track of a boot sequence.

14. In an installation system including a plurality of target computers, each target computer having a memory, a hardware configuration, and identification data associated with the hardware configuration, and the plurality of target computers having different hardware configurations, a method for automatically installing operating system software on each target computer, the method comprising:

booting the target computer from a boot storage medium, wherein the boot storage medium includes logic for booting all of the target computers;

setting CMOS parameters of the target computer;

rebooting for a first time the target computer from the boot storage medium;

automatically retrieving the identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer from a BIOS storage area of the target computer, wherein the identification data includes a unique part number;

erasing data representative of formatting and partitioning information from the memory of the target computer;

partitioning the memory of the target computer;

rebooting for a second time the target computer from the boot storage medium;

formatting the memory of the target computer;

automatically transferring data representative of operating system software component modules from a library of operating system software modules, the library containing at least two operating system modules, stored on a library storage medium to the memory of the target computer based on the retrieved identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer; and

automatically installing the transferred software component modules and the operating system module onto the memory of the target computer.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

storing data representative of a process flag in the memory of the target computer for indicating whether the booting step, the rebooting for the first time step, or the rebooting for the second time step has been performed; and

after each of the booting step, the rebooting for the first time step, and the rebooting for the second time step, determining which step has been performed based on the process flag.

38. The method of claim 14, wherein the library storage medium is a compact disk local to the target computer.

39. The method of claim 14, further including storing a process flag in the memory of the target computer to keep track of a boot sequence.

16. An installation system comprising:

at least one target computer, each target computer having a memory, a hardware configuration, and identification data associated with the hardware configuration, wherein the identification data includes a unique part number and is stored in a BIOS storage area;

a library storage medium for storing data representative of software component modules in a library of software component modules; and

a boot storage medium for each target computer, each boot storage medium including logic for performing;

booting the target computer from the boot storage medium;

automatically retrieving the identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer from the memory of the target computer;

automatically transferring data representative of software component modules from the library of software component modules stored on the library storage medium to the memory of the target computer based on the retrieved identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer;

automatically transferring data representative of an operating system module from a library of operating system modules, the library containing at least two operating system modules, stored on the library storage medium to the memory of the target computer based on the retrieved identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer; and

automatically installing the transferred software component modules and the operating system module onto the memory of the target computer.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the installation system comprises a plurality of target computers having different hardware configurations, and further wherein the boot storage medium for each target computer includes logic for booting all of the target computers.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the library storage medium further includes data representative of instructions for partitioning and formatting the memory of each target computer.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a communications link; and

a remote installation server having a memory, wherein the remote installation server is intermittently coupled to each target computer through the communications link, and further wherein the library storage medium is the memory of the installation server, and data is transferred between each target computer and the installation server through the communications link.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the memory of the installation server includes a hard disk drive, and the library storage medium is the hard disk drive of the installation server.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the library storage medium includes a compact disk local to each target computer.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory of each target computer further includes:

a BIOS storage area for storing the identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer; and

a hard disk drive onto which the initial software configuration is installed.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the transferred software bundle installed onto the memory of the target computer includes an operating system appropriate for the hardware configuration of the target computer.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer further includes a unique part number of the target computer, and further wherein the operating system installed onto the target computer corresponds to the unique part number of the target computer.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer further includes a screen resolution provided by the target computer, and further wherein the operating system installed onto the memory of the target computer is configured in accordance with the screen resolution provided by the target computer.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein each target computer includes one or more devices installed on the target computer, and the transferred software bundle installed onto the memory of the target computer includes one or more device drivers corresponding to the devices installed on the target computer.

40. The method of claim 16, wherein the library storage medium is a compact disk local to the target computer.

41. The method of claim 16, further including storing a process flag in the memory of the target computer to keep track of a boot sequence.

27. An installation system comprising:

a plurality of target computers, each target computer having a memory, a hardware configuration, and identification data associated with the hardware configuration;

a library storage medium for storing data representative of software component modules in a library of software component modules; and

a boot storage medium for each target computer, each boot storage medium including logic for performing;

booting all of the target computers from the boot storage medium;

setting CMOS parameters of the target computer;

rebooting for a first time the target computer from the boot storage medium;

automatically retrieving the identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer from a BIOS storage area of the target computer, wherein the identification data includes a unique part number;

erasing data representative of formatting and partitioning information from the memory of the target computer;

partitioning the memory of the target computer;

rebooting for a second time the target computer from the boot storage medium;

formatting the memory of the target computer;

automatically transferring data representative of software component modules from the library of software component modules stored on the library storage medium to the memory of the target computer based on the retrieved identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer;

automatically transferring data representative of an operating system module from a library of operating system modules, the library containing at least two operating system modules, stored on the library storage medium to the memory of the target computer based on the retrieved identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer; and

automatically installing the transferred software component modules and the operating system module onto the memory of the target computer.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a communications link; and

a remote installation server having a memory, wherein the remote installation server is intermittently coupled to each target computer through the communications link, and further wherein the library storage medium is the memory of the installation server, and data is transferred between each target computer and the installation server through the communications link.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the memory of the installation server includes a hard disk drive, and the library storage medium is the hard disk drive of the installation server.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the library storage medium includes a compact disk local to each target computer.

42. The method of claim 27, wherein the library storage medium is a compact disk local to the target computer.

43. The method of claim 27, further including storing a process flag in the memory of the target computer to keep track of a boot sequence.

31. For an installation system including at least one target computer, a computer-readable boot storage medium for automatically installing an initial software configuration onto each target computer, each target computer having a memory, a hardware configuration, and identification data associated with the hardware configuration, the boot storage medium for each target computer including encoded instructions for performing:

booting the target computer from the boot storage medium;

automatically retrieving the identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer from a BIOS storage area of the target computer, wherein the identification data includes a unique part number;

automatically transferring data representative of software component modules from a library of software component modules stored on a library storage medium to the memory of the target computer based on the retrieved identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer;

automatically transferring data representative of an operating system module from a library of operating system modules, the library containing at least two operating system modules, stored on the library storage medium to the memory of the target computer based on the retrieved identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer; and

automatically installing the transferred software component modules and the operating system module onto the memory of the target computer.

32. The boot storage medium of claim 31, wherein the installation system includes a plurality of target computers having different hardware configurations, and further wherein the boot storage medium for each target computer includes encoded instructions for booting all of the target computers.

33. The boot storage medium of claim 31, wherein the boot storage medium for each target computer further includes encoded instructions for performing the steps of:

setting CMOS parameters of the target computer;

rebooting for a first time the target computer from the boot storage medium after setting the CMOS parameters of the target computer;

erasing data representative of partitioning and formatting information from the memory of the target computer;

partitioning the memory of the target computer;

rebooting for a second time the target computer from the boot storage medium after partitioning the memory of the target computer; and

formatting the memory of the target computer prior to automatically transferring the software bundle.

34. The boot storage medium of claim 33, wherein the boot storage medium for each target computer further includes encoded instructions for performing the steps of:

storing data representative of a process flag in the memory of the target computer for indicating whether the booting step, the rebooting for the first time step, or the rebooting for the second time step has been performed; and

after each of the booting step, the rebooting for the first time step, and the rebooting for the second time step, determining which step has been performed based on the process flag.

35. The boot storage medium of claim 34, wherein the memory of each target computer includes a hard disk drive, and the process flag is stored on the hard disk drive of the target computer.

44. The method of claim 31, wherein the library storage medium is a compact disk local to the target compute.

45. The method of claim 31, further including storing a process flag in the memory of the target computer to keep track of a boot sequence.