Application appliance enabling operating system and applications to run from a CDROM by determining local configuration and license status

• US 6,681,324 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2000
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Daniel Phillips
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Eric
• Application Number:
  US09/656,841
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 714/2, 709/203
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4408 Boot device selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

A machine having a non-volatile storage medium interface such as a CDROM drive and a local hard drive is configured for execution of an application process from a non-volatile storage medium such as a CDROM. The method of configuring the machine includes first loading into the machine, from a removable non-volatile storage medium in communication with the non-volatile storage medium interface, an operating system environment. The local hard drive is accessed to determine if the machine has a signature indicating that the machine had been configured previously. In response to a determination that the machine was not previously configured, a network connection to a server is established to access configuration files for use by the operating system environment and/or the application process. A local file system is loaded from the removable non-volatile storage medium onto the local hard drive, based on the accessed configuration files. The application process is executed from the removable non-volatile storage medium.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a machine, having a non-volatile storage medium interface and a local hard drive, for execution of an application process from a removable non-volatile storage medium, the method comprising:

first loading into the machine, from a removable non-volatile storage medium in communication with the non-volatile storage medium interface, an operating system environment,

accessing the local hard drive to determine if the machine has a signature indicating that the machine had been configured previously,

in response to a determination that the machine was not previously configured, establishing a network connection to a server to access configuration files for use by at least one of the operating system environment and the application process,

second loading from the removable non-volatile storage medium, a local file system onto the local hard drive, based on the accessed configuration files, and

executing the application process from the removable non-volatile storage medium.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile storage medium interface is a CDROM drive and the removable non-volatile storage medium is a CDROM.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising installing from the removable non-volatile storage medium a SCSI driver for accessing the local hard drive.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising installing from the removable non-volatile storage medium a network driver.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising scanning a SCSI chain to determine the number of SCSI hard disks in the chain, and partitioning and formatting the hard disks based on requirements set forth by the application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the SCSI hard disks are configured for software redundant array of independent disks (RAID).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of second loading step includes defining a partition designated for license information relating to information on the removable non-volatile storage medium.

8. The method of claim 1, further including keying the license information to the removable non-volatile storage medium, the key serving as the signature.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first loading step includes booting the machine into a functioning UNIX based operating system kernel.

10. The method of claim 1, further including installing and activating system daemons from the removable non-volatile storage medium.

11. A device enabling an operating system environment and an application process to be initiated from a non-volatile storage medium, the device comprising:

a processor,

memory,

a non-volatile storage medium interface,

a local hard drive,

a network controller, and

a SCSI controller,

the device being configured such that when the non-volatile storage medium is loaded into the non-volatile storage medium interface, the device

     1) initiates the operating system environment based on loading a first sequences of instructions from the non-volatile storage medium into the memory,

     2) accesses the local hard drive to determine if the machine has a signature indicating that the machine had been configured previously, and in response to a determination that the machine was not previously configured, establishes a network connection to a server to access configuration files for use by at least one of the operating system environment and the application process, and

     3) executes the application process based on loading a second sequence of instructions from the non-volatile storage medium into the memory,

wherein the non-volatile storage medium interface is a CDROM drive and the non-volatile storage medium is a CDROM.

12. A non-volatile storage medium constructed and arranged to be removably loaded into a non-volatile storage medium interface of a processor-based device, the medium comprising:

a first sequence of instructions for generation of an operating system environment by a processor,

a second sequence of instructions for generation of an application process by a processor,

a first executable routine for causing the processor to initiate execution of the operating system environment in the device,

a second executable routine for causing the processor to configure the device for executing the application process from the non-volatile storage mediums,

a SCSI driver for accessing a local hard drive to determine if the machine has a signature indicating that the machine had been configured previously, and

a network driver for establishing a network connection to a server to access configuration files for use by at least one of the operating system environment and the application process, in response to a determination that the machine was not previously configured.

13. The non-volatile storage medium of claim 12, wherein the storage medium is a CDROM.

14. The non-volatile storage medium of claim 12, further including a sequence of instructions for generation of a partition on the hard drive for licensing information relating to information on the non-volatile storage medium.

15. A method of executing an application from a non-volatile storage medium, the method comprising:

providing a device having a processor, memory, a non-volatile storage medium interface, and a local hard drive,

providing a removable non-volatile storage medium having stored thereon a first sequence of instructions for generation of an operating system environment by a processor, a second sequence of instructions for generation of an application process by a processor, a first executable routine for causing the processor to initiate execution of the operating system environment in the device, and a second executable routine for causing the processor to configure the device for executing the application process from the non-volatile storage medium,

loading a removable non-volatile storage medium into the non-volatile storage medium interface thereby initiating the operating system environment based on loading the first sequences of instructions from the removable non-volatile storage medium into the memory, and

executing the application process based on loading the second sequence of instructions from the removable non-volatile storage medium into the memory,

loading, from the removable non-volatile storage medium, a local file system on the local hard drive, wherein the loading step includes defining a partition designated for license information relating to information on the non-volatile storage medium.