Sending a CD boot block to a client computer to gather client information and send it to a server in order to create an instance for client computer

• US 6,718,462 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2000
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Griffiths, Paul, Theiller, Philip Charles, Hubacher, Kenneth Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANCHUS III, PAUL B
• Application Number:
  US09/552,858
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

Client Discovery is a program that utilizes the existing remote boot capability of a network and adds a program to automate the discovery of a computer'"'"'s class and the creation of an instance for that specific computer. When a client machine is connected to the network and turned on for the first time, the server will find its request for an operating system, identify that the machine does not have an instance and will send an CD boot block to the client computer. The CD boot block will obtain information about the client computer by automatically scanning everything that the program is able to scan. The client information gathering program may also prompt the user with questions and include those responses in the client information. The CD boot block will then send the information gathered to a log file in the server. One or more keys from the client information are compared to one or more keys in the template table. When a match is made, the server program executes a command to link the client machine'"'"'s MAC address to the template creating an instance for the client computer and to save the instance in the server memory. The client machine will then reboot. When it restarts it will now be automatically identified by its instance and the appropriate operating system sent to it.

Claims

1. A method for automatically determining the class and creating an instance for one or more client computers having client information, said client computers turned on for the first time in a network having remote booting capability, comprising the steps of:

sending a CD boot block to the client computer;

acquiring the client information in the CD boot block;

sending the client information from the CD boot block to the server;

matching one or more keys from the client information with one or more keys in a template table; and

responsive to making a match, creating an instance for said client computer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, responsive to receiving client information in a file in the server, comparing one or more keys in the file to one or more keys in the template table.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of, responsive to creating the instance, saving said instance to a server memory.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of, responsive to a reboot by the client computer, sending an operating system corresponding to said instance to said client computer.

5. A programmable apparatus for automated determination of class and creation of an instance for a client computer turned on for the first time in a network having remote boot capability, said apparatus comprising,

programmable hardware comprising;

at least one server computer; and

a plurality of workstation computers without an instance at the server;

a network connecting said server computer and said workstation computers;

a remote boot capability installed on said server computers and said workstation computers;

a client discovery program installed on said server computer;

a template table installed on said server;

wherein when said client computer is turned on, said client discovery program sends a CD boot block to said client computer;

wherein said CD boot block acquires client information and causes said client information to be sent to said server computer;

wherein, said client discovery program compares said client information to said template table;

wherein, responsive to matching one or more keys in said client information with one or more keys in said template table, said client discovery program creates an instance for said client computer; and

responsive to creating an instance for said client computer, said client discovery program saves said instance in a memory in said server.

6. The programmable apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a plurality of network interface cards connected to said programmable hardware.

7. The programmable apparatus of claim 5 further comprising, wherein when said client computer reboots, an operating system corresponding to said instance will be sent to said client computer.

8. A computer readable memory for causing a first computer to discover the class of and create an instance for 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 for an operating system by at least one second computer, causes the first computer to send a CD boot block to said second computer; and

responsive to client information acquired by said CD boot block, causes the first computer to determine the class of said second computer; and

responsive to determining the class of said second computer, causes the first computer to create an instance for said second computer.

9. The computer readable memory of claim 8 further comprising, responsive to determining the class of said second computer, causing said first computer to save said instance in said storage medium.

10. The computer readable memory of claim 8 further comprising, responsive to a reboot by said second computer, causing an operating system corresponding to said instance to be sent to said second computer.

11. A computer implemented process to automatically determine the class and create an instance for a client computer by a server computer comprising:

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

powering the first computer;

receiving a CD boot block in the second computer;

responsive to receiving said CD boot block, acquiring client information in said CD boot block;

responsive to acquiring said information in said CD boot block, sending said information to said network server;

responsive to rebooting, receiving an operating system from said network server;

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

sending a CD boot block to said first computer; and

responsive to receiving said client information from said first computer, comparing one ore more keys in said client information to one ore more keys in a template table;

responsive to matching one or more keys in said client information to one or more keys in said template table, creating an instance for said first computer.

12. The computer implemented process of claim 11 further comprising:

responsive to creating an instance for said first computer, saving said instance in the memory of said second computer; and

responsive to said first computer rebooting, sending an operating system corresponding to said instance from said second computer to said first computer.

13. A method for automating administration of instance creation for a client computer at a server computer, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

sending a CD boot block to the client computer;

acquiring client information in the CD boot block from the client computer;

sending the client information from the CD boot block to the server;

comparing one or more keys from said client information to one ore more keys in a template table;

matching said one or more keys in said client information to one or more keys in said template table; and

creating an instance for said client computer.

14. A computer program product on a computer-readable medium for automating instance creation for a client computer in a remote boot environment, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions from a first memory for sending a CD boot block to said client;

responsive to receiving said CD boot block in the client computer, second instructions for acquiring client information;

third instructions for sending said client information to said server;

fourth instructions for comparing one ore more keys from said client information to one ore more keys in a template table;

responsive to matching said one ore more keys in said client information to one ore more keys in said template table, fifth instructions for creating an instance for said client;

responsive to creating an instance, sixth instructions for saving said instance.