Method of remote imaging

• US 6,857,011 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paragon Development Systems, Inc. (Converge Technology Solutions Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Paragon Development Systems, Inc. (Converge Technology Solutions Corp.)
• Inventors: Reinke, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, David Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/377,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20040088367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/223, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

Method for remotely imaging a computer. In one embodiment the method includes establishing a connection between two or more computers, extracting information from a storage device, and executing commands to create and format partitions on the storage device. The method may also include changing a bootsector of a partition, transferring data including utility data and an image file to a partition, and activating a boot indicator associated with the partition so as to re-image the storage device upon rebooting. Embodiments of the invention also include methods for removing a computer name from an associated network or domain, and augmenting security and identity parameters to allow the computer to be re-associated with a network or domain. Embodiments of the invention may be implemented using an imaging tool that, in one embodiment, includes an initialization module having one or more interfaces with input fields, a format module, and a naming module.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a storage device associated with a computer over a network, the method comprising:

establishing a connection between the computer and a second computer;

executing a management application on the computer;

executing commands initiated by the second computer to create at least one partition on the storage device;

formatting the at least one partition to have a first bootsector;

replacing the first bootsector, with a second bootsector, the second bootsector being different from the first bootsector;

copying one or more executable files and an image file to the at least one partition;

activating a boot indicator of the at least one partition;

removing the computer name from a location on the storage device; and

augmenting one or more identification parameters;

wherein activating the boot indicator causes the computer to process at least one of the executable files and the image file to re-image at least a portion of the storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein augmenting one or more identification parameters includes changing a security identification parameter of the computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein augmenting one or more identification parameters includes accessing a domain controller.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises restarting the computer associated with the storage device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters includes a computer name and a password.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one partition is formatted with a 16 bit file allocation table.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one partition is formatted with a 32 bit file allocation table.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the boot indicator is a boot flag.

9. A method of configuring a storage device associated with a computer over a network, the method comprising:

establishing a connection between the computer and a second computer;

executing a management application on the computer;

executing commands initiated by the second computer to create a first partition and a second partition on the storage device;

formatting the first partition to have a first bootsector;

replacing the first bootsector, with a second bootsector, the second bootsector being different from the first bootsector;

copying one or more executable files to the first partition;

copying one or more image files to the second partition;

activating a boot indicator of the first partition;

replacing the computer name and password stored on the storage device; and

augmenting one or more identification parameters;

wherein activating the boot indicator causes the computer to process at least one of the executable files and the image file to re-image at least a portion of the storage device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein augmenting one or more identification parameters includes changing a security identification parameter of the computer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein augmenting one or more identification parameters includes accessing a domain controller.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises restarting the computer associated with the storage device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more parameters includes a computer name and a password.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one partition is formatted with a 16 bit file allocation table.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one partition is formatted with a 32 bit file allocation table.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the boot indicator is a boot flag.

17. A method of configuring a storage device associated with a computer over a network, the method comprising:

establishing a connection between the computer and a second computer;

executing a management application on the computer;

executing commands initiated by the second computer to create at least one partition on the storage device;

formatting the at least one partition to have a first bootsector;

replacing the first bootsector, with a second bootsector, the second bootsector being different from the first bootsector;

copying one or more executable files to the at least one partition;

activating a boot indicator of the at least one partition;

removing the computer name from a location on the storage device; and

augmenting one or more identification parameters;

wherein activating the boot indicator causes the computer to process at least one of the executable files to access an image file over the network to re-image at least a portion of the storage device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein augmenting one or more identification parameters includes changing a security identification parameter of the computer.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein augmenting one or more identification parameters includes accessing a domain controller.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises restarting the computer associated with the storage device.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more parameters includes a computer name and a password.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one partition is formatted with a 16 bit file allocation table.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one partition is formatted with a 32 bit file allocation table.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the boot indicator is a boot flag.

25. A system for remotely imaging a storage device, the system comprising:

a first computer and at least one second computer, wherein the first and second computer are operable to communicate using a network connection therebetween; and

an imaging tool having one or more routines operable to initiate a communications link between the first and at least one second computer, extract information from one of the first and at least one second computer, create one or more partitions on the storage device, transfer information from a network location to the one or more partitions, augment parameters associated with a computer identification and domain association, and operable to cause a re-image operation wherein a bootsector on the storage device initiates execution of at least a portion of the information communicated to the one or more partitions.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the information storage device is a computer hard disk having a configuration that includes a master boot record.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the connection between the first computer and the second computer is wireless.

28. An imaging tool comprising:

an initialization module operable to establish a connection between a first computer and a second computer, and to extract information from the computer, and including;

one or more interfaces having a plurality of input fields;

a format module operable to modify the configuration of a storage device on the first computer, communicate executable files to locations on the storage device, and to designate a location of the storage device such that information based on one or more of the executable files is processed upon rebooting the storage device; and

a naming module operable to augment security and identification parameters associated with the computer.

29. The imaging tool of claim 28, wherein the one or more displays are operable to initiate an imaging process.

30. The imaging tool of claim 28, wherein the one or more displays are operable to initiate a remote connection with the computer.

31. The imaging tool of claim 28, wherein the one or more displays are operable to initiate a renaming process.

32. The imaging tool of claim 28, wherein the one or more displays are operable to provide event notification.

33. The imaging tool of claim 28, wherein modifying the configuration of the storage device includes creating at least one partition.

34. The imaging tool of claim 28, wherein the designation of a location of the storage device includes changing a boot indicator associated with the at least one partition.