Method and apparatus for administering the operating system of a net-booted environment

• US 7,089,300 B1
• Filed: 10/18/1999
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Birse, Cameron Stuart, Stattenfield, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Thong H
• Application Number:
  US09/420,503
• Time in Patent Office: 2,486 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/221, 709/203, 709/245, 709/108, 709/332, 709/229, 709/222, 709/226, 709/223, 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 713/200, 717/11, 717/178, 717/177, 717/9, 717/173, 717/170, 707/217, 707/221, 707/203, 707/245, 707/104, 710/302, 345/346, 714/4, 714/15, 711/112, 711/173
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for supplying a reliable and maintainable operating system in a net-booted environment. According to one embodiment, a network computer (NC) system including an NC server and multiple NC clients is managed by an NC client causing the remainder of the NC clients that are subsequently booted to receive operating system software that is configured differently than that currently in effect by replacing one or more system volumes on the NC server containing the operating system software with one or more different system volumes.

Claims

1. A method comprising a first network computer (NC) client of a plurality of NC clients causing other of the plurality of NC clients that are subsequently booted from a network to receive a second operating system software that is configured differently than a first operating system software by replacing a first set of one or more system volumes maintained at a NC server containing the first operating system software with a second set of one or more system volumes maintained at the NC server containing second operating system software.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the NC client causing those of the plurality of NC clients that subsequently open an application to utilize a modified version of the application by replacing the first set of one or more system volumes, wherein the first set of one or more system volumes further comprise application software.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one NC client of the plurality of NC clients is not rebooted for a period of time after replacing the first set of one or more system volumes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating system software comprises one of Macintosh, Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows NT, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows CE, AIX, UNIX, and Linux.

5. A method comprising:

a network computer (NC) client causing a working copy of one or more system volumes on a NC server to be created by copying the one or more system volumes to a storage area separate from the location of the one or more system volumes, the one or more system volumes containing operating system software that is utilized by each of the plurality of NC clients; and

the NC client causing each of a plurality of NC clients that are subsequently booted from a network to utilize a same single modified operating system by modifying the working copy and replacing the one or more system volumes with the working copy.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the NC client causing those of the plurality of NC clients that subsequently open an application to utilize a modified version of the application by replacing the one or more system volumes, wherein the one or more system volumes further comprise application software.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the operating system software comprises one of Macintosh, Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows NT, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows CE, AIX, UNIX, and Linux.

8. A method comprising:

a network computer (NC) client booting from a boot image provided by a NC server, the boot image including information identifying the location of one or more system volumes on the NC server, the one or more system volumes containing operating system software;

creating a working copy of the one or more system volumes on the NC server by copying the one or more system volumes to a storage area separate from the location of the one or more system volumes; and

modifying the operating system software supplied by the NC server to subsequently net-booted NC clients by modifying, by the NC client, the working copy and replacing the one or more system volumes with the working copy on the NC server.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising changing an application software supplied by the NC server to NC clients that subsequently open the application by modifying the working copy and replacing the one or more system volumes with the working copy, wherein the one or more system volumes further comprise application software.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the operating system software comprises one of Macintosh, Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows NT, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows CE, AIX, UNIX, and Linux.

11. A method comprising:

a network computer (NC) client causing a working copy of one or more system volumes on a NC server to be created by copying the one or more system volumes to a storage area separate from the location of the one or more system volumes, the one or more system volumes containing operating system software that is utilized by each of the plurality of NC clients; and

the NC client causing each of the plurality of NC clients that are subsequently booted from a network to utilize a modified operating system by modifying the working copy and replacing the one or more system volumes with the working copy on the NC server.

12. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions, the sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method comprising:

a network computer (NC) client causing a working copy of one or more system volumes on a NC server to be created by copying the one or more system volumes to a storage area separate from the location of the one or more system volumes, the one or more system volumes containing operating system software that is utilized by each of the plurality of NC clients; and

causing a plurality of NC clients that are subsequently booted from a network to utilize a same modified operating system by modifying the working copy and replacing the one or more system volumes with the working copy on the NC server.

13. A method comprising:

causing each of a plurality of network computer (NC) clients that are booted from a network to utilize a single modified operating system by performing at a NC server;

receiving a request to create a single working copy of one or more system volumes on the NC server, the one or more system volumes containing a single operating system software that is utilized by each of the plurality of NC clients;

in response to receiving the request, creating the single working copy by copying the one or more system volumes to a storage area separate from the location of the one or more system volumes;

receiving modifications to the single working copy;

updating the single working copy in response to the receiving modifications; and

replacing the one or more system volumes with the single working copy.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a network computer (NC) server comprising a first set of one or more system volumes;

a plurality of NC clients, wherein one of the plurality of NC clients is configured to cause each of those of the plurality of NC clients that are subsequently booted from a network to receive a second operating system that is configured differently than a first operating system in effect by replacing at the NC server a first set of one or more system volumes maintained at the NC server containing the first operating system software with a second set of one or more system volumes containing second operating system software.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a network computer (NC) server means comprising a first set of one or more system volume means;

a NC client means for causing a plurality of NC clients means that are subsequently booted from a network to receive a second operating system software that is configured differently than a first operating system in effect by replacing a first set of one or more system volume means maintained at the NC server containing the first operating system software with a second set of one or more system volume means containing second operating system software operating system that is configured differently that that currently in effect by replacing the one or more system volumes with one or more different system volume means.

16. A method comprising:

causing network computer (“

NC”

) clients that are booted from a NC server to utilize a second operating system, which is configured differently than a first operating system by performing, at a first NC client;

booting from the NC server using a first operating system, wherein the first operating system is contained in one or more system volumes on the NC server;

performing changes in a working copy of the one or more first system volumes to provide a second operating system, wherein the working copy is in a storage area separate from the location of the one or more system volumes on the NC server; and

updating the one or more system volumes on the NC server after the performing changes to replace a first operating system with a second operating system, wherein the second operating system is for use by NC clients at subsequent booting from the NC server.

17. A method comprising:

causing network computer (“

NC”

) clients that are booted from a NC server to utilize a second operating system, which is configured differently than a first operating system by performing, at the NC server;

copying one or more system volumes containing a first operating system to a storage area separate from the location of the one or more system volumes, to create a working copy;

updating the working copy in response to changes performed at a NC client, wherein the working copy after the updating contains a second operating system;

replacing the one or more system volumes with the working copy after the updating, wherein the second operating system is for use by NC clients at subsequent booting from the NC server.

18. A machine-readable medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations, comprising:

causing network computer (“

NC”

) clients that are booted from a NC server to utilize a second operating system, which is configured differently than a first operating system by performing, at a first NC client;

booting from a NC server using a first operating system, wherein the first operating system is contained in one or more system volumes on the NC server;

performing changes in a working copy of the one or more first system volumes to provide a second operating system, wherein the working copy is in a storage area separate from the location of the one or more system volumes on the NC server; and

updating the one or more system volumes on the NC server after the performing changes to replace a first operating system with a second operating system, wherein the second operating system is for use by NC clients at subsequent booting from the NC server.

19. A machine-readable medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations, comprising:

causing network computer (“

NC”

) clients that are booted from a NC server to utilize a second operating system, which is configured differently than a first operating system by performing, at the NC server;

copying one or more system volumes containing a first operating system to a storage area separate from the location of the one or more system volumes, to create a working copy;

updating the working copy in response to changes performed at a NC client, wherein the working copy after the updating contains a second operating system;

replacing the one or more system volumes with the working copy after the updating, wherein the second operating system is for use by NC clients at subsequent booting from the NC server.

20. A network computer (“

NC”

) client, comprising;

means for booting from a NC server using a first operating system, wherein the first operating system is contained in one or more system volumes on the NC server;

means for performing changes in a working copy of the one or more first system volumes to provide a second operating system, wherein the working copy is in a storage area separate from the location of the one or more system volumes on the NC server; and

means for updating the one or more system volumes on the NC server after the performing changes to replace a first operating system with a second operating system, wherein the second operating system is for use by NC clients at subsequent booting from the NC server.

21. A network computer (“

NC”

) server, comprising;

means for copying one or more system volumes containing a first operating system to a storage area separate from the location of the one or more system volumes, to create a working copy;

means for updating the working copy in response to changes performed at a NC client, wherein the working copy after the updating contains a second operating system;

means for replacing the one or more system volumes with the working copy after the updating, wherein the second operating system is for use by NC clients at subsequent booting from the NC server.