Information handling system manufacture method and system
First Claim
1. A system for managing software configuration at manufacture of information handling systems, the system comprising:
- a manufacture server operable to interface with the information handling system through a network and having a configuration database that associates configuration information for each information handling system with an identifier for that information handling system;
a PXE server operable to interface with the information handling system through a network and having a manufacture operating system;
a network boot program stored on the PXE server and operable to execute as a PXE client on the information handling system; and
a boot kernel stored on the information handling system and operable to download the network boot program and to initiate execution of the PXE client;
wherein the PXE client is operable to determine a unique identifier of an information handling system, obtain the configuration information associated with the unique identifier in the configuration database, establish a drive on random access memory of the information handling system with the configuration information and install the manufacture operating system in the drive;
wherein the manufacture server further has a manufacture storage database operable to store the manufacture state of the information handling system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A universal PXE client obtains configuration information for an information handling system, applies the configuration information to create a drive on the information handling system and loads a manufacture operating system in the drive. The manufacture operating system runs a manufacture application that configures the software of the information handling system. The universal PXE client is generated by a scripting engine of a network boot program that is downloaded to the information handling system with a NIC boot kernel activated on power-up. The state of manufacture is periodically saved to a network location that tracks manufacture progress and persists manufacture state information through system re-boots.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A system for managing software configuration at manufacture of information handling systems, the system comprising:
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a manufacture server operable to interface with the information handling system through a network and having a configuration database that associates configuration information for each information handling system with an identifier for that information handling system; a PXE server operable to interface with the information handling system through a network and having a manufacture operating system; a network boot program stored on the PXE server and operable to execute as a PXE client on the information handling system; and a boot kernel stored on the information handling system and operable to download the network boot program and to initiate execution of the PXE client; wherein the PXE client is operable to determine a unique identifier of an information handling system, obtain the configuration information associated with the unique identifier in the configuration database, establish a drive on random access memory of the information handling system with the configuration information and install the manufacture operating system in the drive; wherein the manufacture server further has a manufacture storage database operable to store the manufacture state of the information handling system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for performing software configuration at manufacture of an information handling system, the method comprising:
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executing firmware instructions upon application of power to the information handling system to download a network boot program; executing the network boot program to generate a PXE client on the information handling system; discovering a unique identifier saved on the information handling system with the PXE client; downloading a configuration information associated with the discovered unique identifier; applying the configuration information with the PXE client to create a virtual drive on random access memory of the information handling system; loading a manufacture operating system in the drive with the PXE client; executing the manufacture operating system; building a manufacture application with the manufacture operating system; copying the manufacture application state to a network location; re-booting the information handling system; and accessing the manufacture application state from the network location to continue with software configuration. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for configuring information handling system software through a network, the method comprising:
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discovering a unique identifier saved on the information handling system; retrieving from a network location configuration information associated with the unique identifier; creating a drive in volatile memory according to the configuration information; retrieving from a network location a manufacture operating system; installing the manufacture operating system in the created drive; running the manufacture operating system to perform a manufacture applications; tracking manufacture states of the information handling system at a network location; and re-establishing the manufacture state in random access memory after a re-boot of the information handling system. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification