Automated system setup
First Claim
Patent Images
1. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, causes the one or more processors to:
- maintain mappings of identifiers of the computing device in profiles, wherein each profile indicates a type of functionality the corresponding computing device is to provide;
maintain software configuration information;
retrieve, from a network switch, a mapping of network interface card (NIC) identifiers to ports of the network switch;
identify for one or more of the network interface card (NIC) identifiers, a type of network the corresponding network interface card (NIC) is to be on;
generate switch configuration information based on the mappings and the identified network types;
write the switch configuration information to the network switch;
start a pre-execution environment on the computing device, wherein the pre-execution environment includes sufficient instructions to allow the computing device to access a staging server via a network and obtain operating system configuration information, stored in an SQL database, from a server, wherein the pre-execution environment is started prior to any network communication by the computing device corresponding to the pre-execution environment;
retrieve, based on an identifier of the computing device, the configuration information for the operating system of the computing device; and
install, using the configuration information, the operating system on the computing device.
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Abstract
Automated system setup includes automated configuration of an operating system on a computing device(s), automated configuration of custom software on a computing device(s), and/or automated configuration of a network switch(es). The various information used for the automated configuration(s) can also optionally be maintained for asset tracking purposes.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, causes the one or more processors to:
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maintain mappings of identifiers of the computing device in profiles, wherein each profile indicates a type of functionality the corresponding computing device is to provide; maintain software configuration information; retrieve, from a network switch, a mapping of network interface card (NIC) identifiers to ports of the network switch; identify for one or more of the network interface card (NIC) identifiers, a type of network the corresponding network interface card (NIC) is to be on; generate switch configuration information based on the mappings and the identified network types; write the switch configuration information to the network switch; start a pre-execution environment on the computing device, wherein the pre-execution environment includes sufficient instructions to allow the computing device to access a staging server via a network and obtain operating system configuration information, stored in an SQL database, from a server, wherein the pre-execution environment is started prior to any network communication by the computing device corresponding to the pre-execution environment; retrieve, based on an identifier of the computing device, the configuration information for the operating system of the computing device; and install, using the configuration information, the operating system on the computing device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method comprising:
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determining whether an operating system is to be installed on a computing device; if the operating system is not to be installed, then executing a previously installed operating system; and if the operating system is to be installed, then, maintaining mappings of identifiers of the computing device in profiles, wherein each profile indicates a e of functionality the corresponding computing device is to provide; maintaining software configuration information; retrieving, from a network switch, a mapping of network interface card (NIC) identifiers to ports of the network switch; identifying, for one or more of the network interface card (NIC) identifiers, a type of network the corresponding network interface card (NIC) is to be on; generating switch configuration information based on the mappings and the identified network types; writing the switch configuration information to the network switch; obtaining an identifier of the computing device, wherein the computing device comprises a pre-execution environment that includes sufficient instructions to allow the computing device to access a staging server via a network and obtain the operating system configuration information, stored in a SQL database, from a server, wherein the pre-execution environment is provided to the computing device prior to any network communication by the computing device corresponding to the pre-execution environment, using the identifier to obtain, from a remote device, the configuration information for the operating system, and using the configuration information to install the operating system on the computing device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, causes the one or more processors to:
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maintain mappings of identifiers of the computing device in profiles, wherein each profile indicates a type of functionality the corresponding computing device is to provide; maintain software configuration information; retrieve, from a network switch, a mapping of network interface card (NIC) identifiers to ports of the network switch; identify, for one or more of the network interface card (NIC) identifiers, a type of network the corresponding network interface card (NIC) is to be on; generate switch configuration information based on the mappings and the identified network types; write the switch configuration information to the network switch; begin execution of an installed operating system on the computing device, wherein the computing device comprises a pre-execution environment, the pre-execution environment having sufficient instructions to allow the computing device to access a staging server via a network and obtain custom software configuration information, stored in a SQL database, from a sewer, wherein the computing device is not discovered by the network prior to the accessing the staging server; retrieve, based on a unique identifier of the computing device, the custom software configuration information for the computing device; and install, using the custom software configuration information, the custom software on the computing device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method comprising:
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maintaining mappings of identifiers of a computing device in profiles, wherein each profile indicates a type of functionality the corresponding computing device is to provide; maintaining software configuration information; retrieving, from a network switch, a mapping of network interface card (NIC) identifiers to ports of the network switch; identifying, for one or more of the network interface card (NIC) identifiers, a type of network the corresponding network interface card (NIC) is to be on; generating switch configuration information based on the mappings and the identified network types; writing the switch configuration information to the network switch; receiving, from a pre-execution environment on a computing device, a computing device identifier, wherein the pre-execution environment includes sufficient instructions to allow the computing device to access a staging server via a network and obtain operating system configuration information, stored in a SQL database, from the server, wherein the pre-execution environment is extent on the computing device prior to any network communication by the computing device corresponding to the pre-execution environment; identifying, based on the computing device identifier, configuration information for an operating system of the computing device; and sending, to the computing device, the configuration information for installation of the operating system on the computing device. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A method comprising:
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maintaining mappings of identifiers of a computing device in profiles, wherein each profile indicates a type of functionality the corresponding computing device is to provide; maintaining software configuration information; retrieving, from a network switch, a mapping of network interface card (NIC) identifiers to ports of the network switch; identifying, for one or more of the network interface card (NIC) identifiers, a type of network the corresponding network interface card (NIC) is to be on; generating switch configuration information based on the mappings and the identified network types; writing the switch configuration information to the network switch; receiving, from a computing device comprising a pre-execution environment that includes sufficient instructions to allow the computing device to access a staging server and obtain operating system and custom software configuration information, stored in a SQL database, from the server, a computing device identifier that uniquely identifies the computing device, wherein the pre-execution environment is extent on the computing device prior to any network communication by the computing device corresponding to the pre-execution environment; identifying, based on the computing device identifier, custom software configuration information for the computing device; and sending, to the computing device, the custom software configuration information for installation of the custom software on the computing device. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A system comprising:
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one or more staging servers that maintain mappings of identifiers of computing devices in the system to profiles, wherein each profile indicates a type of functionality a corresponding computing device is to provide, and wherein the one or more staging servers maintain software configuration information, and wherein the one or more staging servers further retrieve, from a network switch, a mapping of network interface card (NIC) identifiers to ports of the network switch, identify, for one or more of the network interface card (NIC) identifiers, a type of network the corresponding network interface card (NIC) is to be on, generate switch configuration information based the mappings and the identified network types, write the switch configuration information to the network switch; and a computing device that starts a pre-execution environment, wherein the pre-execution environment includes sufficient instructions to allow the computing device to access a staging server via a network and obtain operating system and custom software configuration information, stored in a SQL database, from a server, and the computing device subsequently retrieves, from at least one of the one or more of the staging sewers, the configuration information for the operating system of the computing device, and installs the operating system using the configuration information, and wherein the computing device further retrieves the custom software configuration information for the computing device and installs, using the custom software configuration information, the custom software on the computing device, wherein the computing device is aware of the SQL database by virtue of the pre-execution environment prior to the accessing the staging server.
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Specification