Server blade network boot method that minimizes required network bandwidth

• US 7,350,068 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dayan, Richard Alan, Anderson, Jeffrey Wayne, Donovan, Peter Thomas, Chu, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): SURYAWANSHI, SURESH
• Application Number:
  US11/112,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20060242400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 719325-327, 709/219, 709/220
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4405 Initialisation of multiprocessor systems

Abstract

A system remotely boots a plurality of server blades in a blade center to update each blade. A temporary network is created to provide an out-of-band communication channel between a management module and the plurality of server blades. The management module receives and saves the original boot sequence for each server blade and alters each boot sequence such that each server blade begins with a network boot. After receiving an initial transmission over the network containing server blade boot instructions and storing the boot instructions in a temporary boot server, subsequent server blade boot requests from the network are intercepted and the stored boot instructions are re-routed from the temporary boot server to each of the remaining blades in the blade server thus removing the need for repeated boot packet transmission over the network.

Claims

1. A system for remotely booting a plurality of server blades in a first computer network, the system comprising:

a management module adapted to receive server blade boot packets via the first computer network, the management module in communication with the one or more server blades within a second computer network; and

a temporary boot server coupled to the management module and the one or more server blades within the second computer network, the temporary boot server adapted to store the boot packets,

wherein the management module controls transmission of the boot packets from the temporary boot server to the plurality of server blades via the second computer network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of server blades reside within a chassis.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a boot image located within the management module boots the server blades.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second computer network is a virtual local area network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the management module, upon confirmation of the transmission of an initial boot packet to a requesting server blade, intercepts additional requests for boot packets and re-routes boot packets to the remaining server blades.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the management module receives each server blade'"'"'s boot sequence via the second computer network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the management module changes the boot sequence for each of the plurality of server blades whereby each server blade'"'"'s boot sequence begins with a network boot.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the management module restores the boot sequence for each of the plurality of server blades to their original boot sequence.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a switch that activates the second computer network.

10. A method for remotely booting a plurality of server blades in a first computer network, the method comprising:

establishing a second computer network between a management module and the plurality of server blades;

altering the boot sequence for each server blade such that each server blade begins with a network boot;

creating a temporary boot server to store boot packets; and

upon a server blade request for a boot packet, transmitting the boot packets from the temporary boot server to each of the plurality of server blades within the second computer network.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising activating the second computer network via a switch.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second computer network is a virtual local area network.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein upon confirmation of the transmission of an initial boot packet to the requesting server blade, further comprising intercepting additional requests for boot packets from the remaining server blades and re-routing boot packets to the remaining server blades.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising restoring the boot sequence for each of the plurality of server blades to their original boot sequence.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein a boot image located within the management module boots the server blades.

16. A machine readable storage device having stored thereon a computer program for remotely booting a plurality of server blades in a first computer network, the computer program comprising a set of instructions which when executed by a machine causes the machine to perform a method including:

establishing a second computer network between a management module and the plurality of server blades;

altering the boot sequence for each server blade such that each server blade begins with a network boot;

creating a temporary boot server to store boot packets; and

upon a server blade request for a boot packet, transmitting the boot packets from the temporary boot server to each of the plurality of server blades within the second computer network.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising activating the second computer network via a switch.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second computer network is a virtual local area network.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein upon confirmation of the transmission of an initial boot packet to the requesting server blade, further comprising intercepting additional requests for boot packets from the remaining server blades and re-routing boot packets to the remaining server blades.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising restoring the boot sequence for each of the plurality of server blades to their original boot sequence.