iSCSI system OS boot configuration modification

• US 7,360,072 B1
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Soltis, Edward Alan, Rissmeyer, Charles Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Elamin; A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman; Fahmida
• Application Number:
  US10/402,204
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 709/222
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

A Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) boot extension is loaded upon system boot and is operable to store an iSCSI boot disk identifier identifying a remote disk drive to a shared memory location. As an operating system is loaded via iSCSI over a network connection to a remote disk, an operating system iSCSI driver is loaded. The operating system iSCSI driver reads the boot disk identifier stored in the shared memory location and uses the boot disk identifier to configure the operating system.

Claims

1. A method of booting a networked computerized system comprising:

loading a Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) boot extension in a booting computer, the PXE boot extension operable to store an iSCSI boot disk identifier identifying a remote disk drive to a shared memory location in a booting computer;

loading an operating system in the booting computer via iSCSI over a network connection to a remote disk via a first iSCI driver;

loading an operating system-specific second iSCSI driver in the booting computer, wherein the loading comprises reading the boot disk identifier stored in the shared memory location and using the boot disk identifier to configure the operating system; and

transferring network interface and SCSI control of the booting computer from the PXE boot extension to the operating system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating system is a Microsoft Windows®

operating system and the operating system-specific second iSCSI driver is a Microsoft Windows iSCSI driver.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the Microsoft Windows®

iSCSI driver issues an IoCreateSymbolicLink to link the remote disk drive identified by the stored iSCSI boot disk identifier to a Microsoft Windows ArcName disk drive partition identifier.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a primary disk driver is loaded to enable Microsoft Windows®

to access the remote disk drive identified by the iSCSI boot disk identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the PXE boot extension comprises the first iSCSI driver and a TCP driver.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the PXE boot extension'"'"'s iSCSI driver is operable to transport SCSI commands over a TCP/IP connection via the TCP driver.

7. A method of booting a networked computerized system comprising:

loading a Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) boot extension in a booting computer, the PXE boot extension operable to store an iSCSI boot disk identifier identifying a remote disk drive to a shared memory location in a booting computer;

loading an operating system in the booting computer via iSCSI over a network connection to a remote disk via a first iSCI driver;

loading an operating system-specific second iSCSI driver in the booting computer, wherein the loading comprises reading the boot disk identifier stored in the shared memory location and using the boot disk identifier to configure the operating system;

wherein the operating system is a Microsoft Windows®

operating system and the operating system-specific second iSCSI driver is a Microsoft Windows iSCSI driver; and

querying the system via the Microsoft Windows®

iSCSI driver for a SymbolicLinkObject corresponding to a boot partition of the remote disk drive identified by the stored iSCSI boot disk identifier; and

modifying the registry to set a SystemPartition value to the remote disk drive'"'"'s system partition.

8. A networked computerized system comprising:

a network interface card comprising a part of a first computer;

a Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) boot extension, the PXE boot extension operable to store an iSCSI boot disk identifier identifying a remote disk drive to a shared memory location in the first computer;

a first iSCSI driver stored in the first computer operable to transport SCSI commands over the TCP/IP connection to provide access to a bootable operating system stored on a second computer; and

a software module stored in the first computer and operable to boot the networked computerized system from the bootable operating system stored on the second computer via the SCSI commands transported over the TCP/IP connection, and to load and execute an operating system-specific second iSCSI driver in the first computer, wherein executing the operating system-specific second iSCSI driver comprises reading the boot disk identifier stored in the shared memory location and using the boot disk identifier to configure the operating system, the software module further operable to transfer network interface and SCSI control of the networked computerized system from the PXE boot extension to the booted operating system.

9. The networked computerized system of claim 8, wherein the operating system is a Microsoft Windows®

operating system and the operating system-specific iSCSI driver is a Microsoft Windows iSCSI driver.

10. The networked computerized system of claim 9, wherein the Microsoft Windows®

iSCSI driver issues an IoCreateSymbolicLink to link the remote disk drive identified by the stored iSCSI boot disk identifier to a Microsoft Windows ArcName disk drive partition identifier.

11. The networked computerized system of claim 9, wherein the software module is further operable to load a primary disk driver to enable Microsoft Windows®

to access the remote disk drive identified by the iSCSI boot disk identifier.

12. The networked computerized system of claim 8, wherein the PXE boot extension comprises the first iSCSI driver and a TCP driver.

13. The networked computerized system of claim 12, wherein the PXE boot extension'"'"'s iSCSI driver is operable to transport SCSI commands over a TCP/IP connection via the TCP driver.

14. A networked computerized system comprising:

a network interface card comprising a part of a first computer;

a Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) boot extension, the PXE boot extension operable to store an iSCSI boot disk identifier identifying a remote disk drive to a shared memory location in the first computer;

a first iSCSI driver stored in the first computer operable to transport SCSI commands over the TCP/IP connection to provide access to a bootable operating system stored on a second computer; and

a software module stored in the first computer and operable to boot the networked computerized system from the bootable operating system stored on the second computer via the SCSI commands transported over the TCP/IP connection, and to load and execute an operating system-specific second iSCSI driver in the first computer, wherein executing the operating system-specific second iSCSI driver comprises reading the boot disk identifier stored in the shared memory location and using the boot disk identifier to configure the operating system;

wherein the Microsoft Windows®

iSCSI driver issues an IoCreateSymbolicLink to link the remote disk drive identified by the stored iSCSI boot disk identifier to a Microsoft Windows ArcName disk drive partition identifier;

the software module further operable to query the system via the Microsoft Windows®

iSCSI driver for a SymbolicLinkObject corresponding to a boot partition of the remote disk drive identified by the stored iSCSI boot disk identifier, and modify the registry to set a SystemPartition value to the remote disk drive'"'"'s system partition.

15. A method of booting a networked computerized system comprising:

loading a Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) boot extension comprising;

a software module that intercepts INT13 calls and converts them to SCSI read and write commands;

a first iSCSI driver operable to send SCSI read and write commands over a TCP/IP connection;

a TCP stack providing a TCP implementation for the first iSCSI driver; and

a software module operable to store an iSCSI boot disk identifier identifying a remote disk drive to a shared memory location;

transporting SCSI commands over the TCP/IP connection to provide access to a bootable operating system stored on a second networked computerized system via the first iSCSI driver and TCP stack;

booting the networked computerized system from the bootable operating system stored on the second networked computerized system via the SCSI commands transported over the TCP/IP connection;

loading and executing an operating system-specific second iSCSI driver, wherein the executing comprises reading the boot disk identifier stored in the shared memory location and using the boot disk identifier to configure the operating system; and

transferring network interface and SCSI control of the networked computerized system from the PXE boot extension to the operating system.

16. A networked computerized system, comprising:

a Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) boot extension comprising;

a software module that intercepts INT13 calls and converts them to SCSI read and write commands;

a micro-iSCSI driver operable to send SCSI read and write commands over a TCP/IP connection; and

a micro-TCP stack providing a TCP/IP implementation for the micro-iSCSI driver; and

a software module operable to store an iSCSI boot disk identifier identifying a remote disk drive to a shared memory location;

the PXE boot extension operable to transport SCSI commands over the TCP/IP connection to provide access to a bootable operating system stored on a second networked computerized system via the micro-iSCSI driver and micro-TCP stack;

a software module operable to boot the networked computerized system from the bootable operating system stored on the second networked computerized system via the SCSI commands transported over the TCP/IP connection, booting the networked computerized system comprising;

loading and executing an operating system iSCSI driver, wherein the executing comprises reading the boot disk identifier stored in the shared memory location and using the boot disk identifier to configure the operating system; and

transferring network interface and SCSI control of the networked computerized system from the PXE boot extension to the operating system.

17. A method of booting a computerized system comprising:

loading a software module in a booting computer, the software module operable to store an iSCSI boot disk identifier identifying a remote disk drive to a shared memory location in the booting computer;

loading an operating system in the booting computer via iSCSI over a network connection to a remote disk via a first iSCSI driver;

loading and executing an operating system-specific second iSCSI driver, wherein the executing comprises reading the boot disk identifier stored in the shared memory location and using the boot disk identifier to configure the operating system; and

transferring network interface and SCSI control of the networked computerized system from the PXE boot extension to the operating system.