Boot architecture discovery in pre-boot environment

• US 7,546,448 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2006
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yaqoob, Asad, Syed, Saad, Dickens, Christopher Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown; Michael J
• Application Number:
  US11/358,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20070198819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 709/203, 709/226, 709/232
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

Identifying characteristics of a client in a pre-boot environment. A packet is received from the client. The packet includes a request for an image to boot the client by a computing device. An application is transmitted from the computing device to the client in response to the received packet. The client executes the transmitted application. A response is received from the application executed by the client. The characteristics of the client are determined based on the received response. An image to boot the client is transmitted, and the transmitted image is a function of the determined characteristics.

Claims

1. A method implemented at least in part by a server for determining characteristics of a client in a pre-boot environment, said method comprising:

receiving a packet from the client at the server, said packet including a request for an image to boot the client, said server capable of providing a plurality of images to boot clients with different computing architectures;

determining whether the received packet specifies computing architecture information of the client;

if the received packet specifies the computing architecture information of the client, sending the requested image corresponding to the specified computing architecture information of the client from the server to the client;

if the received packet fails to specify the computing architecture information of the client;

prior to responding to the received packet with a requested image transmitting an application to the client in response to the received packet, wherein the application, when executed by the client, determines the computing architecture information of the client;

receiving a response at the server from the application executed by the client, said received response including the computing architecture information of the client as determined by execution of the transmitted application;

determining the characteristics of the client based on the received response; and

transmitting an image from the plurality of images from the server to boot the client wherein the transmitted image is a function of the determined characteristics.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is a 16-bit real mode network boot program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received response includes a value included in a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) option field.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the DHCP option field is DHCP option 93, and wherein the value for the DHCP option field corresponding to the characteristics of the client.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the client includes at least information relating to an architecture type of the client.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

7. A system for determining computing characteristics of a client in a pre-boot environment, said system comprising a server having a processor for executing computer-executable instructions for:

receiving a packet from the client, said packet including a request for an image to boot the client, said server capable of providing a plurality of images to boot clients with different computing architectures;

determining whether the received packet specifies computing architecture information of the client;

if the received packet specifies the computing architecture information of the client, sending the requested image corresponding to the specified computing architecture information of the client from the server to the client;

if the received packet fails to specify the computing architecture information of the client;

prior to respond to the received packet with a requested image, transmitting an application to the client in response to the received packet, wherein the client executes the transmitted application;

receiving a response from the application executed by the client, said received response including the computing architecture information of the client;

determining the characteristics of the client based on the received response; and

transmitting an image from the plurality of images from the server to boot the client wherein the transmitted image is a function of the determined characteristics.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the application includes a 16-bit real mode network boot program.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the received response includes a value included in a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) option field.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the DHCP option field is DHCP option 93, and wherein the value for the DHCP option field corresponding to the characteristics of the client.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the characteristics of the client includes at least information relating to an architecture type of the client.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor, based on the received response, configures a value for a DHCP option field #250 in the server.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to evaluate the value in the DHCP option field #250 for determining the characteristics of the client.

14. One or more computer storage media having computer-executable components for selecting an image for booting a client in a pre-boot environment based on information relating to a computing architecture of said client, said computer-executable components comprising:

a communications component for receiving a packet from the client, said packet including a request for the image to boot the client by a server, said server capable of providing a plurality of images to boot clients with different computing architectures, wherein it is determined whether the received packet specifies computing architecture information of the client,

if it is determined that the received packet specifies the computing architecture information of the client, a service component is configured to select the requested image from the plurality of images corresponding to the specified computing architecture information of the client to be transmitted to the client,

if the received packet fails to specify the computing architecture information of the client;

a booting engine for transmission by the communications component to the client in response of the received request and prior to respond to the received packet with a requested image, said booting engine for generating a response from the client and provided to the communications component, said response specifies the computing architecture information of the client;

a memory component for storing a plurality of images; and

the service component responsive to the specified computing architecture information from the booting engine received by the communications component for selecting at least one of the plurality of images to be transmitted by the communications component from the server to the client for booting the client.

15. The computer storage media of claim 14, wherein the booting engine includes a 16-bit real mode network boot program.

16. The computer storage media of claim 14, wherein the generated response includes a value included in a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) option field.

17. The computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the DHCP option field is DHCP option 93, and wherein a value for the DHCP option field corresponding to the characteristics of the client.

18. The computer storage media of claim 14, wherein the information relating to the computing architecture of the client includes at least information of processing unit of the client.

19. The computer storage media of claim 14, wherein the service component, based on the received response, configures a value for a DHCP option field #250 in the server.

20. The computer storage media of claim 19, wherein the service component further evaluating the value in the DHCP option field #250 for determining the information of the computing architecture of the client.