System and method for management of end user computing devices

• US 7,603,440 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Utopic Software, LLC
• Original Assignee: Persystent Technology Corp. (Utopic Software, LLC)
• Inventors: Patel, Dhaval, Sturgeon, Thomas A., Grabowski, Joseph D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mesfin; Yemane
• Application Number:
  US10/290,240
• Time in Patent Office: 2,531 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-224, 714 2- 4, 714/15, 714/26, 714/38, 717168-173
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

A system and method is provided for the repair of operating system and application binary files and configuration data files at pre-operating system boot stage by comparing attributes of the files against a reference collection of such files stored on a server during each reboot or restart cycle while creating and restoring a collection of dynamic operating system binary files, configuration data files, file system structures and hardware system attributes unique to the configuration and use of the system on a server for subsequent pre-operating system repair operations.

Claims

1. A method for storing operating system files, application binary files, and configuration data files at a pre-operating system boot stage of a client comprising:

transmitting a client script from a server to the client in response to a reboot of the client, the client script defining a pre-boot process that is executed at the pre-operating system boot stage of the client and performs on the client the operations of;

in response to an initial configuration of the client device, initiating a timer that runs for a set time period selected to allow an operating system of the client to execute one or more hardware and software configuration routines for the client;

rebooting the client device after expiration of the set time period;

detecting changes from the initial configuration resulting from the execution of the hardware and software configuration routines on the client; and

comparing a reference collection of files stored on a server against the operating system files, the application binary files, and the configuration data files of the client during each subsequent reboot cycle of the client, wherein the reference collection of files comprises an entire operating system, one or more application binary files, and one or more configuration data files;

generating a second reference collection of files based on the detected changes and the comparison, the second reference collection of files comprising one or more of the operating system files, the application binary files, and the configuration files stored on the client that do not match the reference collection of files, and wherein the second reference collection of files corresponds to the actual dynamic uses of the client;

storing the second reference collection of files on the server, whereby the second reference collection of files is configured to be used in a subsequent pre-operating boot stage of the client; and

provide the client access to the reference collection of files and the second reference collection of files during a subsequent pre-operating boot stage for a repair of the client to usable state that corresponds to the actual dynamic uses of the client corresponding to the second reference collection of files.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating system is configured to receive boot instructions from one or more of removable media, fixed media, virtual media, and network sources.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating system is a DOS-based operating system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating system is a non-DOS-based operating system.

5. A computer system for storing operating system files, application binary files, and configuration data files at a pre-operating system boot stage of a client, comprising:

a server having a hardware storage device storing a reference collection of files, the reference collection of files comprises an entire operating system, one or more application binary files, and one or more configuration data files, the hardware storage device also storing a client script, the client script defining a pre-boot process that is executed at the pre-operating system boot stage of the client, the server being configured to provide the client script to the client in response to a reboot of the client;

wherein the pre-boot process causes performs on the client the operations of;

in response to an initial configuration of the client device, initiating a timer that runs for a set time period selected to allow an operating system of the client to execute one or more hardware and software configuration routines for the client;

rebooting the client device after expiration of the set time period;

detecting changes from the initial configuration resulting from the execution of the hardware and software configuration routines on the client; and

comparing the reference collection of files against attributes of operating system files, application binary files, and configuration data files of the client during subsequent reboots;

wherein the hardware storage device also includes instructions that, when executed by the server, cause the server to;

generate a second reference collection of files based on the detected changes and the comparison, the second reference collection of files comprising one or more of the operating system files, the application binary files, and the configuration files stored on the client that do not match the reference collection of files, and wherein the second reference collection of files corresponds to the actual dynamic uses of the client;

store the second reference collection of files on the hardware storage device of the server for use in a subsequent pre-operating boot stage of the client; and

provide the client access to the reference collection of files and the second reference collection of files during a subsequent pre-operating boot stage for a repair of the client to usable state that corresponds to the actual dynamic uses of the client corresponding to the second reference collection of files.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the client script is an automatic client process component.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising a graphical user interface adapted for use by a user of the client.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the graphical user interface is adapted to monitor automated actions.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the graphical user interface is adapted to provide the user with configurable options to set a behavior of the system.

10. The system of claim 5, further comprising a parser component, wherein the parser component is adapted to parse ASCII format, Unicode or encoded or raw Binary data structures.