Method and system for dynamically purposing a computing device

• US 7,668,938 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2000
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sutton, Paul C., Waite, Ryan W. J., Raghavan, Kartik N., Phillips, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia; Rupal D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swearingen; Jeffrey R
• Application Number:
  US09/713,740
• Time in Patent Office: 3,387 Days
• Field of Search: 709202-203, 709223-224, 709/235, 709238-239, 709220-221, 717/168, 717171-172, 717/174, 717/176
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A system and method for purposing a computing device is disclosed. A management controller system is used to copy a system image from a library of system images to a target partition of the computer to be repurposed. The system image may include a configured copy of an operating system and an application program. The system image may also include logic for generating and assigning a unique security identifier to the computer. The invention includes a managed node service for monitoring the status of the computer and for performing some of the necessary steps in purposing the computer. Additionally, the invention includes facilities for loading a default operating system on the computer when the computer is first connected to a network.

Claims

1. A system for repurposing a computing device, comprising:

at least one computing device to be repurposed, the computing device comprising a server in a pool of servers of various server types, where the servers provide their respective statuses to a management controller device, the computing device having a computer readable storage medium comprising a default partition and a target partition different from the default partition, the default partition having a default operating system and application software, the computing device configured to be capable of booting from either the default partition or the target partition, where only one partition'"'"'s operating system executes at a time, the default partition being configured to transfer system images via a network from a system image library to the target partition, the default partition also being configured to configure settings in a system image transferred from the system image library to the target image, the default operating system persisting despite the system image being copied to the target partition;

the system image library including a plurality of different system images, each system image comprising a full bootable image of a pre-configured operating system and accompanying pre-configured application software, at least one of which is different, respectively, from the operating system and application software of the default partition, and the system image library being configured to transfer the system images via the network to computing devices being purposed;

a management controller device, separate from the computing device and the other servers in the pool, receiving the statuses via the network and balancing the server types in the pool by using the statuses to determine that a particular server type is needed in the pool and selecting a system image from among system images in the image library based on the system image corresponding to the determined server type, and where the management controller device identifies the selected system image to the computing device and, via the network, cause the computing device to automatically;

transfer the selected system image from the system image library to the target partition while booted from the default partition and running the default operating system,

configure settings of the transferred system image on the target partition, and

boot from the target partition after the system image is transferred to the target partition and configured, the management controller configured for access via the network, wherein the transferred image is a different image than the system image on the default partition.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an image transfer engine that transfers the selected system image from the system image library to the target partition.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected system image is comprised of at least one operating system and at least one application program.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one selected system image further comprises one or more program modules for generation of a unique security identifier.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising an installation service installing on the target partition a second operating system and a second service communicating a second current status of the computing device to the management controller, where the second service runs only while the second operating system is running.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer readable storage medium further comprises a recovery partition containing recovery tools.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises at least two target partitions.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the management controller device initiates booting from the default partition after the initiating booting from the target partition.

9. A method for repurposing a computing device connected to a computing network and including a computer readable storage medium comprising a default partition and a target partition, the computing device comprising a server in a pool of servers of various server types, where the servers provide their respective statuses to a management controller device, the method comprising:

installing a default operating system image on the default partition, the default operating system including a default operating system and one or more services that provide a status of the computing device to a controller, that transfer a system image via a network to the default partition, and that configure settings of the default image, where the service(s) runs while the default operating system is running and the computing device is booted from the default partition;

booting the computing device from the default partition having the default operating system image;

receiving indicia of a selected system image from a management controller device, the management controller device separate from the computing device and the other servers in the pool, the management controller device having selected the system image by receiving the statuses via the network and balancing the server types in the pool by using the statuses to determine that a particular server type is needed in the pool and then selecting the system image from among system images in a system image library based on the system image corresponding to the determined server type;

responsive to the indicia, installing, by the one or more service(s), the selected system image on the target partition of the computer readable storage medium, including transferring the identified system image, via the network, to the target partition of the computer readable storage medium, and configuring, by the one or more service(s), settings of the system image on the target partition; and

when done installing the selected system image, booting the computing device from the target partition having the configured selected system image while maintaining the operating system of the default partition.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein installing the identified system image further comprises:

transferring to the target partition a second service for providing a status of the computing device to the controller device, where the second service runs only while a second operating system of the target partition is running.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein booting the computing device from the target partition further comprises:

running a startup program to setup the selected system image on the target partition; and

booting the computing device from the target partition having the selected system image.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein booting the computing device from the target partition further comprises:

generating a unique security identifier for the computing device; and

assigning the unique security identifier to the computing device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected system image transferred to the target partition is comprised of at least one operating system, at least one application program.

14. A method for repurposing a computing device in a network, the computing device comprising a server in a pool of servers of various server types, where the servers provide their respective statuses to a management controller device, the computing device including a storage medium comprising a default partition and a target partition and running an existing system image on the target partition, where the default partition and the target partition are bootable partitions, the method comprising:

booting the computing device from the default partition having a default operating system that executes upon the booting, the default partition including one or more service(s) for providing, via a network, a status of the computing device to a controller device where the service(s) runs while the default operating system is running, the service(s) receiving indicia of a selected system image from a management controller device, the management controller device separate from the computing device and the other servers in the pool, the management controller device having selected the system image by receiving the statuses via the network and balancing the server types in the pool by using the statuses to determine that a particular server type is needed in the pool and then selecting the system image from among system images in a system image library based on the system image corresponding to the determined server type, and the service(s) transferring the selected system image, via the network, to the target partition;

storing the selected system image comprising a target operating system on the target partition and overwriting the existing target system image while maintaining the default operating system in the default partition, and configuring, by the service(s), settings of the new target operating system on the target partition; and

booting the computing device from the target partition having the new and configured selected system image.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein booting from the target partition comprises:

running a startup program to setup the new target system image on the target partition; and

booting the computing device from the target partition to run the selected system image.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein booting from the target partition further comprises:

generating a security identifier for the computing device; and

assigning the security identifier to the computing device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the existing system image comprises at least one operating system and at least one application program.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the selected system image further comprises at least one application program.

19. One or more computer readable media having executable instructions stored thereon for repurposing a computing device that includes a storage medium having a default partition and a target partition, the computing device comprising a server in a pool of servers of various server types, where the servers provide their respective statuses to a management controller device wherein the executable instructions, when executed, implement steps comprising:

receiving indicia of a selected system image from a management controller device, the management controller device separate from the computing device and the other servers in the pool, the management controller device having selected the system image by receiving the statuses via the network and balancing the server types in the pool by using the statuses to determine that a particular server type is needed in the pool and selecting the system image from the image library that corresponds to the determined server type, and where the management controller device;

booting the computing device from the default partition having a default operating system;

installing a target system image on the target partition, including selecting a system image from a library of at least one system image and transferring the selected system image via a network to the target partition of the storage medium;

storing on the target partition a service for providing a status of the computing device to the controller where the service runs only while a target operating system associated with the target system image is running; and

booting the computing device from the target partition having the target system image while maintaining the default operating system of the default partition.

20. A method for repurposing a computing device including a storage medium comprising a default partition and a target partition, the computing device comprising a server in a pool of servers of various server types, where the servers provide their respective statuses to a management controller device, where the default partition and the target partition are bootable partitions, the method comprising:

receiving indicia of a selected system image from a management controller device, the management controller device separate from the computing device and the other servers in the pool, the management controller device having selected the system image by receiving the statuses via the network and balancing the server types in the pool by using the statuses to determine that a particular server type is needed in the pool and selecting the system image from the image library that corresponds to the determined server type, and where the management controller device;

booting the computing device from the default partition having a default operating system that executes upon booting the default partition and one or more service(s) executing when the default partition boots and providing, via a network, a status of the computing device when the default operating system is running, the service(s) also transferring the selected system image, via the network, to the target partition;

installing, by the service(s), the selected system image onto the target partition, where the selected system image is obtained from a library of at least one system image and transferring, via the network, the selected system image to the target partition of the computer readable storage medium, and configuring, by the service(s) settings of the selected system image that take effect when the selected system image boots;

storing on the target partition a second service, separate from the first service, the second service providing a status of the computing device to the controller device where the second service runs while a target operating system of the target system image is running; and

booting the computing device from the selected system image.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein an image transfer engine performs transferring the selected system image to the target partition.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein booting the computing device from the target partition further comprises:

running a startup program to setup the selected system image on the target partition; and

booting the computing device from the target partition having the selected system image.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein booting the computing device from the target partition further comprises:

generating a unique security identifier for the computing device; and

assigning the unique security identifier to the computing device.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the selected system image loaded on the target partition is comprised of at least the target operating system and at least one application program.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein controller device determined a need for repurposing based on overload of another of the server of the same server type as the computing device prior to the repurposing.