Method and apparatus for administering the operating system of a net-booted environment

• US 7,865,579 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Birse, Cameron Stuart, Stattenfield, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Strange; Aaron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Golabbakhsh; Ebrahim
• Application Number:
  US11/484,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221, 713/1, 713/2, 713/100
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for supplying a reliable and maintainable operating system in a net-booted environment. According to one embodiment, a network computer (NC) system including an NC server and multiple NC clients is managed by an NC client causing the remainder of the NC clients that are subsequently booted to receive operating system software that is configured differently than that currently in effect by replacing one or more system volumes on the NC server containing the operating system software with one or more different system volumes.

Claims

1. A method performed at a first network computer (NC) client, comprising:

receiving one or more first working copies of one or more first volumes;

modifying the one or more first working copies to generate one or more second working copies, wherein the modifying includes

generating a write request to the one or more first volumes; and

redirecting the write request to the one or more second volumes on a NC server over a network, wherein information associated with the write request is

to be stored in one or more second volumes at the NC server, wherein the one or more second working copies that include the one or more first copies that have been modified at the first NC client are to be used by one or more second NC clients at a subsequent booting from the NC server, wherein the NC server, the first NC client, and the one or more second NC clients are coupled via a network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first volumes contain an operating system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first volumes contain an application program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first working copies are received by rebooting.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a boot process out of a local memory;

sending a first request for a boot information to the NC server;

receiving the boot information from the NC server;

sending a second request for a boot image to the NC server based on the boot information;

receiving the boot image from the NC server; and

executing the boot image.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising

generating a write request;

and

redirecting the write request to the one or more second volumes at the NC server.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a read request to the NC server;

determining if the read request is associated with the one or more second working copies;

sending the read request to retrieve first data from the one or more second volumes if the read request is associated with the one or more second working copies; and

sending the read request to retrieve second data from the one or more first volumes if the read request is associated with the one or more first working copies.

8. A method performed at a network computer (NC) server, comprising:

copying one or more first working copies from one or more first volumes to one or more second volumes;

enabling of modifying of the one or more first working copies on the NC server by rebooting a first NC client to generate one or more second working copies;

receiving the one or more second working copies generated by the first NC client; and

replacing the one or more first volumes having the one or more first working copies with the one or more second volumes having the one or more second working copies that include the one or more first working copies that have been modified at the first NC client that are to be used by one or more second NC clients at a subsequent booting from the NC server, wherein the NC server, the first NC client, and the one or more second NC clients are coupled via a network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more first volumes contain an operating system.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more first volumes contain an application program.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the enabling of the modifying is performed by rebooting the first NC client.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a first request for a boot information from the first NC client;

sending the boot information to the first NC client;

receiving a second request for a boot image from the NC client; and

sending the boot image to the NC client.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a write request to modify the one or more first volumes from the NC client; and

storing the information associated with the write request in the one or more second volumes.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a read request;

determining if the read request is associated with the one or more second working copies;

retrieving first data from one or more second volumes if the read request is associated with the one or more second working copies; and

retrieving second data from the one or more first volumes if the read request is associated with the one or more first working copies.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising

determining if the one or more second working copies are to be deleted;

and

marking the one or more second working copies for deletion during a subsequent reboot of the first NC client if the one or more second copies are be deleted.

16. A machine-readable storage medium storing data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations, comprising:

receiving one or more first working copies of one or more first volumes;

modifying the one or more first working copies to generate one or more second working copies, wherein the modifying includes

generating a write request;

redirecting the write request to a NC server over a network, wherein information associated with the write request is

to be stored in one or more second volumes at the NC server, wherein the one or more second working copies that include the one or more first copies that have been modified at the first NC client are to be used by one or more second NC clients at a subsequent booting from the NC server, wherein the NC server, the first NC client, and the one or more second NC clients are coupled via a network.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more first volumes contain an operating system.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more first volumes contain an application program.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more first working copies are received by rebooting.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 16 further including data that cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

initiating a boot process out of a local memory;

sending a first request for a boot information to the NC server;

receiving the boot information from the NC server;

sending a second request for a boot image to the NC server based on the boot information;

receiving the boot image from the NC server; and

executing the boot image.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 16 further including data that cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

generating a write request; and

redirecting the write request to the one or more second volumes at the NC server.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 16 further including data that cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

sending a read request to the NC server;

determining if the read request is associated with the one or more second working copies;

sending the read request to retrieve first data from the one or more second volumes if the read request is associated with the one or more second working copies; and

sending the read request to retrieve second data from the one or more first volumes if the read request is associated with the one or more first working copies.

23. A machine-readable storage medium storing data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations, comprising:

copying one or more first working copies from one or more first volumes to one or more second volumes;

enabling of modifying of the one or more first working copies on a NC server by rebooting a first NC client to generate one or more second working copies;

receiving the one or more second working copies generated by the first NC client; and

replacing the one or more first volumes having the one or more first working copies with the one or more second volumes having the one or more second working copies that include the one or more first working copies that have been modified at the first NC client that are to be used by one or more second NC clients at a subsequent booting from the NC server, wherein the NC server, the first NC client, and the one or more second NC clients are coupled via a network.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the one or more first volumes contain an operating system.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the one or more first volumes contain an application program.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the enabling of the modifying is performed by rebooting the first NC client.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 23 further including data that cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first request for a boot information from the first NC client;

sending the boot information to the first NC client;

receiving a second request for a boot image from the NC client; and

sending the boot image to the NC client.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 23 further including data that cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a write request to modify the one or more first volumes from the NC client; and

storing the information associated with the write request in the one or more second volumes.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 23 further including data that cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a read request;

determining if the read request is associated with the one or more second working copies;

retrieving first data from one or more second volumes if the read request is associated with the one or more second working copies; and

retrieving second data from the one or more first volumes if the read request is associated with the one or more first working copies.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 23 further including data that cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

determining if the one or more second working copies are to be deleted; and

marking the one or more second working copies for deletion during a subsequent reboot of the first NC client if the one or more second copies are be deleted.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving one or more first working copies of one or more first volumes;

means for modifying the one or more first working copies to generate one or more second working copies, wherein the means for modifying includes

means for generating a write request; and

means for redirecting the write request to a NC server over a network, wherein information associated with the write request is

to be stored in one or more second volumes at the NC server, wherein the one or more second working copies that include the one or more first copies that have been modified at the first NC client are to be used by one or more second NC clients at a subsequent booting from the NC server, wherein the NC server, the first NC client, and the one or more second NC clients are coupled via a network.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the one or more first volumes contain an operating system.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the one or more first volumes contain an application program.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the one or more first working copies are received by rebooting.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising

means for initiating a boot process out of a local memory;

means for sending a first request for a boot information to the NC server;

means for receiving the boot information from the NC server;

means for sending a second request for a boot image to the NC server based on the boot information;

means for receiving the boot image from the NC server; and

means for executing the boot image.

36. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising:

means for generating a write request; and

means for redirecting the write request to the one or more second volumes at the NC server.

37. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising:

means for sending a read request to the NC server;

means for determining if the read request is associated with the one or more second working copies;

means for sending the read request to retrieve first data from the one or more second volumes if the read request is associated with the one or more second working copies; and

means for sending the read request to retrieve second data from the one or more first volumes if the read request is associated with the one or more first working copies.

38. An apparatus, comprising:

means for copying one or more first working copies from one or more first volumes to one or more second volumes;

means for enabling of modifying of the one or more first working copies on a NC server by rebooting a first NC client to generate one or more second working copies;

means for receiving the one or more second working copies generated by the first NC client; and

means for replacing the one or more first volumes having the one or more first working copies with the one or more second volumes having the one or more second working copies that include the one or more first working copies that have been modified at the first NC client that are to be used by one or more second NC clients at a subsequent booting from the NC server, wherein the NC server, the first NC client, and the one or more second NC clients are coupled via a network.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the one or more first volumes contain an operating system.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the one or more first volumes contain an application program.

41. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the enabling of the modifying is performed by rebooting the first NC client.

42. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

means for receiving a first request for a boot information from the first NC client;

means for sending the boot information to the first NC client;

means for receiving a second request for a boot image from the NC client; and

means for sending the boot image to the NC client.

43. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

means for receiving a write request to modify the one or more first volumes from the NC client; and

means for storing the information associated with the write request in the one or more second volumes.

44. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

means for receiving a read request;

means for determining if the read request is associated with the one or more \ second working copies;

means for retrieving first data from one or more second volumes if the read request is associated with the one or more second working copies; and

means for retrieving second data from the one or more first volumes if the read request is associated with the one or more first working copies.

45. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

means for determining if the one or more second working copies are to be deleted; and

means for marking the one or more second working copies for deletion during a subsequent reboot of the first NC client if the one or more second copies are be deleted.