Automated state migration while deploying an operating system

• US 7,913,250 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Drew, Daniel N, Nanda, Sukanta Kumar, Baron, Anthony, Sardesai, Shantanu
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gooray; Mark A
• Application Number:
  US11/280,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20070113226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

Migration of a user state from a source computing device to a destination computing device using a state migration point (SMP) is disclosed. The destination computing device may be the same as the source computing device but with a different operating system. The user state is securely stored by the SMP until the user state is restored on the destination computing device or a predetermined period of time has elapsed. Additional SMPs can be added without an architectural change. SMPs can be used to simultaneously migrate the states of multiple users of the source computing device to multiple destination computing devices. The SMPs can be restricted to migrate only the user states of computing devices with particular IP subnets. The SMPs can retain user states for a period of time after restoration in order to provide a backup, if necessary.

Claims

1. A server management system for migrating a user state of a computing device from a source computing device to a destination computing device, comprising:

(a) a plurality of state migration points (“

SMP”

) suitable for securely storing the user state of said source computing device in a state migration point directory (“

SMP directory”

);

(b) a plurality of management points (“

MP”

) suitable for storing association information, wherein each association information comprises the identity of the source computing device, including a MAC address of the source computing device with an identity of the destination computing device, including a MAC address of the destination computing device, wherein the MAC address of the destination computing device is stored in a cookie, and a list of said plurality of SMP'"'"'s

(c) one or more software modules for;

(i) selecting one of said plurality of MPs to acquire and populate the association information; and

(ii) polling the SMP'"'"'s on said list to locate a SMP having a capacity to store the user state of said source computing device in the SMP directory of the SMP being polled, transferring the user state of said source computing device to said SMP directory of said SMP for secure storage in said SMP directory; and

(iii) receiving a request from said destination computing device for the user state, authenticating that said destination computing device matches the identity of said destination computing device associated with the identity of said source computing device, wherein authenticating that said destination computing device matches the identity of said destination computing device comprises referencing the MAC address of the destination computing device stored in the cookie, and as a result of authenticating, transferring the user state of said source computing device securely stored in said SMP directory to said destination computing device.

2. The server management system of claim 1 wherein polling comprises sequentially polling the SMPs on said list to locate a SMP having a capacity to store the user state of said computing device in the SMP directory of the SMP being polled.

3. The server management system of claim 1 wherein said source computing device and said destination computing device are a same computing device.

4. A method of migrating a user state of a computing device from a source computing device to a destination computing device, comprising:

obtaining a plurality of state migration points (“

SMP”

) suitable for securely storing the user state of said source computing device in a state migration point directory (“

SMP directory”

);

obtaining a plurality of management points (“

MP”

) suitable for storing association information, wherein each association information comprises the identity of the source computing device, including a MAC address of the source computing device with an identity of the destination computing device, including a MAC address of the destination computing device, wherein the MAC address of the destination computing device is stored in a cookie, and a list of said plurality of SMP'"'"'s;

selecting one of said plurality of MPs to acquire and populate the association information; and

polling the SMP'"'"'s on said list to locate a SMP having a capacity to store the user state of said source computing device in the SMP directory of the SMP being polled, transferring the user state of said source computing device to said SMP directory of said SMP for secure storage in said SMP directory; and

receiving a request from said destination computing device for the user state, authenticating that said destination computing device matches the identity of said destination computing device associated with the identity of said source computing device, wherein authenticating that said destination computing device matches the identity of said destination computing device comprises referencing the MAC address of the destination computing device stored in the cookie, and

as a result of authenticating, transferring the user state of said source computing device securely stored in said SMP directory to said destination computing device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said source computing device includes a plurality of user states, each user state associated with a different user and wherein each of said plurality of user states is transferred to a separately identifiable location of said identified SMP and is separately stored at said separately identifiable location in said identified SMP, and each user state is associated with a different destination computing device from among a plurality of destination computing devices.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said plurality of user states are each transferred from said SMP to an associated one of said plurality of destination computing devices after authenticating each one of the said plurality of destination computing devices.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said SMP creates a secure directory and wherein said user state of said source computing device is transferred to said secure directory for storage.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein said source computing device and said destination computing device are a same computing device.

9. A method of migrating a user state of a computing device from a source computing device to a destination computing device, comprising:

obtaining a plurality of state migration points (“

SMP”

) suitable for securely storing the user state of said source computing device in a state migration point directory (“

SMP directory”

);

obtaining a plurality of management points (“

MP”

) suitable for storing association information, wherein each association information comprises the identity of the source computing device, including a MAC address of the source computing device with an identity of the destination computing device, including a MAC address of the destination computing device, wherein the MAC address of the destination computing device is stored in a cookie, and a list of said plurality of SMP'"'"'s;

selecting one of said plurality of MPs to acquire and populate the association information; and

polling the SMP'"'"'s on said list to locate a SMP having a capacity to store the user state of said source computing device in the SMP directory of the SMP being polled, transferring the user state of said source computing device to said SMP directory of said SMP for secure storage in said SMP directory; and

receiving a request from said destination computing device for the user state, authenticating that said destination computing device matches the identity of said destination computing device associated with the identity of said source computing device, wherein authenticating that said destination computing device matches the identity of said destination computing device comprises referencing the MAC address of the destination computing device stored in the cookie, and

as a result of authenticating, transferring the user state of said source computing device securely stored in said SMP directory to said destination computing device; and

decrementing a total count of computers remaining needing to restore user state by one.

10. The method of claim 9 including associating one source computing device with one or more destination computing devices.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said SMP also stores information identifying said source computing device associated with the transferred user state.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said source computing device includes a plurality of user states and wherein said destination computing device includes a plurality of computing devices.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said source computing device and said destination computing device are different computing devices.