Installation of updated software for server components

• US 8,091,085 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bealkowski, Richard, Wooldridge, James L., Dubinsky, Dean V.
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, RONGFA PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US11/927,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20090113416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• Field of Search: 717/177
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A target server is queried to build an inventory of components installed within the target server. The target server has a boot process by which it is employed within a production environment. Updated software is received for each component from an update server, based on the inventory built. The boot process is configured so that the target server installs the updated software for each component the next time it boots, instead of being employed within the production environment. The target server is caused to boot such that it installs the updated software for each component. Upon completion of the target server installing the update software for each component, the boot process is reconfigured so that the next time the target server boots it is again employed within the production environment. The target server is again caused to boot such that it is again employed within the production environment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

querying a target device to build an inventory of a plurality of components installed within the target device, the target device having a boot process by which the target device is employed within a production environment;

receiving updated software for each component installed within the target device from an update server, based on the inventory built;

configuring the boot process of the target device so that the target device installs the updated software for each component a next time the target device boots, instead of being employed within the production environment, by;

preparing a logical storage volume on one or more storage devices accessible by the target device;

populating the logical storage volume with the updated software for each component installed within the target device; and

,

specifying a logical boot storage volume of the target device as the logical storage volume;

causing the target device to boot such that the target device boots from the logical storage volume and installs the updated software for each component installed within the target device;

upon successful completion of the target device installing the updated software for each component, reconfiguring the boot process so that a next time the target device boots the target device is again employed within the production environment; and

,

causing the target device to boot such that the target device boots from the original storage volume and is again employed within the production environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein reconfiguring the boot process so that the next time the target device boots the target device is again employed within the production environment comprises specifying the logical boot storage volume of the target device as an original logical storage volume from which the target device previously booted to be employed within the production environment,

and wherein causing the target device to boot such that the target device is again employed within the production environment comprises causing the target device to boot such that the target device boots from the original logical storage volume.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the target device is a scalable server comprising a plurality of individual servers, and the method further comprises:

reducing the scalable server to the individual servers such that temporarily the scalable server no longer exists,

wherein configuring the boot process of the target device comprises configuring the boot process of each individual server so that each individual server installs the updated software the next time the individual server boots,

and wherein causing the target device to boot comprises causing each individual server to boot such that each individual server installs the updated software.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein reconfiguring the boot process upon completion of the target device installing the updated software comprises, upon completion of each individual server installing the update software,

reassembling the scalable server to include the individual servers such that the scalable server again exists.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the inventory built to the update server to request the updated software for each component installed within the target device from the update server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying that the updated software for each component installed within the target device was properly installed by the target device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the components of the target device comprise one or more of:

software of the target device software, and hardware of the target device.

8. A computer-readable medium having one or more computer programs stored thereon to perform a method comprising:

querying a target server to build an inventory of a plurality of components installed within the target server, the target server having an original logical storage volume from which the target server is booted to be employed within a production environment;

receiving updated software for each component installed within the target server from an update server, based on the inventory built;

preparing a logical storage volume on one or more storage devices accessible by the target server;

populating the logical storage volume with the updated software for each component installed within the target server;

specifying a logical boot storage volume of the target server as the logical storage volume;

causing the target server to boot such that the target server boots from the logical storage volume and installs the updated software for each component installed within the target server;

upon successful completion of the target server installing the updated software for each component, specifying the logical boot storage volume of the target server as the original logical storage volume; and

,

causing the target server to boot such that the target server boots from the original storage volume and is again employed within the production environment.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the target server is a scalable server comprising a plurality of individual server, such that the method is performed in relation to each individual server of the scalable server.

10. A computer-readable medium having one or more computer programs stored thereon to perform a method comprising:

querying a target server to build an inventory of a plurality of components installed within the target server, the target server having an original boot configuration via which the target server is booted to be employed within a production environment;

receiving updated software for each component installed within the target server from an update server, based on the inventory built;

preparing a network boot program to include the updated software for each component installed within the target server;

storing the network boot program within a logical folder accessible within a preboot execution environment;

specifying a boot configuration of the target server as including the preboot execution environment so that the target server executes the network boot program when booting the next time;

causing the target server to boot such that the target server boots via the preboot execution environment and installs the updated software for each component installed within the target server by executing the network boot program;

upon completion of the target server installing the updated software for each component, specifying the boot configuration of the target server as the original boot configuration such that the boot configuration no longer includes the preboot execution environment; and

,

upon completion of the target server installing the updated software for each component, and after specifying the boot configuration of the target server as the original boot configuration, causing the target server to boot such that the target server boots via the original boot configuration and is again employed within the production environment, such that the target server does not execute the network boot program when being booted.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the target server is a scalable server comprising a plurality of individual server, such that the method is performed in relation to each individual server of the scalable server.

12. A system comprising:

one or more networks;

an update server communicatively connected to the networks and having a plurality of updated software for different server components;

a target server communicatively connected to the networks and having a plurality of components installed therewithin that are to be updated, the plurality of components selected from the different server components, the target server having a boot process by which the target server is employed within a production environment;

a storage device having a logical folder, the storage device communicatively connected to the networks; and

,

an update controller communicatively connected to the networks, the update controller adapted to;

query the target server to build an inventory of the components installed within the target server;

receive the updated software for each component from the update server, based on the inventory built;

configure the boot process of the target server so that the target server installs the updated software for each component a next time the target server boots, instead of being employed within the production environment, by;

preparing a network boot program to include the updated software for each component installed within the target server;

storing the network boot pro ram within the logical folder, the logical folder accessible within a preboot execution environment; and

,

specifying a boot configuration of the target server as including the preboot execution environment;

cause the target server to boot such that the target server installs the updated software for each component by executing the network boot program;

reconfigure the boot process of the target server so that a next time the target server boots the target server is again employed within the production environment, by specifying the boot configuration of the target server as an original boot configuration via which the target server previously booted to be employed within the production environment such that the boot configuration no longer includes the preboot execution environment; and

,

upon completion of the target server installing the updated software for each component, and after specifying the boot configuration of the target server as the original boot configuration, again cause the target server to boot such that the target server is again employed within the production environment, such that the target server does not execute the network boot program when being booted.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the networks comprise:

a local-area network (LAN) by which the update controller is communicatively connected to the target server for querying the target server; and

,

one or more other networks by which the update controller is communicatively connected to the update server for receiving the updated software from the update server.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the target server is a scalable server comprising a plurality of individual servers, the plurality of components of the scalable server each being installed at one of the individual servers.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the components of the target server comprise one or more of:

software of the target server, and hardware of the target server.