Method of booting an operating system

• US 8,190,717 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2009
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takamoto, Yoshifumi, Kurokawa, Hiroshi, Hatasaki, Keisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH CHAU
• Application Number:
  US12/361,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20090138580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

For use in a system where a plurality of servers are connected to an external disk device, a method is provided for a server to boot an operating system from the external disk device. The method includes the steps of searching for the port of a network switch to which the server is connected; establishing a network to which only the server and a management server belong; sending a server information acquisition program from the management server to the server via a network boot operation; acquiring, by the server information acquisition program, unique information owned by the storage interface of the server for transfer to the management server; and setting, by the management server, a disk within the external disk device accessible from the server based on the unique information.

Claims

1. A booting method for use in a computer system having a plurality of servers connected to an external disk device and a management server that is connected to said plurality of servers via a network and manages said plurality of servers, wherein an operating system of said plurality of servers is booted from said external disk device, said booting method comprising the steps of:

storing associated information of a port number of a network switch of said network connecting said servers and an identifier of a virtual network assigned to said port number, said port number and said identifier being associated with each other in said associated information;

storing, by said management server, setting information of said virtual network;

acquiring a first port number of said network connecting a first server of said plurality of servers and a second port number of said network connecting said management server based on said associated information, and setting the identifier of the virtual network established between said first server and said management server;

instructing to boot said first server by said management server;

sending an operating system and an agent program from said management server to said first server via said virtual network;

after booting said operating system in said first server, acquiring unique information of said first server by said agent program;

transferring said unique information of said first server acquired by the agent program to said management server;

setting an input/output (I/O) identifier of said first server by said agent program; and

restoring the stored setting information of said virtual network.

2. The booting method according to claim 1, wherein said management server resets said first server after the identifier of the virtual network was assigned.

3. The booting method according to claim 1, wherein said agent program is configured to set the unique information of said first server based on a table which associates said plurality of servers managed by said managing server with respective unique information of the servers.

4. The booting method according to claim 1, said associated information is stored in a server management table which associates an identifier of the server with the identifier of said virtual network.

5. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of servers connected to an external disk device; and

a management server that is connected to said plurality of servers via a network and manages said plurality of servers,

wherein an operating system of said plurality of servers is booted from said external disk device,

wherein booting of said operating system of said plurality of servers comprises;

storing associated information of a port number of a network switch of said network connecting said servers and an identifier of a virtual network assigned to said port number, said port number and said identifier being associated with each other in said associated information,

storing, by said management server, setting information of said virtual network,

acquiring a first port number of said network connecting a first server of said plurality of servers and a second port number of said network connecting said management server based on said associated information, and setting the identifier of the virtual network established between said first server and said management server,

instructing to boot said first server by said management server,

sending an operating system and an agent program from said management server to said first server via said virtual network,

after booting said operating system in said first server, acquiring unique information of said first server by said again program;

transferring said unique information of said first server acquired by the agent program to said management server,

setting an input/output (I/O) identifier of said first server by said agent program, and

restoring the stored setting information of said virtual network.

6. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein said management server resets said first server after the identifier of the virtual network was assigned.

7. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein said agent program is configured to set the unique information of said first server based on a table which associates said plurality of servers managed by said managing server with respective unique information of the servers.

8. The computer system according to claim 5, said associated information is stored in a server management table which associates an identifier of the server with the identifier of said virtual network.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium executable by a computer system having a plurality of servers connected to an external disk device and a management server that is connected to said plurality of servers via a network and manages said plurality of servers, wherein an operating system of said plurality of servers is booted from said external disk device, said computer program, when executed, causes the computer system to perform the steps of:

storing associated information of a port number of a network switch of said network connecting said servers and an identifier of a virtual network assigned to said port number, said port number and said identifier being associated with each other in said associated information;

storing, by said management server, setting information of said virtual network;

acquiring a first port number of said network connecting a first server of said plurality of servers and a second port number of said network connecting said management server based on said associated information, and setting the identifier of the virtual network established between said first server and said management server;

instructing to boot said first server by said management server;

sending an operating system and an agent program from said management server to said first server via said virtual network;

after booting said operating system in said first server, acquiring unique information of said first server by said agent program;

transferring said unique information of said first server acquired by the agent program to said management server;

setting an input/output (I/O) identifier of said first server by said agent program; and

restoring the stored setting information of said virtual network.

10. The computer program according to claim 9, wherein said management server resets said first server after the identifier of the virtual network was assigned.

11. The computer program according to claim 9, wherein said agent program is configured to set the unique information of said first server based on a table which associates said plurality of servers managed by said managing server with respective unique information of the servers.

12. The computer program according to claim 9, said associated information is stored in a server management table which associates an identifier of the server with the identifier of said virtual network.