Host build and rebuild system and method

• US 8,214,631 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2010
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Morgan Stanley Services Group Inc. (Morgan Stanley)
• Original Assignee: Morgan Stanley
• Inventors: Samba, Basiru, Tanyeri, Erdim, Thompson, Rodrigues Malone, Feltman, Jeffrey G., Kozlowski, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Chun
• Application Number:
  US12/839,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/100, 717/178
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

Methods of building a host computer system. The methods may comprise the steps of discovering hardware components present at the host and determining whether the hardware components are certified. The methods may also comprise the step of determining whether a build of the host is requested. According to various embodiments, a profile may also be downloaded to the host. The profile may comprise an indication of an operating system, an indication of an application, and an indication of a configuration parameter. The methods may also comprise the steps of installing the operating system to the host; installing the application to the host; and configuring the host according to the configuration parameter.

Claims

1. A method of building a host computer system, the host computer system comprising at least one processor and an associated computer readable medium, the method comprising:

while the host computer system is operating in a pre-operating system environment, selecting and loading, by the host computer system, a mini-operating system;

implementing a mini-operating system environment on the host computer system, by the host computer system, utilizing the loaded mini-operating system, wherein the pre-operating system environment comprises the mini-operating system environment;

loading a runtime to the host computer system, wherein the runtime is configured to execute in the pre-operating system environment and in an operating system environment;

executing the runtime, wherein executing the runtime causes the host computer system to;

while the host computer system is operating in the mini-operating system environment;

discover hardware components present at the host computer system;

determine whether the hardware components have been certified for use on the host computer system;

load a profile to the host computer system, wherein the profile comprises an indication of an operating system, indications of a plurality of applications, and an indication of at least one configuration parameter;

install the operating system to the host computer system;

after the host computer system is running the operating system install the plurality of applications to the host computer system; and

configure the operating system according to a configuration parameter selected from the at least one configuration parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the host computer system confirming that a build of the host computer system has been requested, wherein confirming that the build of the host computer system has been requested comprises querying a database for an indication of the requested build.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising booting the host computer system according to a Preboot Execution Environment (PXE).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising booting the host computer system from a storage device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising scheduling the build at a first predetermined time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein installing the operating system to the host computer system comprises:

creating a configuration file;

creating a source tree;

disclosing the location of the configuration file and the source tree to an operating system utility;

allowing the operating system utility to install the operating system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein installing the operating system to the host computer system comprises:

loading an image to the host computer system, wherein the image comprises an image of the operating system; and

installing the image to the host computer system, wherein installing the image to the host computer system comprises an operating system utility installing the operating system from the image.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the image also comprises an image of the application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile incorporates a user personality derived from a second host.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of configuration parameters comprises a setting of the operating system based on a geographic location of the host computer system.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising installing a safeguard application having functionality for removing undesired system changes.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a status message to a system administrator when the build reaches a first predetermined status.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending a second status message to the system administrator when the build reaches a second predetermined status.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising sending a third status message to the system administrator when the build reaches a third predetermined status.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first predetermined status occurs at the beginning of the build and wherein the third predetermined status occurs at the end of the build.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically checking for changes to the profile;

and if an updated profile exists, updating the host computer system according to the updated profile.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one configuration parameter is selected from the group consisting of an operating system configuration parameter and an application configuration parameter.

18. A system for building a host computer system, the system comprising:

a host computer system;

at least one data store in communication with the host computer system, wherein the at least one data store comprises a profile, and wherein the profile comprises;

an indication of an operating system;

indications of a plurality of applications; and

indications of at least one configuration parameter;

wherein the at least one data store further comprises a runtime that when executed by the host computer system, causes the host computer system to;

while the host computer system is operating in a pre-operating system environment, select and load a mini-operating system;

implement a mini-operating system environment on the host computer system utilizing the loaded mini-operating system, wherein the pre-operating system environment comprises the mini-operating system environment;

while the host computer system is operating in the mini-operating system environment;

discover hardware components present at the host computer system;

determine whether the hardware components have been certified for use on the host computer system;

load the profile from the data store to the host computer system;

install the operating system to the host computer system;

after the host computer system is running the operating system install the plurality of applications to the host computer system; and

configure the operating system of the host computer system the operating system according to a configuration parameter selected from the at least one configuration parameter.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a host computer system, cause the host computer system to:

while the host computer system is operating in a pre-operating system environment, select and load a mini-operating system;

implement a mini-operating system environment on the host computer system utilizing the loaded mini-operating system, wherein the pre-operating system environment comprises the mini-operating system environment;

load a runtime to the host computer system, wherein the runtime is configured to execute in the pre-operating system environment and in an operating system environment;

execute the runtime, wherein executing the runtime causes the host computer system to;

while the host computer system is operating in the mini-operating system environment;

discover hardware components present at the host computer system;

determine whether the hardware components have been certified for use on the host computer system;

load a profile to the host computer system, wherein the profile comprises an indication of an operating system, indications of a plurality of applications, and an indication of at least one configuration parameter;

install the operating system to the host computer system;

after the host computer system is running the operating system install the plurality of applications to the host computer system; and

configure the operating system according to a configuration parameter selected from the at least one configuration parameter.

20. A method of building a host computer system, the host computer system comprising at least one processor and an associated computer readable medium, the method comprising:

while the host computer system is operating in a pre-operating system environment, downloading, by the host computer system, a mini-operating system and a runtime to the host computer system, wherein the runtime is configured to execute in the pre-operating system environment and in an operating system environment;

implementing a mini-operating system environment on the host computer system, by the host computer system, utilizing at least the downloaded mini-operating system, wherein the pre-operating system environment comprises the mini-operating system environment;

executing the runtime, wherein executing the runtime causes the host computer system to;

while the host computer system is operating in the mini-operating system environment;

discover hardware components present at the host computer system;

determine whether the hardware components have been certified for use on the host computer system;

download a profile to the host computer system, wherein the profile comprises an indication of an operating system, indications of a plurality of applications, and an indication of at least one configuration parameter;

install the operating system to the host computer system;

configure the operating system according to a configuration parameter selected from the at least one configuration parameter; and

after the host computer system is running the operating system, install the plurality of applications to the host computer system.