Methods, systems and media for configuring boot options

• US 8,239,665 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Wei, Munger, William Carl, Chao, Ching-Lung
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): KINSEY, BRANDON MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/933,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20090113198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting

Abstract

Implementations described herein generally provide methods of configuring boot options. One method may generally include receiving on a remote management information handling system (IHS), boot information relating to a remotely configured HIS, using the boot information on the remote management IHS to create boot options and sending the boot options from the remote management IHS to the remotely configured IHS.

Claims

1. A method of configuring boot options, comprising:

receiving on a remote management information handling system (IHS), boot information relating to a remotely configured IHS, wherein the boot information comprises information identifying a plurality of bootable devices installed on the remotely configured IHS, wherein the boot information comprises unique signatures identifying plurality of bootable devices, device description strings describing the bootable devices, and boot priority values together identifying a boot order;

presenting the boot information in a graphical user interface to a user of the remote management IHS;

allowing the user to modify the boot information in the graphical user interface to create boot options, wherein the boot options indicate a persistent boot order change or a one-shot boot order change;

sending the boot options from the remote management IHS to the remotely configured IHS;

and modifying a boot configuration of the remotely configured IHS based on the boot options.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the boot information comprises information identifying the plurality of bootable devices installed on the remotely configured IHS and a plurality of boot priority values corresponding to bootable devices installed on the remotely configured IHS;

and wherein the information identifying the plurality of bootable devices and their corresponding boot priority values make up a first boot order.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the boot options comprise information identifying the plurality of bootable devices installed on the remotely configured IHS and a plurality of priority values corresponding to the plurality of bootable devices installed on the remotely configured IHS;

and wherein the information identifying the plurality of bootable devices and their corresponding boot priority values make up a second boot order.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second boot order is different than the first boot order.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the information identifying the plurality of bootable devices installed on the remotely configured IHS in the second boot order comprises a unique signature for at least one bootable device installed on the remotely configured IHS and a corresponding boot priority value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving boot information relating to a remotely configured IHS on a remote management IHS, comprises:

sending the boot information from memory of the remotely configured IHS to a baseboard management controller (BMC) installed in the remotely configured IHS;

sending the boot information from the BMC to the remote management IHS; and

receiving the boot information on the remote management IHS.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the boot configuration of the remotely configured IHS based on the boot options comprises:

comparing a boot order specified by the boot options to a current boot order specified in a current boot table saved in the remotely configured IHS; and

if the boot order specified by the boot options is different than the current boot order, saving the boot order specified by the boot options as the current boot order.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer executable instructions comprising:

a first instruction for receiving boot information relating to a remotely configured information handling system (IHS) on a remote management IHS, wherein the boot information comprises unique signatures corresponding to bootable devices installed in the remotely configured IHS, device description strings corresponding to the bootable devices, and priority values corresponding to the bootable devices; and

wherein the boot information indicates a first boot order;

a second instruction for presenting the boot information in a graphical user interface to a user of the remote management IHS;

a third instruction for allowing the user to modify the boot information in the graphical user interface to create boot options, wherein the boot options indicate a persistent boot order change or a one-shot boot order change; and

a fourth instruction for sending the boot options from the remote management IHS to the remotely configured IHS.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein:

the boot options comprise unique signatures corresponding to bootable devices installed in the remotely configured IHS, device description strings corresponding to the bootable devices, and priority values corresponding to the bootable devices; and

wherein the boot options indicate a second boot order.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the first instruction for receiving boot information relating to a remotely configured IHS on a remote management IHS comprises:

a first set of instructions for sending the boot information from memory of the remotely configured IHS to a baseboard management controller (BMC) installed in the remotely configured IHS;

a second set of instructions for sending the boot information from the baseboard management controller to the remote management IHS; and

a third set of instructions for receiving the boot information on the remote management IHS.

11. A system comprising:

a remote management information handling system (IHS) configured to present boot information in a graphical user interface to a user of the remote management IHS, the remote management IHS further configured to accept input related to the boot information from the user of the remote management IHS, and create boot options based on the input allowing the user to modify the boot information in the graphical user interface to create boot options, wherein the boot options indicate a persistent boot order change or a one-shot boot order change;

a communication network; and

a remotely configured IHS comprising;

memory;

a baseboard management controller (BMC) coupled to a communications network and configured to send the boot information via the communication network to the remote management IHS; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the BMC and configured to send boot information to the BMC, wherein the boot information comprises unique signatures identifying plurality of bootable devices, device description strings describing the bootable devices, and boot priority values together identifying a boot order.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the remote management IHS is further configured to send the boot options to the BMC.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the BMC is further configured to receive the boot options and, in response to receiving the boot options, store the boot options and reset the remotely configured IHS.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein after a reset of the remotely configured IHS, the processor may be further configured to query the BMC for the boot options and compare a boot order specified by the boot options to a boot order specified by a current boot table stored in the memory.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor may be further configured to modify the current boot table stored in the memory if the boot order specified by the boot options differs from the boot order specified by the current boot table stored in memory.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor may be further configured to attempt to load an operating system from a bootable device specified in the boot options.