Automated state migration while deploying an operating system

• US 8,448,166 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2011
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nanda, Sukanta Kumar, Drew, Daniel N., Baron, Anthony, Sardesai, Shantanu
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOORAY, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US13/029,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20110138375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 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 and association information of the source computing device in a state migration point directory (“

SMP directory”

), wherein the SMP'"'"'s have an accessible or inaccessible status;

(b) a plurality of management points (“

MP”

) suitable for storing association information, wherein each association information comprises the identity of the source computing device, with an identity of the destination computing device, and a list of the plurality of SMP'"'"'s; and

(c) one or more software modules configured to;

(i) select one of the plurality of MP'"'"'s to acquire and populate the association information;

(ii) poll the SMP'"'"'s on the list to locate a SMP having a capacity to store the user state of the source computing device in the SMP directory of the SMP being polled, change the state of the selected SMP to an accessible state and transferring the user state and association information of the source computing device to the SMP directory of the SMP for secure storage in the SMP directory, when the transfer is complete change the SMP to an inaccessible state; and

(iii) receive a request from the destination computing device for the user state,

(iv) poll MP'"'"'s to find destination computing devices association information,

(v) poll SMP'"'"'s on the list to locate the SMP containing the transferred user state, authenticating that the destination computing device matches the identity of the destination computing device associated with the identity of the source computing device;

(vi) as a result of authentication, change the state of the SMP to an accessible state and transfer the user state of the source computing device securely stored in the SMP directory to the destination computing device, when the transfer is complete change the SMP to an inaccessible state.

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

3. The server management system of claim 1 wherein receiving a request comprises randomly receiving a request at an SMP.

4. The server management system of claim 1 wherein the capacity of one or more SMPs is based on the number of computers being handled by the one or more SMPs.

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

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

setting up a pool including a plurality of state migration points (“

SMPs”

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

SMP directory), wherein the SMP'"'"'s have an accessible or inaccessible state;

setting up a pool including a plurality of management points (“

MP) suitable for storing association information, wherein each association information comprises the identity of the source computing device with an identity of the destination computing device, and a list of the plurality of SMP'"'"'s;

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

polling the SMP'"'"'s on the list to locate a SMP having a capacity to store the user state of the source computing device in the SMP directory of the SMP being polled, changing the state of the selected SMP to an accessible state and transferring the user state and association information of the source computing device to the SMP directory of the SMP for secure storage in the SMP directory, when the transfer is complete change the SMP to an inaccessible state; and

receiving a request from the destination computing device for the user state, polling MP'"'"'s to find destination computing devices association information, polling SMP'"'"'s on the list to locate the SMP containing the transferred user state, authenticating that the destination computing device matches the identity of the destination computing device associated with the identity of the source computing device; and

as a result of authenticating, changing the state of the SMP to an accessible state and transferring the user state of the source computing device securely stored in the SMP directory to the destination computing device, when the transfer is complete changing the SMP to an inaccessible state.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the source computing device includes a plurality of user states, each user state associated with a different user and wherein each of the plurality of user states is transferred to a separately identifiable location of the identified SMP and is separately stored at the separately identifiable location in the identified SMP, and each user state is associated with a different destination computing device from among a plurality of destination computing devices.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of user states are each transferred from the SMP to an associated one of the plurality of destination computing devices after authenticating each one of the plurality of destination computing devices.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the SMP creates a secure directory and wherein the user state of the source computing device is transferred to the secure directory for storage.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein polling comprises sequentially polling the SMPs on the list to locate a SMP having a capacity to store the user state of the computing device in the SMP directory of the SMP being polled.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein receiving a request comprises randomly receiving a request at an SMP.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein the capacity of one or more SMPs is based on the number of computers being handled by the one or more SMPs.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein the source computing device and the destination computing device are a same computing device.

14. A computer readable storage device, the device not being a signal, comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors causes the following to be performed:

setting up a pool including a plurality of state migration points (“

SMP) suitable for securely storing the user state and association information of the source computing device in a state migration point directory (“

SMP directory”

), wherein the SMP'"'"'s have an accessible or inaccessible status;

setting up a pool including a plurality of management points (“

MP) suitable for storing association information, wherein each association information comprises the identity of the source computing device with an identity of the destination computing device, and a list of the plurality of SMP'"'"'s;

selecting one of the plurality of MP'"'"'s to acquire and populate the association information;

polling the SMP'"'"'s on the list to locate a SMP having a capacity to store the user state of the source computing device in the SMP directory of the SMP being polled, changing the state of the selected SMP to an accessible state and transferring the user state and association information of the source computing device to the SMP directory of the SMP for secure storage in the SMP directory, when the transfer is completes changing the SMP to an inaccessible state;

receiving a request from the destination computing device for the user state, polling MP'"'"'s to find destination computing devices association information, polling SMP'"'"'s on the list to locate the SMP containing the transferred user state, authenticating that the destination computing device matches the identity of the destination computing device associated with the identity of the source computing device; and

as a result of authenticating, change the state of the SMP to an accessible state and transfer the user state of the source computing device securely stored in the SMP directory to the destination computing device, when the transfer is complete change the SMP to an inaccessible state.

15. The computer readable storage device of claim 14 wherein the source computing device and the destination computing device have MAC addresses and wherein the source computing device and the destination computing device are associated using the MAC addresses.

16. The computer readable storage device of claim 14 wherein the capacity of one or more SMPs is based on the number of computers being handled by the one or more SMPs.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 14 further comprising associating one source computing device with one or more destination computing devices.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 14 wherein the SMP also stores information identifying the source computing device associated with the transferred user state.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 14 wherein the source computing device includes a plurality of user states and wherein the destination computing device is one among a plurality of computing devices, wherein each of the user states is to be transferred to a different one of the computing devices in the plurality of computing devices.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 14 wherein the source computing device and the destination computing device are different computing devices.