Web-based administration of remote computing environments via signals sent via the internet

• US 8,631,103 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Carleton, Bandhole, Jagadish, Guha, Saugata
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B
• Application Number:
  US09/860,620
• Time in Patent Office: 4,624 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/222, 709/223, 709/201, 713/1, 713/2, 713/100
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information

Abstract

A solution for remotely administering dynamic computing environments is provided. A list of administrative actions and computing devices are displayed on a user interface. The user then can select an administrative action to be performed on any number of the computing devices in the list. Once selected, a signal is sent to the remote computing environment indicating the administrative action to be performed on the selected computing devices. The administrative action is then performed on the selected computing devices.

Claims

1. A hardware system for administering a remote dynamic computing environment comprising:

a computer system coupled to communicate with the remote dynamic computing environment by the Internet, wherein the computer system is configured to display a web page on the computer system to a user, wherein the web page comprises a list of administrative actions and a list of computing devices in the remote dynamic computing environment, and wherein the computer system is different than the computing devices;

one or more computing devices in the list of computing devices responsive to a signal indicating an administrative action in the list of administrative actions, wherein

the signal is provided from the computer system to the one or more computing devices via the Internet, in response to selection of the one or more computing devices and the administrative action via the web page;

a server configured to initialize the one or more computing devices in the remote computing environment, in response to the one or more computing devices locating the server, wherein the server is not part of the dynamic computing environment, wherein receipt of the signal causes each of the one or more computing devices to locate the server, wherein initializing the one or more computing devices comprises adding the one or more computing devices to the remote dynamic computing environment, wherein the server is part of a different local network than the computer system, wherein the server is a different system than the computer system; and

a software process configured to initiate the administrative action on the one or more computing devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is located in a local network of the remote dynamic computing environment.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more computing devices are located on a remote network from the local network of the remote dynamic computing environment.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a proxy server, wherein the proxy server is located on the remote network, along with the one or more computing devices,

wherein the server located on the local network of the remote dynamic computing environment is configured to receive requests from the proxy server.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to connect to the local network of the remote dynamic computing environment through a TCP/IP connection.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more computing devices are connected to the local network of the remote dynamic computing environment.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computing devices each include a network card, wherein the network card is configured to enable remote booting and includes a pre-boot execution environment.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computing devices each include a network card and an application that can replace a pre-boot execution environment, wherein the application is configured to enable remote booting of the one or more computing devices.

9. A method, implemented on computing hardware, for administering a remote dynamic computing environment using a web page, the method comprising:

displaying choices of a plurality of administrative actions and a plurality of computing devices on the web page, wherein the web page is displayed on a computer system, and wherein the computer system is different than the computing devices;

sending one or more signals from the computer system via the Internet, wherein the one or more signals indicate the selection of an administrative action of the plurality of administrative actions to be performed on selected one or more computing devices of the plurality of computing devices in the remote computing environment, wherein the one or more signals are sent to the one or more computing devices and receipt of the one or more signals causes the one or more computing devices to locate a server that is not part of the dynamic computing environment and causes the server to initialize the one or more computing devices, wherein initializing the one or more computing devices comprises adding the one or more computing devices to the remote dynamic computing environment, wherein the server is part of a different local network than the computer system, wherein the server is a different system than the computer system; and

performing the administrative action on the one or more computing devices, in response to the one or more computing devices locating the server.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the performing the administrative action comprises initializing the one or more computing devices.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the one or more computing devices locating the server again, in response to being initialized.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising performing an additional administrative action on the one or more computing devices, in response to the one or more computing devices locating the server again.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

assigning an IP address for the one or more computing devices;

updating an entry in the server with the IP address; and

rebooting the one or more computing devices.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

verifying the IP address for the one or more computing devices.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of performing the administrative action comprises performing a plurality of administrative actions on the one or more computing devices.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more signals are provided to each of a plurality of computing devices.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein

resources allocated to the dynamic computing environment are automatically de-allocated in response to detecting that a time period has expired.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein

the one or more computing devices is enabled to execute software prior to installation of an operating system by virtue of including at least one of a network card that comprises a pre-boot execution environment and an installed daemon configured to substitute for the pre-boot execution environment.

19. A method, implemented on computing hardware, for performing an administrative action on a remote computing device in a remote dynamic computing environment, the method comprising:

receiving a signal, sent via the Internet by a computer system, at the remote computing device, wherein the server is not part of the dynamic computing environment, wherein the signal indicates the administrative action to be performed on the remote computing device and receipt of the signal causes the remote computing device to locate a server configured to initialize the remote computing device, wherein the signal is generated in response to a user interacting with a web page displayed by the computer system, and wherein the computer system is not part of a same local network as the server, wherein the server is a different system than the computer system, and wherein the computer system is different than the remote computing device;

initializing the remote computing device in the remote dynamic computing environment, in response to the remote computing device locating the server, wherein initializing the one or more computing devices comprises adding the one or more computing devices to the remote dynamic computing environment; and

performing the administrative action on the remote computing device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein initializing the remote computing device comprises issuing an IP address for the remote computing device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein initializing the remote computing device comprises updating an entry in the server with the IP address.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein initializing the remote computing device comprises verifying the IP address of the remote computing device.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein performing the administrative action comprises remotely rebooting the remote computing device.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein performing the administrative action comprises remotely powering down the remote computing device.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein performing the administrative action comprises remotely powering up the remote computing device.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein performing the administrative action comprises remotely booting the remote computing device.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein performing the administrative action comprises remotely installing an operating system on the remote computing device.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein performing the administrative action comprises remotely changing an operating system on the remote computing device.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein performing the administrative action comprises remotely re-installing an operating system on the remote computing device.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein performing the administrative action comprises:

remotely installing a first operating system on the remote computing device, wherein the first operating system does not have any restrictions on remote installation;

initializing the remote computing device for a second operating system using the first operating system; and

remotely installing the second operating system, where the second operating system includes restrictions on remote installation.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein performing the administrative action comprises using a switch connected to the remote computing device to remotely power down the remote computing device.

32. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable hardware storage medium including instructions executable to perform an administrative action on a remote computing device in a remote dynamic computing environment, the instructions comprising;

one or more instructions for receiving a signal, sent via the Internet by a computer system, at the remote computing device, wherein the signal indicates the administrative action to be performed on the remote computing device and receipt of the signal causes the remote computing device to locate a server configured to initialize the remote computing device, wherein the server is not part of the dynamic computing environment, wherein initializing the one or more computing devices comprises adding the one or more computing devices to the remote dynamic computing environment, wherein the signal is generated in response to a user interacting with a web page displayed by the computer system, and wherein the computer system is not part of a same local network as the server, wherein the server is a different system than the computer system, and wherein the computer system is different than the remote computing device;

one or more instructions for initializing the remote computing device to be part of the remote dynamic computing environment, in response to the remote computing device locating the server; and

one or more instructions for performing the administrative action on the remote computing device.