Remote management of boot application

• US 8,677,117 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cromer, Daryl Carvis, Dayan, Richard Alan, Freeman, Joseph Wayne, Goodman, Steven Dale, Kern, Eric Richard, Locker, Howard Jeffrey, Springfield, Randall Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nirav B
• Application Number:
  US10/749,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,730 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/323, 713168-171, 713/150, 713/160, 726/2, 726/3, 709223-225, 709/229, 711/173, 711/102, 711/112, 711/165, 714/6, 714/3, 714/47, 714/14, 714/2, 370/311, 370/338, 370/469, 710/28, 710/200
• US Class Current: 713/164
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4408 Boot device selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB

Abstract

Systems and arrangements for remotely selecting a bootable image via a WOL packet for a wake-on-LAN (WOL) capable computer are contemplated. Server-side embodiments include hardware and/or software for determining a client to be managed, determining whether the client is active on the network, and transmitting a WOL packet having a vector, or operating system partition identification (OSPID), to describe a bootable image accessible by the WOL capable computer. Some embodiments may include an OSPID that points to a secure bootable image such as a bootable image on a hard drive, a compact disk (CD) connected to the computer, or other local resource. Client-side embodiments may receive the WOL packet at, for instance, a network interface card (NIC), recognize that the WOL packet includes an OSPID that describes the bootable image to boot, and implement an alternative boot sequence to boot from that bootable image.

Claims

1. A method for booting a remote client by a server via a bootable image on the remote client over a network, the method comprising:

selecting, by the server, the bootable image on the remote client to boot the remote client, the bootable image comprising software to determine the trustworthiness of a software application on a maintenance server prior to executing the software application, for the remote client;

generating, by the server, a wake-on-LAN packet with a partition identification, the partition identification comprising an address of a location of the bootable image, to identify the location within a local resource of the remote client; and

transmitting, by the server, the wake-on-LAN packet to the remote client to wake up the remote client and to instruct a pre-boot application of the remote client to boot via the bootable image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the bootable image comprises selecting the bootable image from a drive, the drive being internal to the remote client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the bootable image comprises selecting the bootable image from a secure resource of the remote client.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting the bootable image from the secure resource comprises selecting the bootable image from a hidden partition associated with the remote client.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the bootable image comprises selecting a logical address for the bootable image, the logical address to be associated with the bootable image by the remote client.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the wake-on-LAN packet comprises extending the wake-on-LAN packet with the partition identification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the wake-on-LAN packet comprises generating a parameter to associate with the partition identification to provide a post-boot instruction to the remote client.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting comprises broadcasting the wake-on-LAN packet to the remote client and at least one other remote client.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading the software application from the maintenance server to the remote client subject to a determination of the trustworthiness of the maintenance server by the remote client.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising passing a parameter to the bootable image to initiate the software application on the maintenance server subject to a determination of the trustworthiness of the maintenance server by the remote client.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the wake-on-LAN packet comprises generating a wake-on-LAN packet with a parameter for the bootable image, the parameter to instruct the bootable image to initiate the software application.

12. A data processing system for booting a remote client via a bootable image on the remote client on a network, the system comprising:

a server computer system in communication with at least one client computer system, the server computer system comprising a processor capable of selecting the bootable image on the remote client to boot the remote client, the bootable image comprises software to determine the trustworthiness of a software application on a maintenance server prior to executing the software application, for the remote client;

wherein the server computer system is capable of generating a wake-on-LAN packet with a partition identification, the partition identification comprising an address of a location of the bootable image, to identify the location within a local resource of the remote client;

wherein the server computer system is capable of transmitting the wake-on-LAN packet to the remote client to wake up the remote client and to instruct a pre-boot application of the remote client to boot via the bootable image; and

a database, the database comprising an indication of one or more clients and the status of their wake-on-LAN functionality.

13. The data processing system of claim 12, further comprising an Ethernet network coupled to the server computer system and the at least one client computer system.

14. The data processing system of claim 12, further comprising wherein the server computer system is capable of downloading the software application by the maintenance server to the remote client subject to a determination of the trustworthiness of the maintenance server by the remote client.

15. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the server computer system is capable of generating a wake-on-LAN packet with a parameter for the bootable image, the parameter to instruct the bootable image to initiate the software application.

16. A computer program product comprising a machine-accessible storage medium containing instructions, wherein the machine-accessible storage medium is not a signal, wherein the instructions, when executed by a machine, cause said machine to perform operations, comprising:

selecting, by a server, a bootable image on the remote client to boot the remote client, the bootable image comprising software to determine the trustworthiness of a software application on a maintenance server prior to executing the software application, for a remote client;

generating, by the server, a wake-on-LAN packet with a partition identification, the partition identification comprising an address of a location of the bootable image, to identify the location within a local resource of the remote client; and

transmitting, by the server, the wake-on-LAN packet to the remote client to wake up the remote client and to instruct a pre-boot application of the remote client to boot via the bootable image.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein selecting the bootable image comprises selecting the bootable image from a secure resource of the remote client.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein generating the wake-on-LAN packet comprises extending the wake-on-LAN packet with the partition identification.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein transmitting comprises broadcasting the wake-on-LAN packet to the remote client and at least one other remote client.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising downloading the software application by the maintenance server to the remote client subject to a determination of the trustworthiness of the maintenance server by the remote client.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein generating the wake-on-LAN packet comprises generating a wake-on-LAN packet with a parameter for the bootable image, the parameter to instruct the bootable image to initiate the software application.