Operation system installation methods and media

• US 8,875,125 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2009
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Liles, Terry Wayne, Shetty, Sudhir, Perusse, Charles T. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): APONTE, FRANCISCO JAVIER
• Application Number:
  US12/360,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20100192145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,100 Days
• Field of Search: 717101-178, 713/2, 713/164, 711/161, 711/E12.103, 709/201, 709/203, 709/220, 709/226, 710/62, 719/321, 719/327, 707/999.202, 714/E11.207
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A method for out-of-band installation and provisioning of an operating system in an information handling system is provided. The method may include sending an OS installation request to a management controller, which may include an internal persistent storage Furthermore, the method may include selecting a selected OS driver pack in response to the OS installation request and exposing the selected OS driver pack to a target server. Finally, the method may include installing the OS with the selected OS driver pack onto the target server.

Claims

1. A method for installing an operating system (OS) in an information handling system (IHS), the method comprising:

establishing a connection between a deployment server and a management controller of a target server, wherein the deployment server;

performs a hardware configuration on the target server including at least one of initializing a disk array and configuring a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS); and

determines the appropriate OS to install on the target server;

sending an OS installation request from the deployment server to the management controller, wherein the management controller comprises an internal persistent storage;

selecting a selected OS driver pack stored in the internal persistent storage in response to the OS installation request;

providing the selected OS driver pack to the target server, wherein providing the selected OS driver pack comprises;

configuring an OS driver partition of the internal persistent storage to simulate an attached media to the target server via a virtual media interface, wherein an installation parameters file is stored in the OS driver partition, the installation parameters file operable to reference locations of drivers and the location for OS installation files; and

presenting the selected OS driver pack on the OS driver partition to the target server;

extracting the selected OS driver pack from the OS driver partition; and

installing the OS with the selected OS driver pack on the target server.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating the selected OS driver pack with a pre-OS image utilized to install the OS.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the OS installation request indicates an OS selection, a location for the pre-OS image, a location for OS installation files, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the selected OS driver pack is selected from a plurality of driver packs stored in the internal persistent storage.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising unpacking the selected OS driver pack onto the OS driver partition within the internal persistent storage.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the internal persistent storage comprises a flash memory device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the installation parameters file with the selected OS driver pack and the location for the OS installation files.

8. An information handling system (IHS) comprising:

a deployment server;

a target server in communication with the deployment server, wherein;

the target server comprises;

an internal persistent storage, a selected OS driver pack stored on the internal persistent storage, and a host domain; and

the domain server, through its communication with the target server, perform a hardware configuration on the target server including at least one of initializing a disk array and configuring a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), and determines the appropriate OS to install on the target server;

a management controller in communication with the internal persistent storage and the host domain, wherein;

an OS driver pack stored in the internal persistent storage is selected in response to an OS installation request from the deployment server to the management controller;

the selected OS driver pack is provided to the target server, wherein providing the selected OS driver pack comprises;

configuring an OS driver partition of the internal persistent storage to simulate an attached media to the target server via a virtual media interface wherein an installation parameters file is stored in the OS driver partition, the installation parameters file operable to reference locations of drivers and the location for OS installation files; and

presenting the selected OS driver pack on the OS driver partition to the target server;

the selected OS driver pack is extracted from the OS driver partition by the target server; and

an OS is installed with the selected OS driver pack onto the target server.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a pre-OS image in communication with the host domain, wherein the pre-OS image is utilized to install the OS.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the pre-OS image is provided with the selected OS driver pack.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the OS installation request indicates an OS selection, a location for a pre-OS image, a location for OS installation files, or a combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the selected OS driver pack is selected from a plurality of driver packs on the internal persistent storage.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the selected OS driver pack is unpacked onto the OS driver partition within the internal persistent storage.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the internal persistent storage is a flash memory device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for deploying an operating system (OS) in an information handling system (IHS), the method comprising:

establishing a connection between a deployment server and a management controller of a target server, wherein the deployment server;

performs a hardware configuration on the target server including at least one of initializing a disk array and configuring a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS); and

determines the appropriate OS to install on the target server;

sending an OS installation request from the deployment server to the management controller, wherein the management controller comprises an internal persistent storage;

selecting a selected OS driver pack stored in the internal persistent storage in response to the OS installation request;

providing the selected OS driver pack to the target server, wherein providing the selected OS driver pack comprises;

configuring an OS driver partition of the internal persistent storage to simulate an attached media to the target server via a virtual media interface, wherein an installation parameters file is stored in the OS driver partition, the installation parameters file operable to reference locations of drivers and the location for OS installation files; and

presenting the selected OS driver pack on the OS driver partition to the target server;

extracting the selected OS driver pack from the OS driver partition; and

installing the OS with the selected OS driver pack on the target server.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising associating the selected OS driver pack with a pre-OS image utilized to install the OS.