Techniques for computer system recovery

• US 9,250,923 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Kobres, Erick C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US14/090,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20150149412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 707/609, 707/640
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1417 Boot up procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/805 Real-time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/441 Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

Techniques for computer system recovery which remotely restore a default partition to a recent state even when an operating system is functioning abnormally. In an example embodiment, a service center computer establishes a first network connection to a monitored computer system. The service center computer configures the monitored computer system to boot from a bootable image file in the monitored computer system and reboots the monitored computer system into an alternate operating system environment of the bootable image file. The service center computer establishes a second network connection to the monitored computer system to restore a recent backup image of the default partition from a diagnostic partition to a default partition. The service center computer establishes a third network connection to the monitored computer system and reboots the monitored computer system to the default partition.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a storage drive containing a first storage area with the default operating system environment and a second storage area containing a backup image of the first storage area and a bootable image file containing an alternate operating system environment; and

a processor configured to

periodically during a normal operating mode create the backup image of the first storage area;

establish during an abnormal operating mode a first network connection with another computer system;

change a boot priority from the default operating system to the bootable image file and reboot during the first network connection under control from the other computer system;

establish a second network connection with the other computer system while operating in the alternate operating system environment;

restore the backup image to the first storage area during the second network connection under control from the other computer system;

establish a third network connection with the monitored computer system;

change the boot priority from the bootable image file to the default operating system during the third network connection under control from the other computer system; and

reboot during the third network connection under control from the other computer system to the normal operating mode.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first and third network connections comprise out of band connections.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first and third network connections comprise Serial over Local Area Network (SOL) connections.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the second network connection comprises a remote access connection.