System and method for automated network configuration

• US 9,929,903 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2014
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Nilakantan, Chandrasekharan, Stein, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Joo, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US14/543,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20160142250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A method of configuring a data network with a controller, the data network including a plurality of hosts each associated with at least one of a plurality of switches, the method including receiving a request to boot an operating system image on one of the plurality of hosts, the operating system image having network connectivity requirements. Further, the method includes selecting a host out of the plurality of hosts on which to boot the operating system image. The method also includes booting the operating system image on the host, and configuring a switch out of the plurality of switches associated with the host based upon the network connectively requirements of the operating system image. Additionally, the method includes configuring networking attributes of a network interface in the host based upon the network connectivity requirements of the operating system image.

Claims

1. An information handling system (IHS) network, comprising:

a storage IHS storing a plurality of operating system images;

a plurality of host IHSs that each include at least one networking system; and

a controller IHS coupled to the storage IHS and the plurality of host IHSs,

wherein the controller IHS is configured to;

receive a request to boot a first operating system image of the plurality of operating system images on at least one of the plurality of host IHSs;

determine at least one network to which the first operating system image requires access;

automatically select a first host IHS of the plurality of host IHSs on which to boot the first operating system image based, at least in part, on the at least one network to which the first operating system image requires access;

retrieve the first operating system image from the storage IHS;

boot the first operating system image on the first host IHS; and

automatically configure the at least one networking system on the first host IHS.

2. The IHS network of claim 1, wherein the automatically configuring the at least one networking system on the first host IHS includes automatically configuring layer 3 networking attributes of the at least one networking system on the first IHS.

3. The IHS network of claim 1, further comprising:

a switch IHS connected to the first host IHS and the controller IHS, wherein the controller IHS is configured to;

configure the switch IHS based, at least in part, on the at least one network to which the first operating system image requires access.

4. The IHS network of claim 1, wherein the first host IHS on which to boot the first operating system image is selected based, at least in part, on the at least one network to which the first operating system image requires access and network interface characteristics of the at least one networking system on the first host IHS.

5. The IHS network of claim 1, wherein the at least one network to which the first operating system image requires access includes a virtual network.

6. The IHS network of claim 1, wherein the automatically selecting the first host IHS on which to boot the first operating system image based, at least in part, on the at least one network to which the first operating system image requires access includes:

retrieving one or more channel assignments for switch ports that are coupled to the at least one networking system on the first host IHS; and

determining one or more networks associated with the one or more channel assignments.

7. An information handling system (IHS), comprising:

a storage interface;

a network interface;

a processing system coupled to each of the storage interface and the network interface; and

a memory system that includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to provide a controller that;

receives a request to boot an operating system image on at least one of a plurality of host devices that are coupled to the network interface;

determine at least one network to which the operating system image requires access;

automatically select a first host device of the plurality of host devices on which to boot the operating system image based, at least in part, on the at least one network to which the operating system image requires access;

retrieve the operating system image from a storage system coupled to the storage interface;

boot the operating system image on the first host device through the network interface; and

automatically configure a networking system on the first host device through the network interface.

8. The IHS of claim 7, wherein the automatically configuring the networking system on the first host device includes automatically configuring layer 3 networking attributes of the networking system on the first host device.

9. The IHS of claim 7, wherein the memory system includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to provide the controller that:

configures a switch that is coupled to the network interface and the first host device based, at least in part, on the at least one network to which the operating system image requires access.

10. The IHS of claim 7, wherein the first host device on which to boot the operating system image is selected based, at least in part, on the at least one network to which the operating system image requires access and network interface characteristics of the networking system on the first host device.

11. The IHS of claim 7, wherein the first host device on which to boot the operating system image is selected based, at least in part, on the at least one network to which the operating system image requires access and performance characteristics of the first host device.

12. The IHS of claim 7, wherein the at least one network to which the operating system image requires access includes a virtual network.

13. The IHS of claim 7, wherein the automatically selecting the first host device on which to boot the operating system image based, at least in part, on the at least one network to which the operating system image requires access includes:

retrieving one or more channel assignments for switch ports that are coupled to the networking system on the first host device; and

determining one or more networks associated with the one or more channel assignments.

14. A method for configuring a host device, comprising:

receiving, at a controller, a request to boot an operating system image on at least one of a plurality of host devices;

determining, by the controller, at least one network to which the operating system image requires access;

automatically selecting, by the controller, a first host device of the plurality of host devices on which to boot the operating system image based, at least in part, on the at least one network to which the operating system image requires access;

booting, by the controller, the operating system image on the first host device; and

automatically configuring, by the controller, one or more networking systems on the first host device based, at least in part, on the at least one network to which the operating system image requires access.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the automatically configuring the networking system on the first host device includes automatically configuring layer 3 networking attributes of the networking system on the first host device.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

configuring, by the controller, a switch that is associated with the first host device based, at least in part, on the at least one network to which the operating system image requires access.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first host device on which to boot the operating system image is selected based, at least in part, on the at least one network to which the operating system image requires access and network interface characteristics of the networking system on the first host device.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the first host device on which to boot the operating system image is selected based, at least in part, on the at least one network to which the operating system image requires access and performance characteristics of the first host device.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one network to which the operating system image requires access includes a virtual network.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the automatically selecting the first host device on which to boot the operating system image based, at least in part, on the at least one network to which the operating system image requires access includes:

retrieving, by the controller, one or more channel assignments for switch ports that are coupled to the networking system on the first host device; and

determining, by the controller, one or more networks associated with the one or more channel assignments.