Method for installing software bundles on target computers

• US 20030192043A1
• Filed: 04/09/2002
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synnex Technology International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Synnex Technology International Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Hsu-Jung, Kuo, Jin-Li
• Granted Patent: US 7,194,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order

Abstract

When installing software bundles on target computers, a set of distinct image files is first created, each of which corresponds to a software bundle resident in a reference storage medium of a reference computer that was built according to a specified hardware and software configuration. The image files are copied into each of a plurality of target storage mediums. The target computers are built according to the specified hardware configuration of one of the previously created image files, and have the target storage mediums installed therein. Each target computer is then enabled to select one of the image files in its target storage medium, the selected image file corresponding to the hardware configuration of the target computer and having a desired software configuration. Finally, for each target computer, the selected image file is decoded to result in the software bundle that is stored in the target storage medium.

Claims

1. A method for installing software bundles on target computers, comprising the steps of:

a) creating a set of distinct image files, each of which corresponds to a software bundle resident in a reference storage medium of a reference computer that was built according to a specified hardware and software configuration;

b) copying the image files into each of a plurality of target storage mediums;

c) providing a plurality of the target computers, each being built according to the specified hardware configuration of one of the image files created in step a), and installing one of the target storage mediums in each of the target computers;

d) enabling each of the target computers to select one of the image files in the target storage medium that is installed therein, the selected one of the image files corresponding to the hardware configuration of the target computer and having a desired software configuration; and

e) for each of the target computers, decoding the selected one of the image files to result in the software bundle that is stored in the target storage medium which is installed in the target computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step a) includes the sub-steps of:

a-1) building a plurality of the reference computers such that each of the reference computers has the specified hardware configuration;

a-2) storing software files in the reference storage medium of each of the reference computers to result in the software bundle and to configure each of the reference computers with the specified software configuration; and

a-3) creating the image files that correspond respectively to the software bundles in the reference storage mediums of the reference computers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step b) includes the sub-step of:

b-1) storing the image files in a master storage terminal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said step b) further includes the sub-step of:

b-2) storing a subset of the image files in the master storage terminal in an auxiliary storage medium, the auxiliary storage medium having a storage capacity smaller than that of the master storage terminal and further having an access speed faster than that of the master storage terminal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step b) further includes the sub-step of:

b-3) copying the contents of the auxiliary storage medium into each of the target storage mediums.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the auxiliary storage medium and the target storage mediums are identical in construction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, in said step c), each of the target computers is provided with a serial code corresponding to the selected one of the image files.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the serial code is a machine-readable code.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the machine-readable code is a bar code.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the machine-readable code resides in BIOS of the target computer.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein, in said step d), selection of one of the image files is carried out by reading the machine-readable code.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected one of the image files has a file name corresponding to the machine-readable code of the target computer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the machine-readable code includes at least one of a first code portion corresponding to a desired operating system, a second code portion corresponding to a desired hardware driver software, and a third code portion corresponding to a desired application software.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein, in said step b), each of the target storage mediums has a first storage space for storing the image files therein, and a second storage space smaller than the first storage space.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said step e) includes the sub-steps of:

e-1) copying the selected one of the image files into the second storage space of the target storage medium; and

e-2) decoding the selected one of the image files to result in the software bundle that overwrites the image files in the first storage space of the target storage medium.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the software bundle includes at least one of an operating system, hardware driver software, and application software.

17. A method for installing a software bundle on a target computer, comprising the steps of:

a) creating a set of distinct image files, each of which corresponds to a software bundle resident in a reference storage medium of a reference computer that was built according to a specified hardware and software configuration;

b) copying the image files into a target storage medium;

c) building the target computer according to the specified hardware configuration of one of the image files created in step a), and installing the target storage medium in the target computer;

d) enabling the target computer to select one of the image files in the target storage medium, the selected one of the image files corresponding to the hardware configuration of the target computer and having a desired software configuration; and

e) decoding the selected one of the image files to result in the software bundle that is stored in the target storage medium.