SYSTEM AND METHOD OF AUTOMATICALLY GENERATING ANIMATED INSTALLATION MANUALS

• US 20080294995A1
• Filed: 05/25/2007
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Dawkins, William P., Luning, Stephen G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/735
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

An information management system is disclosed and includes a bootstrap server and at least one additional component. Further, the system includes an animated installation manual file stored within the bootstrap server. The animated installation manual is configured to be presented to a user upon an initial boot of the bootstrap server. Additionally, the animated installation manual can be automatically generated based on configuration information received from the user.

Claims

1. An information management system, comprising:

a bootstrap server;

at least one additional component; and

an animated installation manual file stored within the bootstrap server, wherein the animated installation manual is configured to be presented to a user upon an initial boot of the bootstrap server.

2. The information management system of claim 1, wherein the animated installation manual indicates to the user how to install the bootstrap server and the at least one additional component.

3. The information management system of claim 2, wherein the animated installation manual indicates to the user how to interconnect the bootstrap server and the at least one additional component.

4. The information management system of claim 3, wherein the animated installation manual indicates to the user how to connect the bootstrap server, the at least one additional component, or a combination thereof to a local area network.

5. The information management system of claim 4, wherein the animated installation manual is automatically generated based on configuration information received from the user.

6. The information management system of claim 5, wherein the configuration information includes configuration type, performance type, availability type, reliability type, a mailbox number, a maximum mailbox size, or a combination thereof.

7. The information management system of claim 6, wherein the configuration information is received via a network connection and wherein the animated installation manual is automatically generated based on the configuration information and uploaded to the bootstrap server.

8. A bootstrap server, comprising:

an animated instruction manual, wherein upon an initial boot of the bootstrap server, the animated instruction is presented to the user via a monitor connected to the bootstrap server.

9. The bootstrap server of claim 8, wherein the animated instruction manual is generated at a separate server and uploaded to the bootstrap server before the bootstrap server is shipped to a user.

10. The bootstrap server of claim 9, wherein the animated installation manual is generated based on configuration information received from the user.

11. The bootstrap server of claim 10, wherein the configuration information includes configuration type, performance type, availability type, reliability type, a mailbox number, a maximum mailbox size, or a combination thereof.

12. The bootstrap server of claim 8, wherein the animated instruction manual indicates how to connect the bootstrap server to at least one other component.

13. The bootstrap server of claim 12, wherein the animated instruction manual indicates how to connect the bootstrap server to a network.

14. The bootstrap server of claim 8, wherein the animated instruction manual comprises a flash file and the bootstrap server is configured to execute the flash file on the initial boot of the bootstrap server.

15. A method of automatically generating an animated instruction manual, the method comprising:

receiving customer configuration information;

generating an equipment list at least partially based on the customer configuration information; and

generating the animated instruction manual for the equipment list.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) configuration script.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating an application configuration script.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying a bootstrap server from the equipment list.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

uploading the animated instruction manual to the bootstrap server.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

configuring the bootstrap server to execute the animated instruction manual upon an initial boot of the bootstrap server.