Method and apparatus to facilitate automated software installation on remote computers over a network

• US 7,111,055 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Falkner, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): PWU, JEFFREY C
• Application Number:
  US09/944,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20030046371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-224, 709217-219, 709/203, 709/201, 709/225, 717/176, 717170-173, 717/169, 717/177, 717/174, 717/178, 707/1, 707/10, 715/736, 715/740, 715/760, 715/968, 715/969
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates automated software installation on a remote computer over the Internet. The system operates by first initializing the remote computer with a custom operating system, which allows access to the remote computer over the Internet. Next, the system provides an archive locator to the remote computer, wherein the archive locator is a uniform resource locator (URL) or a proprietary resource locator. The system then requests an archive from the site specified by the archive locator. This archive includes an operating system and desired software packages pre-configured for the remote computer. The system downloads this archive to the remote computer and re-initializes the remote computer with the operating system and software packages in the archive.

Claims

1. A method to facilitate automated software installation on a remote computer over the Internet, comprising:

creating an archive, wherein creating the archive involves;

specifying an operating system and software packages to be included,

installing the operating system and software packages on a configuration computer compatible with the remote computer,

testing the operating system and software packages on the configuration computer,

creating a snapshot of the operating system and software packages,

including a configuration file within the snapshot, and

saving the snapshot at a site on the Internet specified by an archive locator for download by the remote computer, wherein the snapshot including the configuration file is the archive;

storing the archive at the site on the Internet accessible using the archive locator;

initializing the remote computer with the custom operating system, wherein the custom operating system allows access to the remote computer over the Internet, wherein the custom operating system determines the location of the archive, downloads the archive, installs the archived software and restarts the remote computer;

providing the archive locator to the remote computer, wherein the archive locator is one of, a uniform resource locator (URL) and a proprietary resource locator;

requesting the archive from a site specified by the archive locator, wherein the archive includes the operating system and desired software packages pre-configured for the remote computer;

upon receiving an authorized request for the archive from the remote computer, downloading the archive to the remote computer from the site specified by the archive locator; and

re-initializing the remote computer with the operating system and software packages in the archive.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading the custom operating system into the remote computer during installation of the remote computer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising initializing the remote computer automatically with the custom operating system when power is applied to the remote computer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration file includes data for configuring the operating system, network parameters, and software packages.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the archive locator includes providing the archive locator over the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the archive locator includes providing the archive locator in a command line parameter during initialization of the remote computer.

7. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method to facilitate automated software installation on a remote computer over the Internet, the method comprising:

creating an archive, wherein creating the archive involves;

specifying an operating system and software packages to be included,

installing the operating system and software packages on a configuration computer compatible with the remote computer,

testing the operating system and software packages on the configuration computer,

creating a snapshot of the operating system and software packages,

including a configuration file within the snapshot, and

saving the snapshot at a site on the Internet specified by an archive locator for download by the remote computer. wherein the snapshot including the configuration file is the archive;

storing the archive at the site on the Internet accessible using the archive locator;

initializing the remote computer with the custom operating system, wherein the custom operating system allows access to the remote computer over the Internet, wherein the custom operating system determines the location of the archive, downloads the archive, installs the archived software and restarts the remote computer;

providing the archive locator to the remote computer, wherein the archive locator is one of, a uniform resource locator (URL) and a proprietary resource locator;

requesting the archive from a site specified by the archive locator, wherein the archive includes the operating system and desired software packages pre-configured for the remote computer;

upon receiving an authorized request for the archive from the remote computer, downloading the archive to the remote computer from the site specified by the archive locator; and

re-initializing the remote computer with the operating system and software packages in the archive.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, the method further comprising loading the custom operating system into the remote computer during installation of the remote computer.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, the method further comprising initializing the remote computer automatically with the custom operating system when power is applied to the remote computer.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the configuration file includes data for configuring the operating system, network parameters, and software packages.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein providing the archive locator includes providing the archive locator over the Internet.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein providing the archive locator includes providing the archive locator in a command line parameter during initialization of the remote computer.

13. An apparatus that facilitates automated software installation on a remote computer over the Internet, comprising:

a creating mechanism that is configured to create an archive;

a storing mechanism that is configured to store the archive at a site on the Internet accessible using an archive locator;

a specifing mechanism that is configured to specify an operating system and software packages to be included;

an installing mechanism that is configured to install the operating system and software packages on a configuration computer compatible with the remote computer;

a testing mechanism that is configured to test the operating system and software packages on the configuration computer;

wherein the creating mechanism is further configured to create a snapshot of the operating system and software packages;

an including mechanism that is configured to include a configuration file within the snapshot; and

a saving mechanism that is configured to save the snapshot at the site specified by the archive locator for download by the remote computer, wherein the snapshot including the configuration file is the archive

an initializing mechanism that is configured to initialize the remote computer with the custom operating system, wherein the custom operating system allows access to the remote computer over the Internet, and wherein the custom operating system determines the location of the archive, downloads the archive, installs the archived software and restarts the remote computer;

a providing mechanism that is configured to provide the archive locator to the remote computer, wherein the archive locator is one of a uniform resource locator (URL) and a proprietary resource locator;

a requesting mechanism that is configured to request the archive from the site specified by the archive locator, wherein the archive includes an operating system and desired software packages pre-configured for the remote computer;

a downloading mechanism that is configured to download the archive to the remote computer from the site specified by the archive locator, wherein the downloading mechanism is further configured to download the archive to the remote computer; and

a re-initializing mechanism that is configured to re-initialize the remote computer with the operating system and software packages in the archive.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a loading mechanism that is configured to load the custom operating system into the remote computer during installation of the remote computer.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the initializing mechanism is further configured to initialize the remote computer automatically with the custom operating system when power is applied to the remote computer.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the configuration file includes data for configuring the operating system, network parameters, and software packages.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein providing the archive locator includes providing the archive locator over the Internet.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein providing the archive locator includes providing the archive locator in a command line parameter during initialization of the remote computer.