Template-based development of servers

• US 8,060,542 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2009
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shankar, Vinod R, Lindvall, Eric, Benoit, Peter H., Zhang, Xinhong (Henry)
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital; Pierre
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Loan T
• Application Number:
  US12/498,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20090271432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/812
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

A server instance, which is a collection of LUNs, containing an operating system, any applications and data storage. A processing element is the physical hardware. The combination is a server as normally understood. Templates are used to define server instances and server types to simplify deploying a server instance to a processing element. A graphical user interface provides the templates where the particular storage groups are identified and then server instances are created from lists of operating systems, applications, and available storage. The management service processor is a PXE server and provides the necessary software to identify the components of the processing element and correlate between the processing element and a server instance. The management service processor then automatically provides software to the processing element to allow it correctly boot. The management service processor manages the interconnection of the processing element and the relevant LUNs.

Claims

1. A method for defining a server comprising:

providing a server graphical user interface having a plurality of data entry fields;

receiving a data entry input for each of the plurality of data entry fields, wherein the data entry fields are used in defining the server and include;

a template name field that references a server template to allow later reuse;

operating system fields to determine how the operating system is to be installed and which operating system and version to use; and

a storage template field that references a first storage template, so that relevant storage elements can be applied to the server template; and

storing the data entry input received for each of the plurality of data entry fields.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage template field is a drop down field and the available data entry inputs are determined by including the following steps:

providing a storage graphical user interface having a plurality of data entry fields, the data entry fields used in defining a storage unit and including;

a template name field that references a second storage template; and

a size field; and

storing the data entry inputs received for the plurality of data entry fields.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the storage graphical user interface data entry fields further include a layout field used in defining a level of data integrity of the storage unit.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the storage graphical user interface data entry fields further include a cost field.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second storage templates are the same template.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data entry fields further include an operating system layout field used in defining a level of data integrity of a storage unit associated with the operating system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data entry fields further include an operating system storage cost field.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data entry fields further include:

a template choice field; and

a server name field.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data entry fields further include:

a domain field;

an administrator field; and

a password field.

10. A machine readable storage medium having embodied there upon instructions executable by a machine to perform the following method steps for defining a server:

providing a server graphical user interface having a plurality of data entry fields;

receiving a data entry input for each of the plurality of data entry fields, wherein the data entry fields are used in defining the server and include;

a template name field that references a server template to allow later reuse;

operating system fields to determine how the operating system is to be installed and which operating system and version to use; and

a storage template field that references a first storage template, so that relevant storage elements can be applied to the server template; and

storing the data entry inputs received for the plurality of data entry fields.

11. The machine readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the storage template field is a drop down field and the available data entry inputs are determined by including the following steps:

providing a storage graphical user interface having a plurality of data entry fields, the data entry fields used in defining a storage unit and including;

a template name field that references a second storage template; and

a size field; and

storing the data entry inputs received for the plurality of data entry fields.

12. The machine readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the storage graphical user interface data entry fields further include a layout field used in defining a level of data integrity of the storage unit.

13. The machine readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the storage graphical user interface data entry fields further include a cost field.

14. The machine readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first and second storage templates are the same template.

15. The machine readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the data entry fields further include an operating system layout field used in defining a level of data integrity of a storage unit associated with the operating system.

16. The machine readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the data entry fields further include an operating system storage cost field.

17. The machine readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the data entry fields further include:

a template choice field; and

a server name field.

18. The machine readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the data entry fields further include:

a domain field;

an administrator field; and

a password field.