Method and apparatus for automatically detecting machine states during an operating system installation through a network

A method comprising:

• sending an indication through a network to a server;
• upon receiving through the network from the server a first instruction responsive to the indication, the first instruction to load a first system, loading the first system from the server;
• upon loading the first system, sending through the network to the server an indication that the first system has been loaded;
• upon receiving from the server through the network a second instruction responsive to the indication that the first system has been loaded, the second instruction to load an operating system selected from a user interface, loading the operating system from the server;
• and
• upon loading the operating system from the server, sending through the network to the server an indication that the operating system has been loaded.

A machine-readable medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

• receiving through a network an indication from a device;
• upon determining from the indication that the device is in a state in which a first system has not been loaded on the device, instructing the device through the network to load the first system;
• and
• upon receiving through the network from the device an indication that the first system has been loaded, indicating through a user interface that the device is in a state in which the device is available to load an operating system selectable through the user interface.

A machine-readable medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

• sending an indication through a network to a server;
• upon receiving through the network from the server a first instruction responsive to the indication, the first instruction to load a first system, loading the first system from the server;
• upon loading the first system, sending through the network to the server an indication that the first system has been loaded;
• upon receiving from the server through the network a second instruction responsive to the indication that the first system has been loaded, the second instruction to load an operating system selected from a user interface, loading the operating system from the server;
• and
• upon loading the operating system from the server, sending through the network to the server an indication that the operating system has been loaded.