Dynamic mac allocation and configuration

A programmable apparatus for presenting pre-selected choices for booting a workstation to a user of the workstation comprising,

• programmable hardware comprising;
• at least one server computer;
• and
• a plurality of workstation computers;
• a plurality of network interface cards connected to said programmable hardware;
• a network connecting said server computer and said workstation computers;
• a first program installed on said workstation computers;
• a second program installed on said server computer for assigning one or more Locally Administered Addresses in response to one or more requests from one or more of the workstation computers;
• a plurality of operating systems installed on said server computers;
• wherein at least one of said workstation computers is directed by said first program to send a first request to said server computer;
• responsive to said first request, said server computer sending a Locally Administered Address to said workstation computer;
• responsive to receiving said Locally Administered Address, said workstation computer being directed by said first program to send a second request;
• responsive to said second request, said server computer transmitting an operating system corresponding to said Locally Administered Address to said workstation.

A computer readable memory for causing a first computer to present a menu to a plurality of second computers comprising:

• a first computer readable storage medium;
• a computer program stored in said storage medium;
• the storage medium, so configured by said computer program, responsive to a request from at least one second computer, causes the first computer to send a Locally Administered Address to said second computer;
• and
• responsive to a request from said second computer, cause the first computer to transmit a program addressed to said Locally Administered Address to said second computer.

A computer implemented process to accomplish booting of a workstation computer from a server computer comprising:

• using a first computer, performing the following series of steps:
• powering the first computer;
• obtaining control of the first computer by means of a first program;
• executing, without an operating system, the first program to communicate with a network server;
• communicating a first request to a second computer;
• receiving a Locally Administered Address from a second computer;
• responsive to receiving said Locally Administered Address requesting a boot program;
• receiving a boot program corresponding to the Locally Administered Address;
• booting the first computer;
• using a second computer, performing the following series of steps:
• responsive to the first request from the first computer, sending a Locally Administered Address to the first computer;
• and
• responsive to the second request from the first computer, sending a boot program corresponding to the Locally Administered Address to the first computer.

A method for administering at a server computer, the booting of a client computer having a Universally Administered Address by assigning a Locally Administered Address to the client computer, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

• executing instructions from a client computer first memory to load a boot code loader from a client computer second memory, wherein the client computer first memory is a BIOS ROM and the client computer second memory is a nonvolatile, read/write memory:
• executing the boot code loader to load a control program from the client computer second memory;
• executing the control program to load a set of programs from the client computer second memory without loading an operating system;
• executing the set of programs to communicate a first message to a network server;
• responsive to said first message, retrieving a Locally Administered Address from the network server;
• executing the set of programs to communicate a second message to a network server;
• responsive to said second message, receiving at least one program from the network server;
• and
• executing the program at the workstation computer;
• whereby the workstation computer is booted from the program.

A computer program product on a computer-readable medium for booting a client computer without an operating system by replacing the client computer's Universally Administered Address with a Locally Administered Address, the computer program product comprising:

• first instructions from a first memory for loading a set of programs from a second memory, wherein the first memory is a BIOS ROM and the second memory is a nonvolativle, read\write memory;
• second instructions for communicating a first request for a Locally Administered Address to a network server;
• responsive to receiving said Locally Administered Address, third instructions for communicating a second request for a second set of programs addressed to said Locally Administered Address;
• and
• responsive to receiving said second set of programs, fourth instructions for initiating execution of the second set of programs;
• wherein said second set of programs includes an operating system.