System for managing boot-up of target computers
AssigneeVeritas Operating Corporation
InventorsCarleton Miyamoto, Jagadish Bandhole, Sekaran Nanja
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for managing boot-up of target machines. In a preferred embodiment, a server computer acts as a managing computer. A target machine notifies the server that the target machine has been powered-up. The server allocates an IP address and sends a response to the target machine. The target machine download boot-up software from the server computer. The target machine then downloads discovery software from the server computer for purposes of determining information about the configuration and resources of the target machine. Standard protocols and mechanisms such as DHCP, BOOTP, TFTP and others can be used. The system works with different types of manufacturers' processors and platforms.
Claims14
A system for controlling boot-up of a target machine upon power-up, the system comprising
- a managing processor;
- a notification mechanism coupled to the target machine configured to send a notification to the managing processor that the target machine has been powered-up;
- discovery software configured to determine one or more characteristics of the target machine, wherein
- the one or more characteristics comprise memory type, hard disk type, hard disk capacity, number of hard disks, processor type, motherboard chip set, network card type, System Management Software (“SMS”) serial number, SMS model name, SMS data, and SMS version, and
- the determined one or more characteristics are used to provision a software environment for the target machine;
- and
- server software executed by the managing processor configured to transfer the discovery software to the target machine in response to the notification.
A method for controlling boot-up of a target machine upon power-up, the method comprising:
- receiving a notification from the target machine indicating that the target machine has been powered-up;
- and
- transferring discovery software to the target machine, wherein
- the discovery software is configured to obtain information on one or more of the following characteristics of the target machine
- memory type,
- hard disk type,
- hard disk capacity,
- number of hard disks,
- processor type,
- motherboard chip set,
- network card type,
- System Management Software (“SMS”) serial number,
- SMS model name,
- SMS data, and
- SMS version, and
- the obtained information is used to provision a software environment for the target machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.