Method, system and program product for remotely deploying and automatically customizing workstation images

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer-usable program code stored therein, said computer-usable program code containing instructions configured to be executed by a processor of a client workstation to implement a method of automatically customizing remotely deployed workstation images, said method comprising:

• receiving, at a first partition of a data storage unit coupled to said client workstation of a plurality of client workstations, a deployment of a single workstation image from a server computing system as a result of multiple deployments of said single workstation image from said server computing unit to said plurality of client workstations, said single workstation image originally cloned from a donor workstation and including a plurality of pre-defined customization scripts for customizing said plurality of client workstations, wherein said plurality of pre-defined customization scripts includes a pre-defined customization script for customizing said client workstation;
• subsequent to said receiving said deployment of said single workstation image and based on said server computing system being configured as a device that boots first for said client workstation via a network, booting said client workstation via a remote boot by said server computing system on said network, wherein said booting said client workstation via said remote boot includes a shared partition of said data storage unit coupled to said client workstation receiving an identifier of said pre-defined customization script from said server computing system, wherein access to said shared partition is shared by said server computing system and by said first partition of said data storage unit coupled to said client workstation;
• and
• rebooting said client workstation subsequent to said booting said client workstation via said remote boot, wherein said rebooting includes:
• said first partition of said data storage unit coupled to said client workstation retrieving said identifier of said pre-defined customization script from said shared partition;
• based on said retrieved identifier of said pre-defined customization script, said client workstation selecting said pre-defined customization script from among said plurality of pre-defined customization scripts included in said single workstation image;
• and
• subsequent to said receiving said deployment of said single workstation image, said processor of said client workstation executing said selected pre-defined customization script, wherein said executing said selected pre-defined customization script results in an automatic and remote customization of said client workstation after said receiving said deployment of said single workstation image, based on said identifier of said pre-defined customization script retrieved from said shared partition, and without said client workstation running communication software.

A computer-implemented method of remotely deploying and automatically customizing client workstation images, said method comprising:

• deploying, by a server computing system, a single workstation image to a plurality of client workstations, wherein said deploying said single workstation image includes deploying said single workstation image to first partition of a data storage unit coupled to a client workstation of said plurality of client workstations, said single workstation image originally cloned from a donor workstation and including a plurality of pre-defined customization scripts for customizing said plurality of client workstations, wherein said plurality of pre-defined customization scripts includes a pre-defined customization script for customizing said client workstation;
• and
• remotely booting said client workstation by a processor of said server computing system on said network subsequent to said deploying said single workstation image, wherein said client workstation is pre-configured to be booted by said server computing system via a network, wherein said remotely booting includes writing a customization parameter name to a shared partition of said data storage unit coupled to said client workstation, said shared partition having a file system type that is accessible by said server computing system via said remotely booting and by said deployed single workstation image,
• wherein said customization parameter name identifies said pre-defined customization script from among said plurality of pre-defined customization scripts,
• wherein said remotely booting initiates an automatic customization of said client workstation, said automatic customization including one or more reboots of said client workstation, said one or more reboots subsequent to said remotely booting and subsequent to said deploying said single workstation image, and
• wherein said one or more reboots include:
• an automatic retrieval of said customization parameter name from said shared partition by said deployed single workstation image, an automatic selection of said pre-defined customization script from among said plurality of pre-defined customization scripts included in said single workstation image by a utilization of said customization parameter name as an identifier of said pre-defined customization script, and an automatic execution of said pre-defined customization script, said automatic execution resulting in said automatic customization of said client workstation after said deploying said single workstation image, based on said automatic retrieval of said customization parameter name from said shared partition, further based on said utilization of said customization parameter name as said identifier of said pre-defined customization script, and without said client workstation running communication software.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer-usable program code stored therein, said computer-usable program code containing instructions configured to be executed by a processor of a server computing system to implement a method of remotely deploying and automatically customizing client workstation images, said method comprising:

• deploying, by said server computing system, a single workstation image to a a plurality of client workstations, wherein said deploying said single workstation image includes deploying said single workstation image to a first partition of a data storage unit coupled to a client workstation of said plurality of client workstations, said single workstation image originally cloned from a donor workstation and including a plurality of pre-defined customization scripts for customizing said plurality of client workstations, wherein said plurality of pre-defined customization scripts includes a pre-defined customization script for customizing said client workstation;
• and
• remotely booting said client workstation by said processor of said server computing system on said network subsequent to said deploying said single workstation image, wherein said client workstation is pre-configured to be booted by said server computing system via a network, wherein said remotely booting includes writing a customization parameter name to a shared partition of said data storage unit coupled to said client workstation, said shared partition having a file system type that is accessible by said server computing system via said remotely booting and by said deployed single workstation image,
• wherein said customization parameter name identifies said pre-defined customization script from among said plurality of pre-defined customization scripts,
• wherein said remotely booting initiates an automatic customization of said client workstation, said automatic customization including one or more reboots of said client workstation, said one or more reboots subsequent to said remotely booting and subsequent to said deploying said single workstation image, and
• wherein said one or more reboots include:
• an automatic retrieval of said customization parameter name from said shared partition by said deployed single workstation image, an automatic selection of said pre-defined customization script from among said plurality of pre-defined customization scripts included in said single workstation image by a utilization of said customization parameter name as an identifier of said pre-defined customization script, and an automatic execution of said pre-defined customization script, said automatic execution resulting in said automatic customization of said client workstation after said deploying said single workstation image, based on said automatic retrieval of said customization parameter name from said shared partition, further based on said utilization of said customization parameter name as said identifier of said pre-defined customization script, and without said client workstation running communication software.