89 results about "Preboot Execution Environment" patented technology

Methods and systems to support XML-based security and key management services in a pre-boot execution environment. During pre-boot, XML console in and console out interfaces are loaded, and corresponding API's are published to enable use of the interfaces by various firmware and software components. A network stack is set up to enable XML content received at the network interface to be forwarded to the XML console in interface and XML content provided at the XML content out interface to be sent out via the network interface. Security operations may then be performed to authenticate a client system hosting the XML interfaces, to authenticate remote servers to which the client system may communicate with, and to validate boot images provided to the computer system. Key management services are also supported.

Embodiments of the invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to PXE processing and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for selective PXE subnet filtering. In an embodiment of the invention, a PXE server subnet filtering method can be provided. The method can include selectively referring a PXE client to different boot logic depending upon at least a portion of a network assigned address for the PXE client. In this regard, selectively referring a PXE client to different boot logic depending upon at least a portion of a network assigned address for the PXE client can include selectively referring a PXE client to a different boot image notification layer (BINL) service providing a different filename for a different network bootstrap program depending upon at least a portion of an Internet protocol (IP) assigned address for the PXE client by a network resident dynamic host control protocol (DHCP) server in response to a previous DHCP request provided by the PXE client.

A method for updating the firmware of a computing device via a communications network is provided. A client computer having firmware to be updated boots into a preboot execution environment (“PXE”). A broadcast request is transmitted by the PXE that requests the network location of a server computer operative to provide a firmware update program. The broadcast request also requests the name of the firmware update program. Once the response to the broadcast request is received, the client computer transmits a request to the server computer for the firmware update program. The server computer transmits the firmware update program to the client computer. The client computer then executes the firmware update program in the PXE environment. The firmware update program transmits a request to the server computer for the firmware image file to be used to update the operational firmware, receives the firmware image from the server computer, and updates the operational firmware of the client computer utilizing the received firmware image.

A system and method for managing administration of security services provided to users includes a computer system and an operating system running on the computer system. A plurality of Virtual Execution Environments (VEEs) are executed on the computer system. The VEEs can be any of a Virtual Private Server, a Virtual Machine, a Hypervisor-based Virtual Machine, and a Lightweight Hypervisor-based Virtual Machine, a session of Terminal Server and a session of Presentation Server, Lightweight Hypervisor-based Virtual Machines, VMM-based VMs or hypervisor-based VMs. Each VEE provides a set of services to remote users. One or more designated VEE(s) provide security services to each of the VEEs based on the needs of the remote users of the particular VEEs. The security services provided by the designated VEE can be firewall services, spam filtering and anti-virus protection. The security services are controlled and administered by each of the VEEs requesting a particular service via control means of the designated VEE(s).

A system uses a protocol stack on a card external to a motherboard in a target computer system. A processor on the motherboard is able to make use of the external protocol stack during boot-up of the computer, or at any other time, so that it is not necessary to load the protocol stack into the motherboard's memory. This saves time, memory, and disk space and permits an external, managing, computer system to communicate with a computer just after power-up without loading and configuring a protocol stack so that the managing computer system can control the boot-up of the target computer system. The extra memory saved, especially, is important in running many MS-DOS applications, such as firmware flash utilities. A preferred embodiment of the invention uses a UDP / Internet Protocol (UDP / IP) stack resident in a Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) on, e.g, a network card. The approach described herein can be applied to other utilities, protocol stacks or resources (hardware and software) on other cards.

A method and system for managing a secure network boot of a secondary server (server blade). The server blade sends a request, via an Ethernet switch, for a boot program to multiple Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers. One of the DHCP servers responds with an address of at least one Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) server that can upload a boot program to the server blade. Only if the responding DHCP server is on a list of known trusted DHCP servers will the Ethernet switch allow the server blade to receive the response from the responding DHCP server, thus allowing the download of a boot program from a PXE server.

A method, system, and program is provided to redirect a client computer to an appropriate boot server after it has been directed to any initial boot server by preboot execution environment (PXE) or similar services. An apparatus includes a data file containing a set of addresses of managed boot servers in any syntax and a program file containing a network bootstrap program (NBP) that interprets the syntax of the data file. These files are placed on every initial boot server. The NBP requests a file from the initial boot server whose name is identified with the client computer. The initial boot server will not return that file if it is not an appropriate server for booting the client. In that case, the NBP requests the data file containing the boot server addresses. The NBP then polls each of those boot servers by requesting the client's unique file. A boot server that returns the file is an appropriate boot server for the client computer. The data file containing boot server addresses is changed to reflect current boot server load balancing requirements without involving the configuration or affecting the availability of PXE or similar services.

A method and system are presented for facilitating a PXE-compliant (Preboot Execution Environment) remote boot process between clients and multiple available servers on a network. Each server device can respond to a PXE-extended DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Request message from any client device on the network. Each client can receive responses from the alternate servers, select a server from one of those responses, and be directed by that response to complete the remote boot process from the same server. Each server also employs a self-throttling process to prevent the server from responding to new PXE-extended DHCP request messages from additional clients while the server has insufficient resources to remote boot additional clients with the required quality of service. This automatically redirects those additional clients to other servers that can provide the required quality of service without affecting the remote boot of clients already being serviced by the server.

A method, computer program product, and system are disclosed for distributed Preboot execution Environment (PXE) server booting. The method may include receiving a PXE boot image request from a plurality of target machines and sending one or more target machines a temporary PXE server RAM image and a subset of target machines. The temporary PXE server RAM image assigns a recipient target machine as a temporary PXE server and each temporary PXE server is delegated the subset of target machines to PXE boot. The method may also include receiving a subset boot confirmation from each temporary PXE server that indicates that the subset of target machines delegated to each temporary PXE server booted successfully. Finally, the method may include sending the one or more temporary PXE servers an agent boot image in response to the subset boot confirmation from each temporary PXE server.

A method and system for managing a secure network boot of a secondary server (server blade). The server blade sends a request, via an Ethernet switch, for a boot program to multiple Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers. One of the DHCP servers responds with an address of at least one Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) server that can upload a boot program to the server blade. Only if the responding DHCP server is on a list of known trusted DHCP servers will the Ethernet switch allow the server blade to receive the response from the responding DHCP server, thus allowing the download of a boot program from a PXE server.

A remote control apparatus is provided. The remote control apparatus enables a host computer (network administrator) to execute certain pre-boot services on each computer on a network. This remote control apparatus is configured with a primary connection module and a connection and service control module. The primary connection module is to use one MAC address selected from the MAC address table to directly connect to the associated computer, and then a virtual IP address is assigned for the computer. After the initial stage, the connection and service control module takes over the network connection using TCP / IP interface to allow packets to be routed to the virtual IP address of the computer, whereby certain pre-boot services such as network OS deployment, virus scanning, BIOS update, and system configuration and restoration can be performed in the pre-boot execution environment.

A method and a system are presented for facilitating a PXE-compliant (Preboot Execution Environment) remote boot process between clients and multiple servers. All clients are initially directed to the address of the central boot server when they initially request remote boot service. The central boot server returns the same small initial bootstrap program to every client, which is then executed by the client's embedded boot program. The received initial bootstrap program contains only enough logic to have the client request and receive a list of alternate boot server addresses. The list may be ordered to present to the client a series of best-available boot servers, or the client may search the list to determine an address of an alternate boot server that can efficiently continue the remote boot process. The client selects a boot server from the list and requests the next program from the selected boot server.

A method and system for managing a secure network boot of a server blade. The server blade is part of a server blade chassis, which holds multiple server blades that communicate with outside devices via a Pre-boot eXecution Environment (PXE) enabled network interface card. When a server blade receives a response from a PXE boot server offering a boot program download, a Remote Supervisory Adapter (RSA) card, managed by a remote manager, compares the identity of the responding PXE boot server with a list of trusted PXE boot servers. Only if the responding PXE boot server is on the list of trusted PXE boot servers will the server blade be allowed to use a boot program provided by the responding PXE boot server.

The invention provides a virtual machine mounting method. The method comprises the following steps of: setting a virtual machine image file and virtual machine control center software in a far-end server; distributing IP (Internet Protocol) addresses to each server of a data center through setting a protocol service by a dynamic host machine in the far-end server, so as to establish communication connection with each server; sending the virtual machine image file into each server through pre-starting and executing an environment service so as to mount a virtual machine in each server; transmitting the IP addresses of a server which is successfully provided with the virtual machine back to the virtual machine control center software of the far-end server; utilizing the virtual machine control center software to send an operation system image file to the server which is successfully provided with the virtual machine, so as to install an operation system on the virtual machine of the server. The invention further provides a virtual machine mounting system. With the adoption of the virtual machine mounting method and the virtual machine mounting system, the virtual machine can be intensively mounted in the server of the data center so that the mounting efficiency of the virtual machine is improved.

A preboot execution environment (PXE) test device includes a microprocessor, one or more indicators, a network interface, a power connector, and a storage device. The network interface connects the PXE test device with a computer. The power connector connects an external power source to supply a voltage to the PXE test device. The storage device stores a boot loader, an embedded operating system, and one or more programs. The microprocessor executes the boot loader and the embedded operating system to start the PXE test device. The one or more indicators indicate a power supply status and a starting status of the PXE test device. The microprocessor further executes the one or more programs to remotely boot the computer for test PXE of a network card in the computer.

A diskless PC network communication agent system includes a host, a network communication agent, a physical network connecting the network communication agent to the host, and diskless PCs connected to the network communication agent. The network communication agent has network packet filtering and transferring functions so that a virtual private network is established between the network communication agent and the diskless PCs for enabling each diskless PC to use a preboot execution environment communication protocol to catch dynamic host configuration protocol information, to start up network bootstrap, and to request the host for the services of remote installation, boot and access to virtual disk.

The invention provides a rapid and unattended operation system, which comprises a head node and a plurality of child nodes, wherein the head node is connected with the child nodes through a switchboard; the head node is provided with a terminal service device; and each child node is provided with a server, and each server is provided with a network card which has a preboot execution environment read only memory (PXEROM) chip. In a limit range which can be born by the servers, an operating system can be installed in a plurality of servers simultaneously, so that the system is high in concentration degree, the installation speed is greatly increased, the phenomenon of different system configuration because the operating system is installed by different personnel is prevented, and the inconsistency of files is effectively prevented.

A technique for updating configurations of a target system in a computer. The method comprises booting, based on Preboot Execution Environment technology, a micro-system for updating configurations of a target system before booting the target system, the micro-system performing the steps of: (a) acquiring target configuration packages via a network from a server; (b) extracting target configuration data from said target configuration packages; and (c) updating the configurations of said target system by using said target configuration data, wherein said micro-system is independent of said target system.

The invention discloses a method for deploying virtual machines for hyper-converged systems. The method includes selecting a physical server node from systems and creating diskless servers on the physical server node; creating a disk mirroring template for operating systems in specified versions; creating storage configuration parameters on the diskless server for the disk mirroring template and storing the disk mirroring template in the diskless server according to the storage configuration parameters; setting first booting modes of a virtual machine as PXE (preboot execution environment) network booting when the virtual machine is newly established in the systems. The method has the advantages that the method is favorable for improving the updating efficiency of the hyper-converged systems, and the system maintenance cost can be reduced.

A method and system for managing a secure network boot of a server blade. The server blade is part of a server blade chassis, which holds multiple server blades that communicate with outside devices via a Pre-boot eXecution Environment (PXE) enabled network interface card. When a server blade receives a response from a PXE boot server offering a boot program download, a Remote Supervisory Adapter (RSA) card, managed by a remote manager, compares the identity of the responding PXE boot server with a list of trusted PXE boot servers. Only if the responding PXE boot server is on the list of trusted PXE boot servers will the server blade be allowed to use a boot program provided by the responding PXE boot server.

A system uses a protocol stack on a card external to a motherboard in a target computer system. A processor on the motherboard is able to make use of the external protocol stack during boot-up of the computer, or at any other time, so that it is not necessary to load the protocol stack into the motherboard's memory. This saves time, memory, and disk space and permits an external, managing, computer system to communicate with a computer just after power-up without loading and configuring a protocol stack so that the managing computer system can control the boot-up of the target computer system. The extra memory saved, especially, is important in running many MS-DOS applications, such as firmware flash utilities. A preferred embodiment of the invention uses a UDP / Internet Protocol (UDP / IP) stack resident in a Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) on, e.g, a network card. The approach described herein can be applied to other utilities, protocol stacks or resources (hardware and software) on other cards.

The invention discloses a client and a server configuration system and method. The method comprises the steps that a preboot execution environment (PXE) system is arranged by the client in a to-be-configured server; a PXE system arranged in the to-be-configured server is started; installation documents and configuration scripts are obtained through the started PXE system; firmware configuration and operating system installation are conducted on the to-be-configured server according to the obtained installation documents and configuration scripts. According to the embodiment, the installation documents and the configuration scrips are obtained through the started PXE system, and firmware configuration and operating system installation are conducted on the to-be-configured server, so that batched configuration on the server is achieved, the configuration efficiency is improved, and the configuration cost is reduced.

A method for provisioning a blade server is provided. The method includes creating a server boot image for a blade server, where the boot image includes an operating system image created from a donor server. Then, the method includes inserting the blade server into a chassis of an enclosure that is capable of receiving multiple blade servers. Then, staring the blade server from a pre-boot execution environment (PXE). The PXE loading an image that prompts a user to install a new operating system from a pre-existing target computer of the enclosure. The method then installs the new operating system. The installing includes creation of a new iSCSI target for the inserted blade server, and partitioning of the iSCSI target. The also includes restarting the inserted blade server. The restarting is configured to boot using the iSCSI target of the inserted blade server, so that the inserted blade server becomes a provisioned blade server. The provisioning is accomplished without a hardware iSCSI initiator for an iSCSI boot.

The invention relates to a PXE (preboot execution environment) function test system and method which are used for testing the PXE function of a network interface card. The PXE function test system operates in a baseboard management controller of a server, wherein the baseboard management controller is connected with the network interface card in a communicating way through a network interface of the baseboard management controller. The PXE function test system comprises a DHCP(dynamic host configuration protocol) service module, a boot service module and a TFTP (trivial file transfer protocol) service module; the DHCP service module is used for responding to a DHCP DISCOVER packet sent by the network interface card and returning a DHCP OFFER packet so as to provide an IP (internet protocol) address for the network interface card; the boot service module is used for responding to a DHCPREQUREST packet sent by the network interface card and returning a DHCP ASK packet so as to provide an remote boot image file name and a TFTP configuration parameter for the network interface card; and the TFTP service module is used for responding to a packet which is sent by the network interface card and used for requesting for downloading a remote boot image and establishing a connection based on an MTFTP (multicast trivial file transfer protocol) or TFTP so that the remote boot image can be downloaded from the baseboard management controller by the network interface card through the connection. According to the PXE function test system and method, the network for PXE function test does not need to be built additionally, and the PXE function test cost is saved.

According to the virtual machine starting method and equipment, the diskless technology is applied to the cloud game scene on the basis of the pre-starting execution environment (PXE), so that the virtual machine runs in a memory, quick starting can be achieved, and the storage space is not occupied. According to the invention, the distributed DHCP service and the TFTP service are deployed on eachphysical host machine node through the cloud platform control module; in combination with a virtual power supply control module compatible with an IPMI instruction, a mirror image storage server is used for directly issuing a mirror image to start the virtual machine without using a main storage method, so that diskless quick start of the cloud game virtual machine is achieved. According to the method, the distributed DHCP service and the TFTP service are used, the virtual machine power management module compatible with the IPMI instruction is combined, then the mirror image storage server isused for directly issuing the mirror image to start the virtual machine, a main storage method is not used, and diskless quick start of the cloud game virtual machine is achieved.

The invention discloses a method, device and equipment for deploying an OpenStack bare computer containing an intelligent network card and a computer readable storage medium. The method comprises thefollowing steps of: pre-designing an inspection script, an initialization script and a deployment script, and storing an intelligent network card operating system installation package into a memory file system mirror image file; after a host of the bare computer to be deployed is started in the pre-starting execution environment, pulling a memory file system mirror image file pre-uploaded to the pre-starting execution environment server from the network starting environment, running a memory file system corresponding to the memory file system mirror image file, calling a check script to determine that the bare computer to be deployed is mounted with an intelligent network card, calling the initialization script to initialize the running environment, the deployment script is called to copythe operating system installation package to the intelligent network card processor, the intelligent network card processor is pulled up to run to complete deployment, an operating system does not need to be installed for the intelligent network card in advance, and the deployment of the bare computer containing the intelligent network card can be automatically completed as long as the intelligentnetwork card is inserted into the bare computer to be deployed.