Boot Image Discovery Client for Logical User Provisioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing boot image discovery and delivery systems for information handling systems do not support provisioning images for logical users or groups, nor do they dynamically customize boot images based on host platform hardware, limiting flexibility and adaptability.
Innovation Solution
A boot image discovery and delivery system that includes an image discovery client on the host device, which receives authentication credentials from a centralized database, provides customized boot images based on user credentials, and dynamically updates hardware drivers and OS configurations to ensure bootability on the host hardware platform, supporting both physical and virtual environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If boot image location is stored in host BIOS or downloaded via PXE, then the host can boot up, but the system cannot provision images for logical users or dynamically customize images based on host platform hardware
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an image discovery client as an intermediary component that mediates between the host system and the boot image delivery mechanism. This client retrieves authentication credentials, determines the appropriate boot image based on host hardware platform, and coordinates the image delivery process, thereby enabling user-specific provisioning and dynamic customization without requiring complex changes to the underlying boot infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the boot image discovery and delivery process into distinct functional components: an image discovery client responsible for credential retrieval and image selection, a credential storage mechanism, and an image delivery subsystem. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates the implementation of sophisticated image provisioning logic without overwhelming system complexity
2Reliability
If boot image is customized dynamically based on host platform hardware, then bootability is ensured, but the system requires complex image customization capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-storing authentication credentials and boot image information in a centralized database before the host needs to boot. The image discovery client retrieves this information in advance and prepares the appropriate boot image configuration based on the host's hardware platform, ensuring bootability is achieved without requiring complex real-time customization during the boot process itself
Data Source
AI summary
A boot image discovery and delivery system includes one or more subsystems to provide a host device, provide an image discovery client on the host device, transfer control of a start-up initialization to the image discovery client, receive authentication credentials from a centralized database, provide a first boot image to the host device for a first set of credentials and provide a second boot image to the host device for a second set of credentials.