System and method for facilitating booting using a plurality of boot methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9229731-B2
Application number	US-201113102473-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2011
Priority date	May 6, 2011
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods for reducing problems and disadvantages associated with multiple boot methods are disclosed. In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, an information handling system comprises a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The information handling system also comprises an access controller communicatively coupled to the processor. The access controller is configured to retrieve non-bootable executable instructions and combine the non-bootable executable instructions with a boot loader associated with a boot method to generate a bootable image associated with the boot method. The access controller is further configured to present the bootable image to the information handling system such that the bootable image is configured to be booted by the information handling system using the boot method.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information handling system comprising:
a processor;
a memory communicatively coupled to the processor; and
an access controller communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to:
receive a boot request indicating a boot method and select a boot loader based on the boot request;
retrieve non-bootable executable instructions;
combine the non-bootable executable instructions with the boot loader associated with the boot method to generate a bootable image associated with the boot method; and
present the bootable image to the information handling system such that the bootable image is configured to be booted by the information handling system using the boot method.

2. An information handling system according to claim 1 , the access controller further configured to retrieve the non-bootable instructions by downloading, via a network, the non-bootable executable instructions from a management server communicatively coupled to the information handling system via the network.

3. An information handling system according to claim 1 , the access controller further configured to extract the non-bootable executable instructions from a second bootable image associated with a second boot method to retrieve the non-bootable executable instructions.

4. An information handling system according to claim 1 , wherein the non-bootable executable instructions comprise an operating system kernel.

5. An information handling system according to claim 1 , wherein the boot method comprises at least one of a network boot, booting from an optical disc drive, booting from a hard drive, booting from a floppy disc drive, booting from a flash memory device, booting from a universal serial bus (USB) device, and booting from a virtual device.

6. An information handling system according to claim 1 , the access controller further configured to download the boot loader via a network from a management server communicatively coupled to the information handling system via the network.

7. An access controller comprising:
a processor;
a computer readable memory communicatively coupled to the processor; and
processing instructions encoded in the computer readable memory, the processing instructions, when executed by the processor, operable to perform operations comprising:
receive a boot request indicating a boot method and select a boot loader based on the boot request;
retrieving non-bootable executable instructions;
combining the non-bootable executable instructions with the boot loader associated with the boot method to generate a bootable image associated with the boot method; and
presenting the bootable image to an information handling system including the access controller such that the bootable image is configured to be booted by the information handling system using the boot method.

8. An access controller according to claim 7 , wherein retrieving the non-bootable instructions comprises downloading, via a network, the non-bootable executable instructions from a management server communicatively coupled to the information handling system via the network.

9. An access controller according to claim 7 , the processing instructions further operable to perform operations comprising extracting the non-bootable executable instructions from a second bootable image associated with a second boot method to retrieve the non-bootable executable instructions.

10. An access controller according to claim 7 , wherein the non-bootable executable instructions comprise an operating system kernel.

11. An access controller according to claim 7 , wherein the boot method comprises at least one of a network boot, booting from an optical disc drive, booting from a hard drive, booting from a floppy disc drive, booting from a flash memory device, booting from a universal serial bus (USB) device, and booting from a virtual device.

12. An access controller according to claim 7 , the processing instructions further operable to perform operations comprising downloading the boot loader via a network from a management server communicatively coupled to the information handling system via the network.

13. A method comprising:
receiving, by an access controller, a boot request indicating a boot method and selecting, by the access controller a boot loader based on the boot request;
retrieving, by the access controller, non-bootable executable instructions;
combining, by the access controller, the non-bootable executable instructions with the boot loader associated with the boot method to generate a bootable image associated with the boot method; and
presenting, by the access controller, the bootable image to an information handling system including the access controller such that the bootable image is configured to be booted by the information handling system using the boot method.

14. A method according to claim 13 , further comprising retrieving, by the access controller, the non-bootable instructions by downloading, via a network, the non-bootable executable instructions from a management server communicatively coupled to the information handling system via the network.

15. A method according to claim 13 , further comprising extracting, by the access controller, the non-bootable executable instructions from a second bootable image associated with a second boot method to retrieve the non-bootable executable instructions.

16. A method according to claim 13 , wherein the non-bootable executable instructions comprise an operating system kernel.

17. A method according to claim 13 , wherein the boot method comprises at least one of a network boot, booting from an optical disc drive, booting from a hard drive, booting from a floppy disc drive, booting from a flash memory device, booting from a universal serial bus (USB) device, and booting from a virtual device.

Assignees

• Domsch Matthew L
• Perusse Jr Charles Terrence
• Hass Jon Robert
• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Domsch Matthew L
• Perusse Jr Charles Terrence
• Hass Jon Robert

Classifications

• G06F9/4416 Primary

  Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL] · CPC title

• G06F21/575

  Secure boot · CPC title

• G06F21/568

  eliminating virus, restoring damaged files · CPC title