Techniques for computer system recovery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9250923-B2
Application number	US-201314090940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2013
Priority date	Nov 26, 2013
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

Techniques for computer system recovery which remotely restore a default partition to a recent state even when an operating system is functioning abnormally. In an example embodiment, a service center computer establishes a first network connection to a monitored computer system. The service center computer configures the monitored computer system to boot from a bootable image file in the monitored computer system and reboots the monitored computer system into an alternate operating system environment of the bootable image file. The service center computer establishes a second network connection to the monitored computer system to restore a recent backup image of the default partition from a diagnostic partition to a default partition. The service center computer establishes a third network connection to the monitored computer system and reboots the monitored computer system to the default partition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system comprising:
a storage drive containing a first storage area with the default operating system environment and a second storage area containing a backup image of the first storage area and a bootable image file containing an alternate operating system environment; and
a processor configured to
periodically during a normal operating mode create the backup image of the first storage area;
establish during an abnormal operating mode a first network connection with another computer system;
change a boot priority from the default operating system to the bootable image file and reboot during the first network connection under control from the other computer system;
establish a second network connection with the other computer system while operating in the alternate operating system environment;
restore the backup image to the first storage area during the second network connection under control from the other computer system;
establish a third network connection with the monitored computer system;
change the boot priority from the bootable image file to the default operating system during the third network connection under control from the other computer system; and
reboot during the third network connection under control from the other computer system to the normal operating mode.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the first and third network connections comprise out of band connections.

3. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the first and third network connections comprise Serial over Local Area Network (SOL) connections.

4. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the second network connection comprises a remote access connection.

Assignees

• Ncr Corp

Inventors

• Kobres Erick C

Classifications

• G06F9/4416 Primary

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

• G06F11/1451

  by selection of backup contents · CPC title

• G06F11/1469

  Backup restoration techniques · CPC title

• G06F2201/805

  Real-time · CPC title

• G06F11/1417

  Boot up procedures · CPC title