Computer system with dynamically configurable boot order
US6292890A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 29, 1998 |
| Grant date | Sep 18, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 29, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/4416
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A computer system is provided with a dynamically reconfigurable boot order. In one embodiment, the computer comprises a network interface, a nonvolatile memory, and a CPU. The network interface may be coupled to a network to receive a "wake-up" data packet, that is, a data packet that includes a predetermined data pattern for which the network interface can be configured to scan. Upon detecting the wake-up data packet, the network interface can initiate a computer boot-up sequence. The CPU begins a boot-up sequence by retrieving a BIOS from the nonvolatile memory. One portion of the boot-up sequence specified by the BIOS includes determining and accessing a series of target boot devices to locate and retrieve an operating system. Preferably, the order of the series of target boot devices (i.e. the "boot order") is different from a default boot order if the network interface initiated the current boot-up sequence. Otherwise, the default boot order is used. The difference in the boot orders may be that the default boot order begins with local boot devices and the boot order resulting from a remote boot begins with network boot devices.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.