IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,407,458
Granted Patent B2
US 8,407,458 · App. 12/630,455 · Granted Mar 26, 2013

Embedded device for implementing a boot process on a host

Inventors: Matthew Darrell Barron, Jr. (Houston, TX); Todd Dalton Grabbe (Sugarland, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products, LP
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,407,458
App. No.
12/630,455
Filed
Dec 3, 2009
Granted
Mar 26, 2013
Kind
B2
Examiner
BAE, JI H
Art Unit
2115
USPC
713/2
Abstract

An embedded device, for implementing a boot process on a host, is provided. This embedded device includes servers supporting various industry-standard Internet protocols and services related to the boot process. This embedded device also includes a storage medium that stores boot options for multiple Operating Systems (OSs).

Claims (24)

1. An embedded device for booting a host, the host having a first microprocessor, a first storage medium and a communication bus, the embedded device comprising:

a second microprocessor on the embedded device distinct from the first microprocessor, the second microprocessor having access to one or more servers on the embedded device, each of the one or more servers supporting at least one protocol related to a PXE boot;

a second storage medium on the embedded device, storing one or more boot options, each of the one or more boot options being related to an Operating System (OS); and

an interface physically coupled to the communication bus on the host, wherein the embedded device is operable to PXE boot the host without utilizing the first storage medium of the host by communicating with the host through the interface, including, during the PXE boot, receiving one or more requests from the host through the interface and responding to the one or more requests through the interface using the one or more servers on the embedded device and one or more boot options on the second storage medium on the embedded device.

2. The embedded device of claim 1 , wherein the second microprocessor further comprises a management interface, the management interface being provided for configuring the embedded device.

3. The embedded device of claim 2 , wherein the management interface comprises at least one of a web Application Programming Interface (API), a Secure Shell (SSH) API, and a Hardware Platform Interface (HPI) API and the management interface can be used to select an OS to be loaded for booting the host.

4. The embedded device of claim 1 further comprising a PXE Read Only Memory (ROM), wherein the PXE ROM comprises a PXE loader, the PXE loader initiating the PXE boot on the host on being provided to the host through the interface.

5. The embedded device of claim 1 , wherein the embedded device comprises an Ethernet controller.

6. The embedded device of claim 5 , further comprising a local device driver, the local device driver interfacing the Ethernet controller to a local OS running on the second microprocessor.

7. The embedded device of claim 1 , wherein the second microprocessor further comprises a PXE GRand Unified Bootloader (GRUB), the PXE GRUB being provided to the host through the communication medium, the PXE GRUB loading a selected OS on the host.

8. The embedded device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more servers comprise a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server, the DHCP server responding to one or more DHCP requests through the interface, the one or more DHCP requests being requested by the host; a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server, the TFTP server responding to one or more TFTP requests through the interface, the one or more TFTP requests being requested by the host; a Network File System (NFS) server, the NFS server responding to one or more NFS requests through the interface, the one or more NFS requests being requested by the host; or a Server Message Block/Common Internet File System (SMB/CIFS) server, the SMB/CIFS server responding to one or more SMB/CIFS requests through the interface, the one or more SMB/CIFS requests being requested by the host.

9. The embedded device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more boot options comprises one or more boot images of an OS or a kernel, an initial Random Access Memory (RAM) disk, and a Root File System (RFS), of an OS.

10. The embedded device of claim 1 , wherein the PXE boot of the host is initiated from a remote location.

11. A method for booting a host having a first microprocessor, a first storage medium and a communication bus utilizing an embedded device, comprising:

receiving one or more requests from the host at the embedded device through an interface of the embedded device physically coupled to the communication bus on the host, wherein the one or more requests are associated with a PXE boot of the host; and

responding to the one or more requests associated with the PXE boot through the interface using one or more servers on the embedded device supporting at least one protocol related to a PXE boot and one or more boot options related to an Operating System (OS), wherein responding to the one or more requests comprises accessing a second microprocessor on the embedded device distinct from the first microprocessor, the second microprocessor having access to the one or more servers on the embedded device and accessing a second storage medium on the embedded device storing the one or more boot options.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising configuring the embedded device using a management interface provided by the second microprocessor.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the management interface comprises at least one of a web Application Programming Interface (API), a Secure Shell (SSH) API, and a Hardware Platform Interface (HPI) API and the management interface can be used to select an OS to be loaded for booting the host.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising initiating the PXE boot on the host using PXE loader on a PXE Read Only Memory (ROM) on the embedded device.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein an Ethernet controller on the embedded device is interfaced to a local OS running on the second microprocessor.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising loading a selected OS on the host using a PXE GRand Unified Bootloader (GRUB) being provided form the second microprocessor to the host through the interface.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more servers comprise a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server, the DHCP server responding to one or more DHCP requests through the interface, the one or more DHCP requests being requested by the host; a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server, the TFTP server responding to one or more TFTP requests through the interface, the one or more TFTP requests being requested by the host; a Network File System (NFS) server, the NFS server responding to one or more NFS requests through the interface, the one or more NFS requests being requested by the host; or a Server Message Block/Common Internet File System (SMB/CIFS) server, the SMB/CIFS server responding to one or more SMB/CIFS requests through the interface, the one or more SMB/CIFS requests being requested by the host.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more boot options comprises one or more boot images of an OS or a kernel, an initial Random Access Memory (RAM) disk, and a Root File System (RFS), of an OS.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising initiating the PXE boot of the host from a remote location.

Assignments (16)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (045455/0001) Recorded May 20, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.); DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC CORPORATION (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MAGINATICS LLC); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); SCALEIO LLC
Reel/Frame 061753/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (040136/0001) Recorded Apr 26, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.); DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC CORPORATION (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MAGINATICS LLC); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); SCALEIO LLC
Reel/Frame 061324/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL, L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 058216/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040136/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040134/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2016
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INC.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 040040/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2016
From: BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INC.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 040065/0618 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2016
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; COMPELLANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INC.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 040065/0216 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (TERM LOAN) Recorded Jan 2, 2014
From: DELL INC.; APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; BOOMI, INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL USA L.P.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; GALE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 031899/0261 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (ABL) Recorded Jan 2, 2014
From: DELL INC.; APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; BOOMI, INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL USA L.P.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; GALE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 031898/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Jan 2, 2014
From: APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; BOOMI, INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INC.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL USA L.P.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; GALE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS FIRST LIEN COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 031897/0348 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 7, 2013
From: AUGMENTIX CORPORATION
To: DELL PRODUCTS, L.P.
Reel/Frame 029775/0843 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 13, 2010
From: BARRON, JR., MATTHEW D.; GRABBE, TODD D.
To: AUGMENTIX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 023777/0956 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 11323738 · Dec 30, 2005
Related Publication 20100082969A1 · Apr 1, 2010