System and method for configuring an information handling system
View Patent ↗A peer configuration system provides a configuration file via peer-to-peer networking. A master device stores a peer configuration. Whenever any peer device requires configuration, the peer device assumes a slave role and queries the master device to retrieve the peer configuration. The peer configuration is thus propagated via peer-to-peer networking to the peer device. The peer device boots-up using the peer configuration retrieved from the master device.
1. A method, comprising:
storing, by an information handling system acting as a master device, a peer configuration associated with a master role in a peer configuration service;
sending, by the information handling system acting as the master device, a message via a peer-to-peer networking environment to peer devices, the message specifying the master role associated with the peer configuration service and specifying a network address associated with the master device;
receiving, by the information handling system acting as the master device, a configuration request sent during a boot-up procedure via the peer-to-peer networking environment from a peer device of the peer devices, the peer device assuming a slave role during the boot-up procedure in response to the message specifying the master role and the peer device requesting the peer configuration service during the boot-up procedure; and
sending, by the information handling system acting as the master device, a response to the configuration request requesting the peer configuration service, the response sent via the peer-to-peer networking environment to the peer device during the boot-up procedure, the response comprising the peer configuration associated with the master role;
wherein the peer configuration service provides the peer configuration during the boot-up procedure of the peer device.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing an electronic copy of the peer configuration.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a designation associated with the master role.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing the boot-up procedure using the peer configuration.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing multiple versions of the peer configuration.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing multiple peer configurations.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising associating each one of the multiple peer configurations with a corresponding name.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising associating each one of the multiple peer configurations with a corresponding group.
9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising associating each one of the multiple peer configurations with a corresponding user.
10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising associating each one of the multiple peer configurations with a corresponding Internet protocol address.
11. An information handling system, comprising:
a hardware processor; and
a memory device accessible to the hardware processor, the memory device storing instructions that when executed cause the hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
suspending a boot-up procedure;
receiving a message during the suspending of the boot-up procedure, the message sent via a peer-to-peer networking connection from a master device, the message soliciting a peer configuration service available from the master device, the message specifying a master role associated with the peer configuration service and a network address associated with the master device;
in response to the master role specified by the message from the master device, assigning a slave role during the suspending of the boot-up procedure;
in response to the assigning of the slave role, sending a configuration request during the suspending of the boot-up procedure via the peer-to-peer networking connection to the network address associated with the master device, the configuration request requesting a peer configuration provided by the peer configuration service available from the master device;
receiving the peer configuration during the suspending of the boot-up procedure sent via the peer-to-peer networking connection from the master device, the peer configuration sent as a response to the peer configuration service available from the master device; and
resuming the boot-up procedure by applying the peer configuration received from the master device.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further include defaulting to the slave role in response to the master role specified by the message from the master device.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further include shutting down in response to no discovery of the master role.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further include periodically sending the configuration request via the peer-to-peer networking connection to the master device.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further include randomly sending the configuration request via the peer-to-peer networking connection to the master device.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further include storing an electronic copy of the peer configuration.
17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further include pausing the boot-up procedure to send the configuration request.
18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further include receiving a designation associated with an alternate master device associated with the master role.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the operations further include querying the alternate master device for the peer configuration.
20. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
assigning a dual personality associated with a peer configuration service;
receiving a designation of a master role associated with the dual personality associated with the peer configuration service;
in response to the designation of the master role, sending a message via a peer-to-peer networking connection to a slave device, the message specifying a network address associated with a master device designated the master role in the peer configuration service;
receiving a configuration request sent during a suspended boot-up procedure via the peer-to-peer networking connection from the slave device, the slave device defaulting to a slave role associated with the dual personality and suspending the boot-up procedure in response to the message specifying the network address associated with the mast device designated the master role, the configuration request requesting the peer configuration service available from the master device; and
sending a peer configuration via the peer-to-peer networking connection to the slave device that suspended the boot-up procedure, the peer configuration sent in response to the configuration request requesting the peer configuration service available from the master device.