Rack level server boot

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a rack level server boot device from a remote user device, a command to boot a specified server of a plurality of servers, wherein each of the plurality of servers is connected to one of a plurality of ports of the rack level server boot device;

identifying, based on the command, a target emulated hard drive of a plurality of emulated hard drives disposed on the rack level server boot device, each of the plurality of emulated hard drives being associated with at least one of the ports of the plurality of ports of the rack level server boot device and the target emulated hard drive being associated with a port of the plurality of ports of the rack level server boot device that is connected to the specified server;

selecting, based on the command, a specified OS boot image of one or more OS boot images stored by a memory of the rack level server boot device; and

causing the specified server to boot from the target emulated hard drive using the specified OS boot image.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ports comprise USB ports.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the rack level server boot device has a body that is approximately one rack unit in height.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more OS boot images comprises an operating system and one or more applications.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein multiple OS boot images of the one or more OS boot images may be derived from one copy an operating system and/or one copy of an application stored by the rack level server boot device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein in response to receiving one or more commands from the remote user device, the rack level server boot device is configured to reset, reboot, power on and/or power off one or more selected servers of the plurality of servers.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

authenticating, based on user credentials received from a remote user device, a remote user accessing the rack level server boot device; and

providing, to the remote user via the remote user device, a set of optional functionalities based on a security clearance associated with the remote user.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , the method further comprising:

generating activity logs based on activity of the remote user, server activity and/or failure activity; and

storing the activity logs.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

receiving an update to an OS boot image; and

causing, by one or more of the plurality of emulated hard drives of the rack level server boot device, one or more corresponding servers to reboot using an updated boot image, the corresponding servers being connected to ports associated with the one or more of the plurality of emulated hard drives.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

storing a physical rack location of each of the plurality of servers based on a known cabling pattern between the plurality of servers and the rack level server boot device; and

modifying the specified OS boot image to include the physical rack location of the specified server of the plurality of servers.

11. A system comprising:

a processor communicatively coupled to a memory, the processor configured to:

receive, from a remote user device, a command to boot a specified server of a plurality of servers, wherein each of the plurality of servers is connected to one of a plurality of ports of a rack level server boot device;

identify, based on the command, a target emulated hard drive of a plurality of emulated hard drives disposed on the rack level server boot device, each of the plurality of emulated hard drives being associated with at least one of the ports of the plurality of ports of the rack level server boot device and the target emulated hard drive being associated with a port of the plurality of ports of the rack level server boot device that is connected to the specified server;

select, based on the command, a specified OS boot image of one or more OS boot images stored by a memory of the rack level server boot device; and

cause the specified server to boot from the target emulated hard drive using the specified OS boot image.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of ports comprise USB ports.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the rack level server boot device has a body comprising that is approximately one rack unit in height.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein each of the one or more OS boot images comprises an operating system and one or more applications.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein multiple OS boot images of the one or more OS boot images may be derived from one copy an operating system and/or one copy of an application stored by the rack level server boot device.

16. The system of claim 11 in response to receiving one or more commands from the remote user device, the rack level server boot device is configured to reset, reboot, power on and/or power off one or more selected servers of the plurality of servers.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

authenticate, based on user credentials received from a remote user device, a remote user accessing the rack level server boot device; and

provide, to the remote user via the remote user device, a set of optional functionalities based on a security clearance associated with the remote user.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer processor to cause the computer processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, by a rack level server boot device from a remote user device, a command to boot a specified server of a plurality of servers, wherein each of the plurality of servers is connected to one of a plurality of ports of the rack level server boot device;

identifying, based on the command, a target emulated hard drive of a plurality of emulated hard drives disposed on the rack level server boot device, each of the plurality of emulated hard drives being associated with at least one of the ports of the plurality of ports of the rack level server boot device and the target emulated hard drive being associated with a port of the plurality of ports of the rack level server boot device that is connected to the specified server;

selecting, based on the command, a specified OS boot image of one or more OS boot images stored by a memory of the rack level server boot device; and

causing the specified server to boot from the target emulated hard drive using the specified OS boot image.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of ports comprise USB ports.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein each of the one or more OS boot images comprises an operating system and one or more applications.