International Business Machines Corporation

David Clerc

John G Rooney

Luis Garcés-Erice

Jacques Fontignie

Paolo Scotton

Claudio Marinelli

Marc Vuilleumier Stückelberg

Peter Buhler

Thomas Gschwind

Andreas Schade

A server system includes a database for storing data, a memory device for storing data selected from the data in the database, and a processing device that selects data from the database, stores the selected data in the memory device, and transmits over a communication network an availability signal to a client, the availability signal including an identifier of the selected data and indicating that the selected data is stored in the memory device and is available to be accessed by the client.

Transmitting data including pieces of data

A computer implemented method includes storing data in a server, selecting a block of data from the stored data, storing the selected block of data in a cache memory of the server, and transmitting a block availability signal to a client, the block availability signal including an identifier of the selected block of data and indicating that the selected block of data is stored in the cache memory and is available to be accessed by the client.

A method and system for transmitting data including pieces of data. The method includes the steps of: placing a piece of data on at least one cache memory; and sending a signal indicating a presence of the piece of data on the cache memory to at least one client, where at least one of the steps is carried out by a computer device.

Methods and apparatus are provided for provisioning an operating system image from a server () to an untrusted user terminal () via a data communications network (). A trusted device () such as a pocket USB device has tamper-resistant storage () containing bootloader logic, for controlling booting of a user terminal, and security data. On connection of the trusted device () to an untrusted user terminal (), the user terminal is booted via the bootloader logic on the trusted device. Under control of the bootloader logic, a connection is established to the server () via the network () and the server is authenticated using the security data on the trusted device (). An operating system boot image is received from the server () via this connection. The boot image is used to provision an operating system image from the server () to the user terminal () for execution of the operating system at the user terminal ().

Provisioning of operating systems to user terminals

A data processing entity that includes a mass memory with a plurality of memory locations for storing memory blocks. Each of a plurality of software images includes a plurality of memory blocks with corresponding image addresses within the software image. The memory blocks of software images stored in boot locations of a current software image are relocated. The boot blocks of the current software image are stored into the corresponding boot locations. The data processing entity is booted from the boot blocks of the current software image in the corresponding boot locations, thereby loading the access function. Each request to access a selected memory block of the current software image is served by the access function, with the access function accessing the selected memory block in the associated memory location provided by the control structure.

Management of multiple software images with shared memory blocks

A method for deploying an operating system onto a client system includes, with the client system, receiving a bootloader image from an external device in response to a request for the bootloader image and installing the bootloader. The installed bootloader is configured to provide a streaming function from the client system to both a client repository of the client system and a remote data repository and selectively redirect requests for a block of data to one of: the client repository and the remote data repository. The method further includes, with the client system, during operation of a function of the operating system, making a request for a data block of the operating system, the data block including the function, and receiving the data block from one of: the client repository and the remote repository based on availability information.

Deploying an operating system

A method, system and computer program product for managing multiple software images in a data processing entity. At least part of the memory blocks of each of the software images is stored into a corresponding image portion of a mass memory. A current software image stored in a current image is selected. The memory blocks stored in boot locations of the current software image are relocated to a relocation portion of the mass memory. The boot blocks of the current software image are copied into the corresponding boot location. The data processing entity is booted from the boot blocks of the current software image in the corresponding boot locations and each request to access a selected memory block of the current software image by the access function is served.

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Verbier, Switzerland

David Clerc