International Business Machines Corporation

Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

William W Buchanan, Jr

Simon C Chu

Paul Brian Tippett

William Joseph Piazza

David Benson Rhoades

Gregory Brian Pruett

David Michael Green

Peter Thomas Donovan

Karl Ross Shultz

Richard Alan Dayan

William Paul Zeggert

Thomas William Lange

Akram Abboud

John Michael Brantly

Peter Gerard Chin

Timothy J Green

Antonio Abbondanzio

Linda Ann Riedle

Gregory William Dake

Benjamin Russell Grimes

Andrew Hamilton Wray

Stephen Woodrow Murphrey

Jeffrey Wayne Anderson

Frank Cassatt Harwood

Paul Brian Tippet

Travis Daren Appleman

Linda A Rledle

This invention is useful in a networked system with densely packaged servers or server blades. The servers are connected to a system management network, a communication network and an image server. A management module attached to the system management network and a network switch monitors and controls network booting from an image server on the communication network to prevent over commitment of network and image server resources in order to avoid a boot storm. The management module collects system information and calculates the number of servers or clients the networked system can boot at any one instant of time without burdening the system. The management module logic controls booting via the system management network and service processor elements, which can block server booting and release servers to boot when other servers have completed their boot process.

System and method for prevention of boot storms in a computer network

Secondary or augmented control of a storage array in a cost effective manner is accomplished by connecting a host to the storage array via a storage adapter independent of a RAID controller. The RAID controller provides primary control for services standard to the RAID controller. Augmented or enhanced services as well as backup control are provided by a control module executing on the host, communicating to one or more selected storage devices within the storage array via the storage adapter. In one embodiment, the control module detects faults or failures in the RAID controller, selectably directs storage commands to the RAID controller, emulates a storage controller including a RAID controller, and provides enhanced or augmented services such as conducting diagnostic, firmware update, or disaster recovery operations.

Apparatus method and system for alternate control of a RAID array

Aspects for detection and correction of entrance into an improper master boot record (MBR) state in a computer system are described. The aspects include providing a proxy MBR at a predetermined location on a storage device of a computer system to provide a proxy MBR. The proxy MBR is then utilized during a restart operation. An original MBR maintained at an original location on the storage device is then utilized during a reboot operation when the utilization of the proxy MBR is unsuccessful.

Method and system for detection and correction of entrance into an improper MBR state in a computer system

A network and method for servicing simultaneously pending boot image download requests in a multi-client, networked environment. A boot image server on the network is configured to satisfy boot image sessions initiated by one or more client systems on the network. The image server is configured to prioritize requests from different clients to minimize or reduce the network's average download time, which represents the amount of time required to boot a theoretical average client. In one embodiment, the image server is configured to minimize the average download time by prioritizing client requests according to the amount of time required to complete a each client's download such that requests from clients with short remaining download times are given higher priority and, conversely, request from clients with long remaining download times are given lower priority. The amount of download time remaining is estimated by maintaining a log the response time (round trip delay) of recently transmitted packets for each client. In one embodiment, a rolling average of recent response times is used to provide an estimate of the client's overall response time. The image server also tracks the size of the image file remaining to be downloaded for each client. Using these two parameters, the image server estimates the remaining time to download the image file and prioritizes the processing of outstanding packet requests based thereon.

Efficient delivery of boot code images from a network server

A method, system and computer program product for dynamically sharing a limited supply of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses among a larger number of servers. A manager coupled between the Internet and a plurality of servers may receive a request for an IP address associated with a domain name from a client coupled to the Internet. The manager may be configured to map the domain name into an IP address assigned to the server hosting the web site of the domain name. Each assigned IP address may be valid only for a limited time. Once the time the assigned IP address is valid has expired, the assigned IP address may be returned to the pool of available IP addresses thereby allowing a smaller number of IP addresses to be dynamically shared among a larger number of servers.

Dynamically sharing a pool of IP addresses

Disclosed is a method for automatically re-provisioning an appliance server without significant user-interaction. The disk drive of a server to be utilized as an appliance server is partitioned into at least three partitions, including a systems partition, a network operating system partition, and an images partition. A re-provisioning utility is provided, which, when activated by a user, removes the present application from the server and forwards it to a storage location on the network or in a fourth storage partition and installs another application on the server. The system is re-booted and re-configured to provide full operation of the new application.

Automatic appliance server re-provision/re-purposing method

Disclosed is a method and hard disk configuration for accommodating different sizes of applications during an automatic re-provisioning of an appliance server. The disk drive of the appliance server is partitioned with a system partition, a network operating system (NOS) partition, a float partition, and an images partition. The float partition is utilized to provide additional space to the NOS partition and the images partition, when required. A re-provisioning utility is provided, which initiates both a create image utility and an apply image utility, whereby an image file of a current application and associated operating system is created and a stored image file of a second application is installed on the appliance server. When the apply image utility is initiated, the NOS partition is dynamically extended into the float partition server if the second application requires more space than is provided in the NOS partition. Similarly, when an image file is stored in the images partition and the image file requires more space than is available in the images partition, the images partition is dynamically extended into the float partition.

Appliance server with a drive partitioning scheme that accommodates application growth in size

Growing community of inventors

Wake Forest, NC, United States of America

William W Buchanan, Jr