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Pre-Grant Publication Number: 20080162919

Booting utilizing electronic mail

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Prior Art Detail

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#220Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) Specification Version 2.1

Applies to Claims 1,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,2,20,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

Submitted by: Daniel BerlinLast updated: 4 months ago

4 thumbs up 0 thumbs down

Summary / Description

Summary / Description	Standard used to specify remote network booting and image download

Basic Information

Type of Prior Art	Online Publication

URL	http://download.intel.com/desig...

Author/Creator	Intel and Systemsoft

Title	Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) Specification Version 2.1

Publication Date	September 20, 1999

Publisher	Intel corporation

Directions to Document Location

Additional Information	There are previous versions of the spec that pre-date this that would also be prior art

Notes / To Do

Notes

Excerpt

Excerpt

A common problem faced by IT managers is to ensure that client systems in their enterprises can boot appropriate software images using appropriate configuration parameters. These selected boot images and configuration parameters must be acquired from selected servers in the enterprise as dictated by the needs of the particular environment, the capabilities or mission of the user, the resources available within the client, etc. Furthermore, these clients should boot consistently and in an interoperable manner regardless of the sources or vendors of the software and the hardware of both client and server machines. ... This goal can be accomplished only through a uniform and consistent set of pre-boot protocol services within the client that ensure that network-based booting is accomplished through industry standard protocols used to communicate with the server. In addition, to ensure interoperability, the downloaded Network Bootstrap Program (NBP) must be presented with a uniform and consistent pre-boot operating environment within the booting client, so it can accomplish its task independent of, for example, the type of network adapter implemented in the system. This capability is useful in enhancing the manageability of the client machine in several situations; for example: ! Remote new system setup. If the client does not have an OS installed on its hard disk, or the client has no hard disk at all, downloading an NBP from a server can help automate the OS installation and other configuration steps. ! Remote emergency boot. If the client machine fails to boot due to a hardware or software failure, downloading an executable image from a server can provide the client with a specific executable that enables remote problem notification and diagnosis. ! Remote network boot. In instances where the client machine has no local storage, it can download its system software image from the server in the course of normal operation.

Relevance

Claims

: A method of booting a computer system comprising:

receiving at least part of a boot image via a network communication that utilizes a messaging protocol; and

using the boot image to boot a computer system.

Relevance

PXE does exactly this

Claim Chart

All

: The method of Claim 1, wherein the messaging protocol includes an email protocol.

Relevance

Obvious extension of PXE

Claim Chart

Some

: The method of Claim 1, further including:

determining if a boot image is locally available; and

if so, selecting between the locally available boot image and a remotely available boot image that may be received, at least in part, via a network communication that utilizes a messaging protocol.

Relevance

PXE does this

Claim Chart

All

: The method of Claim 1, wherein receiving at least part of a boot image via a network communication that utilizes a messaging protocol includes:

establishing the computer system on a network;

discovering a boot image server;

requesting at least part of a boot image from the boot image server; and

receiving at least part of the boot image via a network communication that utilizes a messaging protocol.

Relevance

PXE does this

Claim Chart

All

: The method of Claim 4, wherein discovering a boot image server and requesting at least part of a boot image from the boot image server includes:

sending a message to an expected boot image server, wherein the message requests at least part of the boot image.

Relevance

PXE does this

Claim Chart

All

: The method of Claim 5, wherein sending a message includes sending a message that includes information about the computer system that is expected to facilitate that selection by the boot image server of a boot image from a plurality of possible boot images.

Relevance

PXE does this

Claim Chart

All

: The method of Claim 3, wherein a boot image is constructed from a first portion of the boot image which is locally available and a second portion of the boot image which is received, at least in part, via a network communication that utilizes a messaging protocol.

Relevance

PXE does this

Claim Chart

All

: The method of Claim 4, wherein establishing the computer system on a network includes utilizing a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP);

wherein discovering a boot image server includes transmitting a broadcast discovery request;

requesting at least part of a boot image from the boot image server includes sending an email request; and

receiving at least part of the boot image via a network communication that utilizes a messaging protocol includes utilizing the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).

Relevance

PXE does all but the SMTP portion, SMTP is obvious.

Claim Chart

Some

: An apparatus comprising:

a network interface, capable of facilitating communication with a boot image server;

a processor, capable of executing a firmware; and

the firmware, capable of

receiving at least part of a boot image via a network communication that utilizes a messaging protocol; and

using the boot image to boot the apparatus.

Relevance

PXE does this

Claim Chart

All

: The apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the messaging protocol includes an email protocol.

Relevance

Obvious extension of PXE

Claim Chart

All

: The apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the firmware is further capable of:

determining if a boot image is locally available; and

if so, selecting between the locally available boot image and a remotely available boot image that may be received, at least in part, via a network communication that utilizes a messaging protocol.

Relevance

PXE does this

Claim Chart

All

: The apparatus of Claim 9, wherein receiving at least part of a boot image via a network communication that utilizes a messaging protocol includes:

establishing the apparatus on a network;

discovering a boot image server;

requesting at least part of a boot image from the boot image server; and

receiving at least part of the boot image via a network communication that utilizes a messaging protocol.

Relevance

PXE does this

Claim Chart

All

: The apparatus of Claim 12, wherein discovering a boot image server and requesting at least part of a boot image from the boot image server includes:

sending a message to an expected boot image server, wherein the message requests at least part of the boot image.

Relevance

PXE does this

Claim Chart

All

: The apparatus of Claim 13, wherein sending a message includes sending a message that includes information about the apparatus that is expected to facilitate that selection by the boot image server of a boot image from a plurality of possible boot images.

Relevance

PXE does this

Claim Chart

All

: The apparatus of Claim 11, wherein firmware is capable of constructing a boot image from a first portion of the boot image which is locally available and a second portion of the boot image which is received, at least in part, via a network communication that utilizes a messaging protocol.

Relevance

Obvious extension of PXE

Claim Chart

All

: The apparatus of Claim 12, wherein establishing the computer system on a network includes utilizing a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP);

wherein discovering a boot image server includes transmitting a broadcast discovery request;

requesting at least part of a boot image from the boot image server includes sending an email request; and

receiving at least part of the boot image via a network communication that utilizes a messaging protocol includes utilizing the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).

Relevance

PXE does all but SMTP.

Claim Chart

Some

: A system comprising:

a computer device, capable of

receiving at least part of a boot image via a network communication that utilizes a messaging protocol; and

using the boot image to boot the apparatus; and

a boot image server, capable of selecting and providing at least part of the boot image to the computer device.

Relevance

PXE does this

Claim Chart

All

: The system of Claim 17, wherein the boot image server is further capable of selecting and providing at least part of the boot image to a plurality of computer devices.

Relevance

PXE does this

Claim Chart

All

: The system of Claim 17, wherein the selection of a boot image includes authenticating the computer system.

Relevance

PXE does this

Claim Chart

All

: An article comprising:

a storage medium having a plurality of machine accessible instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed, the instructions provide for:

receiving at least part of a boot image via a network communication that utilizes a messaging protocol; and