System and apparatus for eliminating user interaction during hardware configuration at system boot

Abstract

A system and method are provided to allow a user to update a computer system without having to interact with an initiation, or configuration software utility, or program. More particularly, the present invention allows a system provider, manufacturer, or service provider to create an installation file that, when provided to a user, will configure a system to accommodate newly added / removed hardware automatically. A base model and a new model of the system are maintained. The new model will include one or more different configurations, such as new graphics adapters, communications adapters, I / O controllers, or the like. The provider will have created a recovery / install image to be used with the base model. An operating system including a configurator program will be running on both the base model system and new model system. Software, such as device drivers, to be used with the new model's changed hardware configuration is installed on the new model system and initialized using its configurator program. A file for the new model is created using vital product data for the base model system. This new model configuration file is the installed on the base model machine and its configurator program is run. The configuration information (including the new model configuration data) is then stored as a system image and a script file is added to this system image. This new model image is then made available to end users, by a CD or the like, having a new model system. The script file in the new model image will specify a start priority that will allow it to be called before the configurator program and it will proceed to initialize the system with the appropriate software captured from the system provider's new model machine.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to upgrading hardware and software configurations of closed systems such as network devices, system consoles, and the like. In particular, the present invention provides a technique for eliminating user interaction during system boot when the operating system (OS) detects the presence of new hardware components or the absence of previously identified hardware components. Background technique [0002] As computer technology continues to develop, systems become increasingly large and complex. For example, many server-type computers are connected to form a multi-node system, which may include hundreds if not thousands of interconnected computer processors. These processors are organized into many logical partitions, and these logical partitions are controlled and monitored by multiple hardware management consoles for various functions of the multi-node system. These computing systems represent an enormous resource and finan...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Also, this situation can arise when the GUI of the initialization software is waiting for input from a newly installed device such as a communication adapter, expansion memory, etc., but there is no appropriate software being installed that relies on user input to the initialization program. In case the device fails to respond

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