GB2388210A - Apparatus for remote boot up of a malfunctioning computer - Google Patents
Apparatus for remote boot up of a malfunctioning computer Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2388210A GB2388210A GB0202521A GB0202521A GB2388210A GB 2388210 A GB2388210 A GB 2388210A GB 0202521 A GB0202521 A GB 0202521A GB 0202521 A GB0202521 A GB 0202521A GB 2388210 A GB2388210 A GB 2388210A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- computer
- faulty
- fault
- network
- remotely
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F11/00—Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring
- G06F11/07—Responding to the occurrence of a fault, e.g. fault tolerance
- G06F11/14—Error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in operation
- G06F11/1402—Saving, restoring, recovering or retrying
- G06F11/1415—Saving, restoring, recovering or retrying at system level
- G06F11/1417—Boot up procedures
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
- Quality & Reliability (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Test And Diagnosis Of Digital Computers (AREA)
- Debugging And Monitoring (AREA)
Abstract
Apparatus (2) is described which permits a the remote booting up of a faulty computer (4) to allow remote diagnosis, maintenance, and possibly correction of the fault by a control computer (6). The apparatus includes adapter (10) means to enable the remote computer to the faulty computer via a network (8). Furthermore, the apparatus may be installed on Linux internet servers, and a standard Linux OS may be used including a 2-stage boot feature. The control software may use the initrd feature by storing the initial kernel and initrd data on the flash RAM, the /linuxrc customises the computer behaviour using the initrd phase. The tasks performed by the /linuxrd include: the mounting of the file systems needed on the flash RAM; configuration of the adapter means for the connection to the network; the running of a secure shell deamon to allow log-in on the faulty computer from an internet host; waiting for a time out of 2 minutes or the end of the remote log-in session initiated during these two minutes; and do the necessary clean ups.
Description
, 2388210
APPARATUS FOR REMOTELY BOOTING UP A
FAULTY COMPUTER
This invention relates to apparatus for remotely booting up a faulty computer, and more especially, this invention relates to apparatus for remotely booting up a faulty computer having a fault that prevents the normal booting up of the computer by an operator.
Computers are normally booted up using a boot sequence of operations. This boot sequence is usually stored in the hard disc drive of the computer. It sometimes happens that corruption of data on the hard disc or physical damage to the hard disc prevents the booting up of the computer. Once known computers have been booted up, they can be accessed locally or remotely. However, if the known computers develop a fault which prevents them from being booted up, then they cannot be accessed remotely, for example to diagnose the fault and possibly correct it. If a computer cannot be booted up, then it is necessary for a person physically to go to the computer and attempt to diagnose and correct the fault. In addition to having physically to go to the computer, the person is usually required to take with them appropriate equipment including a keyboard, a monitor, and hardware spare parts that may be required. Such diagnosis and repair is especially difficult when it is borne in mind that faulty
( 2 computers may be at widely differing geographical locations, requiring persons to travel considerable distances in order to effect diagnosis and repair of the computers.
It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problem. Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided apparatus for remotely booting up a faulty computer having a fault that prevents the normal booting up of the computer by an operator, which apparatus comprises a control computer, a network, control data in the control computer for a plurality of computers including the faulty computer, and adapter means in the faulty computer for enabling the control computer to be connected to the faulty computer via the network for the purpose of remotely diagnosing the fault and booting up the faulty computer if the diagnosed fault is of a type that is able to be dealt with remotely by the control computer.
If the diagnosed fault is a software problem, then it will usually be possible to bypass the software fault and remotely boot up the computer. An appropriate software repair can then be made at a convenient time. If the diagnosed fault is of a mechanical nature, at least the fault will have been able to have been diagnosed remotely and then a maintenance person can be sure of visiting the faulty computer with the correct hardware part for effecting a repair.
( 3 Preferably, the apparatus is one in which the adapter means is a permanent part of the faulty computer. Thus computers provided with the adapter means will easily and automatically be able to be remotely diagnosed for faults.
The control computer may include a central processing unit and a random access memory.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 shows schematically apparatus for remotely booting up a faulty computer; and Figure 2 shows in more detail the faulty computer shown in Figure 1.
Referring to the drawings, there is shown apparatus 2 for remotely booting up a faulty computer 4 having a fault that prevents the normal booting up of the computer 4 by an operator. The apparatus 2 comprises a control computer 6, a network 8, and control data in the control computer 6 for a plurality of computers including the faulty computer 4. The apparatus 2 further comprises adapter means 10 which is in the faulty computer and which is for enabling the control computer 6 to be connected to the faulty computer 4 via the network 8 for the purpose of remotely diagnosing the fault and booting up the faulty computer 4 if the fault is of a type that is able to be dealt with remotely by the control computer. Typical of faults that can be remotely diagnosed and dealt with are software faults which can often be dealt with by being bypassed. If the fault is a mechanical fault, for example
( in a hard disc, then the apparatus 2 will have been useful in permitting the fault to be remotely diagnosed, so that a person having physically to visit the faulty computer 4 will at least be able to go with the required replacement hardware part. This will save the repair person having to take lots of hardware spare parts which turn out not to be necessary, or even worse arriving without the required hardware spare part.
As shown in Figure 1, the control computer 6 is connected to the network 8 by a network link 12. The network 8 is connected to the adapter means 10 by a network link 14. The adapter means 10 is provided as a permanent part of the faulty computer 4. The network links 12, 14 can be any suitable and appropriate network links including cable links, satellite links, or wireless links. The network links 12, 14 can be the same or different. The network 8 may be any suitable and appropriate network. The network 8 may operate such that it receives and transmits data in a format compatible with the operating requirements of the faulty computer 4 and the control computer 6. This data may for example be formatted to comply with Internet Protocol.
Referring now to Figure 2, the adapter means 10 is shown as connected to a device 16 comprising a central processing unit and a random access memory. Connected to the device 16 are a hard disc 18 and storage means 20 containing control data for the faulty computer 4. The device 16 is also provided with a device 22 providing other peripheral services.
The apparatus 2 operates such that the control computer 6 is able to
be connected to the faulty computer 4 via the network storage means 8 and the adapter means 10. A person is then able remotely to diagnose the fault on the faulty computer 4 and boot up the faulty computer 4 if the diagnosed fault is of a type able to be dealt with remotely by the control computer 6.
The control computer 6 will normally have its data stored in a magnetic disc. Data stored in the faulty computer 4 may be on a solid state storage device such for example as a flash ram, a ram, an eprom, or a carom. The apparatus of the present invention may be installed on Linox internet servers. In this application, the network 8 may be a Tcp/lnternet Protocol network. The faulty computer 4 may utilise a flash ram storage means, including IDE hard disc emulation.
Standard Linux OS may be used including a 2-stage boot feature, initrd. The control software may use the initrd feature in the following way.
1. An initial kernel and initrd data are stored on the flash ram.
2. The /linoxrc executable customises the computer behaviour using the initrd phase. The tasks performed by the /linuxrd executable are the following to fit the invention needs.
(a) Mount the needed file systems from the flash ram.
(b) Configure the adapter means 10 for the connection to the network 8.
(c) Run a secure shell deamon sshd to allow log-in on the faulty computer 4 from an internet host.
(d) Wait for a time out of two minutes, or the end of the remote log-in session initiated during this first two minutes, and then continue with the next step.
(e) Do necessary clean ups and exit.
At the end of the /linuxrc, the faulty computer 4 continues with the initrd sequence, thereby leading to the normal boot sequence performed in a root file system.
It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected.
Claims (4)
1. Apparatus for remotely booting up a faulty computer having a fault that prevents the normal booting up of the computer by an operator, which apparatus comprises a control computer, a network, control data in the control computer for a plurality of computers including the faulty computer, and adapter means in the faulty computer for enabling the control computer to be connected to the faulty computer via the network for the purpose of remotely diagnosing the fault and booting up the faulty computer if the diagnosed fault is of a type that is able to be dealt with remotely by the control computer.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the adapter means is a permanent part of the faulty computer.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the control computer includes a central processing unit and a random access memory.
4. Apparatus for remotely booting up a faulty computer having a fault that prevents the normal booting up of the computer by an operator,
t substantially as herein described with reference to the accomparying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0202521A GB2388210A (en) | 2002-02-04 | 2002-02-04 | Apparatus for remote boot up of a malfunctioning computer |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0202521A GB2388210A (en) | 2002-02-04 | 2002-02-04 | Apparatus for remote boot up of a malfunctioning computer |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB0202521D0 GB0202521D0 (en) | 2002-03-20 |
| GB2388210A true GB2388210A (en) | 2003-11-05 |
Family
ID=9930342
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0202521A Withdrawn GB2388210A (en) | 2002-02-04 | 2002-02-04 | Apparatus for remote boot up of a malfunctioning computer |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2388210A (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2148277A1 (en) * | 2008-07-21 | 2010-01-27 | SwissQual License AG | Computer device, in particular a measurement probe, and method for recovery of an operating system of a computer device |
| CN102541587A (en) * | 2011-11-23 | 2012-07-04 | 中标软件有限公司 | Method for installing Linux operating system in loongson platform |
Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5455933A (en) * | 1993-07-14 | 1995-10-03 | Dell Usa, L.P. | Circuit and method for remote diagnosis of personal computers |
| EP0899663A1 (en) * | 1997-08-21 | 1999-03-03 | Digital Equipment Corporation | Fault notification system and process using local area network |
| US5884073A (en) * | 1996-10-28 | 1999-03-16 | Intel Corporation | System and method for providing technical support of an electronic system through a web bios |
| WO2001009722A1 (en) * | 1999-07-30 | 2001-02-08 | Intel Corporation | Re-loading operating systems |
| US6314455B1 (en) * | 1999-02-24 | 2001-11-06 | International Business Machines Corporation | Data processing system and method for permitting a server to remotely initiate a client's boot block recovery |
| EP1283464A1 (en) * | 2001-08-06 | 2003-02-12 | Hewlett-Packard Company | A boot process for a computer, a boot ROM and a computer having a boot ROM |
-
2002
- 2002-02-04 GB GB0202521A patent/GB2388210A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5455933A (en) * | 1993-07-14 | 1995-10-03 | Dell Usa, L.P. | Circuit and method for remote diagnosis of personal computers |
| US5884073A (en) * | 1996-10-28 | 1999-03-16 | Intel Corporation | System and method for providing technical support of an electronic system through a web bios |
| EP0899663A1 (en) * | 1997-08-21 | 1999-03-03 | Digital Equipment Corporation | Fault notification system and process using local area network |
| US6314455B1 (en) * | 1999-02-24 | 2001-11-06 | International Business Machines Corporation | Data processing system and method for permitting a server to remotely initiate a client's boot block recovery |
| WO2001009722A1 (en) * | 1999-07-30 | 2001-02-08 | Intel Corporation | Re-loading operating systems |
| EP1283464A1 (en) * | 2001-08-06 | 2003-02-12 | Hewlett-Packard Company | A boot process for a computer, a boot ROM and a computer having a boot ROM |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2148277A1 (en) * | 2008-07-21 | 2010-01-27 | SwissQual License AG | Computer device, in particular a measurement probe, and method for recovery of an operating system of a computer device |
| CN102541587A (en) * | 2011-11-23 | 2012-07-04 | 中标软件有限公司 | Method for installing Linux operating system in loongson platform |
| CN102541587B (en) * | 2011-11-23 | 2014-04-09 | 中标软件有限公司 | Method for installing Linux operating system in loongson platform |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB0202521D0 (en) | 2002-03-20 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |