JP4008589B2 - Network computer system and boot method using network computer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a network computer system in which a server and a network computer are connected to each other on a network, and the network computer boots a basic program such as an operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS) from the server at the time of startup.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As shown in FIG. 2, a conventional network computer system includes a router 103 that connects different networks, for example, subnets such as LANs 101 and 102, a network computer 104 (hereinafter referred to as NC 104) connected to the LAN 101, and an NC server. 105, and an NC 106 and an NC server 107 connected on the LAN 102.
[0003]
In the case of this system, for example, when the NC 104 on the LAN 101 is activated, an IP address income request is issued from the NC 104. Then, the IP address income request is received by the NC server 105 on the same network, that is, the LAN 101, an IP address is assigned to the NC 104, and a basic program such as an operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS) is assigned to the NC server 105. Boot from. On the LAN 102 side, an OS boot operation is performed in the same network as described above.
[0004]
By the way, in this case, since the IP address income request issued at the time of activation from the respective NCs 104 and 106 is not transmitted beyond the router 103 because the network address is different, the NC servers 105 and 107 are prepared for each subnet. There is a need.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Thus, in the conventional network computer system, it is necessary to prepare an NC server for each subnet, and the NC server must be added every time a LAN is added. It is very difficult to synchronize program switching (simultaneous change, etc.) with the NC server, and there is a problem that a different version of a basic program may be booted between network computers of each network.
[0006]
The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and a network computer system capable of booting a basic program even when the network computer and the NC server do not exist on the same network, and a boot method using the network computer. The purpose is to provide.
[0007]
It is another object of the present invention to provide a network computer system and a boot method using a network computer that can easily synchronize programs when a program change of a basic program occurs.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the network computer system of the invention according to claim 1 is a directory server connected to the first network and registered with IP addresses of devices connected to the respective other networks, An NC server connected to the first network via a first router and connected to at least a basic program, and connected to the first network via a second router. Connected to the third network, broadcasts an IP address acquisition request at startup, and accesses a directory server on the first network using the IP address returned in response to the IP address acquisition request. Obtain and obtain server information for booting the basic program And access to the connected NC server to the second network using the server information network computer to boot the basic program was connected on said third network, IP address, received from the network computer A DHCP server is provided that assigns an IP address to the network computer in response to an acquisition request and returns the IP address of the directory server of the first network to the network computer .
[0010]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a boot method using a network computer, a directory server connected to a first network, an NC server connected to a second network, a network computer connected to a third network, and DHCP. In a booting method of a basic program in a network computer system comprising a server, the network computer broadcasts an IP address acquisition request on the first network at startup, and the third address in response to the IP address acquisition request. An IP address assigned to the network computer by a DHCP server connected to the other network and an IP address of a directory server on the first network are connected to the third network. Receiving the network computer; obtaining the server information for booting a basic program by accessing the directory server on the first network using the received IP address; and And a computer accessing the NC server on the second network using the obtained server information to boot the basic program.
[0012]
In the first and second aspects of the invention, the network computer broadcasts an IP address acquisition request on the third network at the time of startup, and an IP address assigned to the network computer by the DHCP server on the same network in response to the IP address acquisition request. Upon receiving the address and the IP address of the directory server on the first network, the server information for accessing the directory server on the first network using the received IP address and booting the basic program, that is, Since the IP address of the NC server of the second network can be acquired, the network computer on the third network uses the IP address of the NC server obtained in this way to cross the router and the NC server on the second network. Access to The basic program can be booted.
[0013]
By configuring the system as described above, the basic program can be booted even if the network computer and the NC server do not exist on the same network. In addition, even when the basic program is changed, the program can be switched by simply changing the basic program stored in one NC server, making it easy to synchronize the program changes of individual network computers. Can be taken.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0015]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a network computer system according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0016]
In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a first network. Connected to the network 1 is a directory server 10 in which the IP addresses of all devices on the local network and other networks are registered.
[0017]
A LAN 3 as a second network is connected to the network 1 via a first router 2. Connected to the LAN 3 is an NC server 4 that stores basic programs such as an operating system and other network information. In addition, a LAN 6 as a third network is connected to the network 1 via a second router 5. Connected to the LAN 6 is a network computer 7 (hereinafter referred to as NC7) in which a boot program is stored in an internal boot ROM (not shown). The boot program broadcasts an IP address acquisition request at the time of activation, and accesses the directory server 10 on the network 1 using the IP address returned in response to the IP address acquisition request, and server information for booting the basic program Is used to access the NC server 4 on the LAN 3 using the obtained server information to boot the basic program.
[0018]
A DHCP server 8 is connected to the LAN 5 for allocating an IP address to the NC 7 and returning the IP address of the directory server 10 in response to an IP address acquisition request received from the NC 7.
[0019]
The operation of this network computer system will be described below.
[0020]
In the case of this network computer system, when the NC 7 is turned on, the boot program stored in the boot ROM inside the NC 7 is activated and broadcasts an IP address acquisition request on the LAN 6.
[0021]
Then, on the LAN 6, the DHCP server 8 receives the IP address acquisition request from the NC 7, and the DHCP server 8 assigns an IP address to the NC 7 in response to the received IP address acquisition request and sets the IP address of the directory server 10. Retrieve and return as part of network information.
[0022]
When the NC 7 receives network information from the DHCP server 8 on the same LAN 6 as a response to the IP address acquisition request, the NC 7 itself and the IP address of the directory server 10 on the network 1 are received from the received network information. To get.
[0023]
Subsequently, the NC 7 uses the obtained IP address of the directory server 10 to access the directory server 10 of the network 1 different from the LAN 6 to which the NC 7 is connected via the router 5 and boot the OS. A request for acquiring necessary information, that is, the IP address of the NC server 4 is issued. Upon receiving this request, the directory server 10 extracts the IP address of the NC server 4 from itself and returns it to the NC 7. The NC 7 that has received this reply is connected to itself using the IP address of the NC server 4. The OS is booted by accessing the NC server 4 on the LAN 3 different from the LAN 6 via the router 5, the network 1 and the router 2.
[0024]
After booting the OS, the NC 7 can perform various processes under the OS environment.
[0025]
As described above, according to the network computer system of this embodiment, the NC 7 and the DHCP server 8 are connected to the LAN 6, and the DHCP server 8 responds to the IP address acquisition request from the NC 7 and the IP address of the directory server 10 on the network 1. The NC 7 can obtain the information necessary for booting the basic program by accessing the directory server 10 of the network 1, and as a result, even if the NC 7 and the NC server 4 exist in different networks, the NC server NC7 can boot 4 basic programs.
[0026]
Further, with this configuration, even when the basic program is changed, the program can be switched by simply changing the basic program stored in one NC server 4. Program synchronization with other NCs connected to different networks can be easily achieved.
[0027]
In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the NC 7 is connected to the LAN 6 has been described. However, the NC 7 may be connected to the same LAN 3 as the NC server 4 as before, or may be connected to the network 1, and the NC 7 is movable. It is.
[0028]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, a DHCP server is prepared on the same network as the network computer, and the DHCP server notifies the IP address of a directory server on another network in response to an IP address acquisition request from the network computer. Thus, the network computer can obtain server information necessary for booting the basic program by accessing a directory server of another network, and can access the NC server by using the server information to boot the basic program.
[0029]
By configuring the system in this way, the network computer can boot the basic program of the NC server even if the network computer and the NC server exist in different networks.
[0030]
Even when the basic program is changed, the program can be switched only by changing the program of the basic program stored in one NC server, thereby synchronizing the programs of the individual network computers. Easy to take.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a network computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional network computer system.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Network, 2, 5 ... Router, 3, 6 ... LAN, 4 ... NC server, 7 ... Network computer (NC), 8 ... DHCP server.

Claims (2)

A directory server that is connected to the first network and that registers the IP addresses of the devices connected to the respective other networks;
An NC server connected to a second network connected to the first network via a first router and storing at least a basic program;
Connected to a third network connected to the first network via a second router , broadcasts an IP address acquisition request at startup, and uses an IP address returned in response to the IP address acquisition request Access the directory server, obtain server information for booting the basic program, and use the obtained server information to access the NC server connected to the second network to boot the basic program A network computer to
In response to an IP address acquisition request received from the network computer connected to the third network, an IP address is assigned to the network computer and an IP address of the directory server of the first network is returned to the network computer . A network computer system comprising: a DHCP server that performs: Method for booting basic program in network computer system comprising directory server connected to first network, NC server connected to second network, network computer and DHCP server connected to third network In
Broadcasting an IP address acquisition request on the first network when the network computer is activated;
In response to the IP address acquisition request, an IP address assigned to the network computer by a DHCP server connected to the third network and an IP address of a directory server on the first network are sent to the third network. Receiving the connected network computer;
The network computer using the received IP address to access a directory server on the first network and obtain server information for booting a basic program;
The network computer accessing the NC server on the second network using the obtained server information to boot the basic program;
A network controller characterized by having Computer boot method.

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