Patent ID: 9535715
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: G06F,H04L

Claim:
1. At a computer system, the computer system including one or more processors, system memory, and a display device, a method for booting from a trusted network image to perform a maintenance operation at the computer system, the method comprising: initiating a boot process from an internal firmware memory at the computer system, the boot process initiated without reference to any interfaces for exchanging data with any local storage devices accessible at the computer system; presenting a boot order menu at the display device in response to input received during the boot process, the boot order menu including one or more selectable local boot options and a network boot option, the network boot option for performing the maintenance operation on software previously installed at the computer system by executing a network bootstrap program stored at another computer system on a network, the previously installed software having been installed on a local storage device accessible to the computer system prior to the boot process being initiated; in response to receiving selection of the network boot option at the boot order menu, the firmware memory controlling other components of the computer system to obtain the network bootstrap program through network communication, including: running the network bootstrap program at the computer system to perform the maintenance operation on the previously installed software at the computer system, the network bootstrap program run prior to transitioning the boot process to instructions outside of the firmware memory.