Patent ID: 6681323
Filing Date: 2004-01-20
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
In an installation system including at least one target computer, each target computer having a memory, a hardware configuration, and identification data associated with the hardware configuration, a method for automatically installing an initial software configuration on each target computer, the method comprising:booting the target computer from a boot storage medium; automatically retrieving the identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer from a BIOS storage area of the target computer, wherein the identification data includes a unique part number; automatically transferring data representative of software component modules from a library of software component modules stored on a library storage medium to the memory of the target computer based on the retrieved identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer; automatically transferring data representative of an operating system module from a library of operating system modules, the library containing at least two operating system modules, stored on the library storage medium to the memory of the target computer based on the retrieved identification data associated with the hardware configuration of the target computer; and automatically installing the transferred software component modules and the operating system module onto the memory of the target computer.