Patent ID: 6301612
Filing Date: 2001-10-09
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
In a networked system including a server computer and a network infrastructure over which the server computer can download operating system components to client computers, a method of establishing a second client computer as a replacement for a first client computer, comprising the steps of:establishing a connection over the network infrastructure between the second client computer and the server computer prior to booting the operating system components on the second client computer, the second client computer being a replacement for the first client computer;transmitting, from the second client computer to the server computer, a second unique identifier associated with the second client computer;transmitting, from the second client computer to the server computer, information identifying the first client computer;locating a first unique identifier associated with the first client computer in a repository accessible by the server computer;replacing, in the repository, the first unique identifier with the second unique identifier prior to booting the second client computer, whereby the server computer recognizes the second client computer as a replacement for the first client computer;transmitting from the server computer to the second client computer information identifying hardware components of the first client computer;transmitting from the second client computer to the server computer the identity of hardware components of the second client computer which are of a different type than the hardware components of the first client computer;modifying the operating system components at the server computer to support the hardware components of the second client computer which are of a different type than the hardware components of the first client computer;downloading the operating system components from the server computer to the client computer; andbooting the operating system components on the second client computer.