Patent ID: 8225309
Filing Date: 2012-07-17
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A system for communicating information between a plurality of information handling systems, comprising: a plurality of heterogeneous operating systems at least one of the plurality of heterogeneous operating systems executing on a respective information handling system; a plurality of computer hardware drivers; a host preinstallation environment (HPE), comprising a common bootable kernel and predetermined operating system (OS) installation modules, operable to prepare an operating system image for installation on a predetermined information handling system; a plurality of native preinstallation environments (NPEs), comprising a predetermined operating system, associated operating system installation modules, and hardware drivers, operable to natively install an operating system image on a predetermined information handling system, and; a common preinstallation environment (CPE), comprising the HPE and one or more of the plurality of NPEs, operable to: the HPE is operable to generate a driver data block of binary bits, comprising a beginning and ending signature, such that the driver data block can be dynamically injected by the HPE into the operating system image without requiring knowledge of an underlying file system; the CPE is operable to generate a driver metafile comprising information relating to the computer hardware drivers supported by the predetermined NPE; and, the CPE is operable to inventory the hardware components comprising a predetermined information handling system, compare the results to the previously generated driver metafile, and determine whether the NPE requires additional drivers to install the predetermined operating system; and, the HPE is operable to dynamically inject predetermined computer hardware drivers into an operating system image generated by a predetermined NPE prior to its installation on a predetermined information handling system, the dynamically injecting the predetermined computer hardware drivers being responsive to a determination that the predetermined NPE does not have access to all drivers required to boot the predetermined information handling system.