Patent ID: 8799428

Claim:
A networked device comprising: a main platform comprising a processor, a memory, and a basic input/output system (BIOS); and an embedded management subsystem coupled to the main platform, wherein the management subsystem accesses a non-volatile storage device storing identifying data that identifies a deployment mode of the networked device to determine the deployment mode and to provision the main platform based on the determined deployment mode, irrespective of whether an operating system or applications have been installed on the main platform, wherein the deployment mode identifies one or more networked configuration devices from which the management subsystem receives configuration information via a network, wherein based on the determined deployment mode being a first deployment mode, the management subsystem is configured to: initiate a connection to a provisioning server, which is one of the one or more networked configuration devices, to provide the provisioning server an address of the networked device, receive a new connection from the provisioning server after providing the address to the provisioning server, allow the provisioning server to log into the management subsystem using a username and a password and using the new connection, receive, using the new connection, the configuration information from the provisioning server, store the configuration information into the memory of the main platform, and reset the main platform, wherein when the determined deployment mode is a second deployment mode, the management subsystem is configured to: receive an address for the network device, receive a connection from a management console using the address, allow the management console to log into the management subsystem using the username and the password, receive the configuration information from the management console, and reset the main platform to complete provisioning of the main platform based on the configuration information, wherein the management console is one of the one or more networked configuration devices, wherein the first deployment mode is selected as a default mode and the second deployment mode is manually selected based upon input, wherein the configuration information is used to provision the main platform for deployment or redeployment on the network.