Patent ID: 8041793

Claim:
A boot image discovery and delivery system, comprising: a host device that includes an image discovery client; a network services system that is coupled to the host device through a network, wherein the network services system includes an image discovery service; at least one database that is coupled to the network services system through the network; and at least one storage device that is coupled to the network services system through the network, wherein the at least one storage device stores at least one boot image that is associated with a user; wherein the image discovery client is operable to communicate user credentials of the user and hardware information from the host device to the image discovery service via the network; wherein the image discovery service is operable, using the user credentials and the at least one database, to authenticate the user and retrieve authentication information associated with the user; wherein the image discovery service is operable to discover the at least one boot image associated with the user using at least some of the authentication information associated with the user; wherein the image discovery service is operable, using the hardware information, to determine whether the at least one boot image associated with the user includes the appropriate device drivers and registry settings for the host device and, in response to the at least one boot image associated with the user not including the appropriate device drivers and registry settings for the host device, customize the at least one boot image associated with the user by modifying at least one device driver and registry setting to provide at least one customized boot image associated with the user; and wherein the image discovery service is operable to communicate customized boot image location information and the authentication information associated with the user to the host device, and the host device is operable to connect to the at least one storage device using the customized boot image location information, provide the authentication information associated with the user, and retrieve the at least one customized boot image associated with the user.