Patent ID: 8543799

Claim:
At a network boot server, a method for securely booting a device over a network, the method comprising: receiving a public encryption key for a remote device; receiving a network boot request from said remote device; encrypting an ownership command using said public encryption key to create an encrypted ownership command, said ownership command establishing the network boot server as having ownership of the remote device so as to prevent other devices from being able to perform network boot sequences with the remote device, the public encryption key included in a public-private key pair; participating in a two-way authentication exchange with said remote device, including: transmitting said encrypted ownership command to said remote device; receiving a response from said remote device, the response indicative of: said remote device having decrypted said encrypted ownership command using a private encryption key, said private encryption key included in said public-private key pair; and said remote device having at least attempted to perform said ownership command; and transmitting, boot software to said remote device subsequent to participating in said two-way authentication exchange, the boot software for execution at said remote device to start up said remote device.