Patent ID: 8055891

Claim:
A method for autonomically configuring a data storage device, the method performed by executable code stored in Random Access Memory (RAM), executed by a Central Processing Unit (CPU), and comprising: storing configuration data on a remote storage system, the configuration data comprising operating systems, applications, and updates for multiple users with single instances of shared operating systems, applications, and updates and an index listing which operating systems, applications, and updates are used on a next configuration of a data storage device; booting a computer system from an alternate boot program other than the regular boot program, the alternate boot program downloading a root file system through a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) and executing a kernel operating system through the TFTP, the alternate boot program providing access to a network in electronic communication with the remote storage system; and configuring the data storage device that is in electrical communication with the computer system using the stored operating systems, applications, and updates using the index on the remote storage system.