Patent ID: 8312115

Claim:
A network, comprising: a plurality of sub-networks; and a systems management tool connected to, but not within, the plurality of sub-networks, the systems management tool having a database containing boot action data, wherein one of the plurality of sub-networks includes a sub-network booting apparatus connected to a plurality of machines, at least one of the sub-network booting apparatus and one of the plurality of machines storing an image of an operating system, wherein the sub-network booting apparatus is configured to provide a network boot program including a pre-installation environment, wherein the sub-network booting apparatus includes a processor configured to execute a first set of stored instructions that implements a method of booting at least one of the plurality of machines to the pre-installation environment, the instructions including: a boot initiation message detector for detecting a message sent by the machine to be booted to initiate a booting process; and a database interrogator, responsive to the boot initiation message detector, for interrogating the database to obtain boot action data stored in the database, the boot action data controlling the boot process on the machine to be booted, wherein the sub-network booting apparatus and the machine to be booted include a second set of stored instructions that include instructions for copying the pre-installation environment to the machine to be booted in accordance with the boot action data, and wherein the pre-installation environment includes instructions for causing a package location request for the machine to be booted to be broadcast on the sub-network to find the location of the image of the operating system in the sub-network, copy the located image to the machine to be booted, and install the operating system on the machine to be booted.