Automated software installation and operating environment configuration on a computer system

Claim 2

The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein, said install media locator and starter module comprises an operating system with minimal functions, a plurality of initialization and related processes, a command-like language interpreter, a set of system reconfiguration files, and an install media locator and starter routine; said step a) comprises the steps of: a.1) booting said operating system into said memory, and transferring control to said operating system booted into said memory; a.2) loading said initialization and related processes into memory, and starting execution of said initialization and related processes under the control of said operating system booted into said memory; a.3) loading said system reconfiguration files into said memory and starting execution of said system reconfiguration files under the control of said operating system and said command-like language interpreter; and a.4) loading said install media locator and starter routine into said memory and starting execution of said install media locator and starter routine under the control of said operating system and said command-like language interpreter.

Claim 3

The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein, said located automatic install set up and control module in said step b) comprises an operating system with minimal functions, a plurality of initialization and related processes, a command-like language interpreter, a set of configuration files, an automatic install set up and control routine, a plurality of probe functions, and a plurality of compare functions; said control transfer in said step b) is achieved by rebooting said automatic install set up and control module into said memory, and transferring control to said automatic install set up control module booted into said memory.

Claim 4

The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein, said install media located in said step b) is a selected one of i) a local install media of said computer system and ii) a remote install media coupled to said computer system through a network; and said collection of installation files located in said step c) is a selected one of i) a defaulted collection of installation files and ii) a customized collection of installation files, said defaulted collection of installation files being stored on a selected one of i) local storage means of said computer system and ii) a local install media coupled said computer system, said customized collection of installation files being stored in a selected one of i) remote storage means coupled to said computer system through a network, and ii) a remote install media coupled to said computer system through a network.

Claim 5

The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein, said collection of installation files located in said step c) further comprises a plurality of pre-install script files corresponding to a plurality of pre-install classes for performing pre-installation tasks; said at least one classification determined in said step d) comprises a pre-install class for said computer system; and said step e) comprises executing the pre-install script file corresponding to said determined pre-install class under the control of said automatic install set up and control module.

Claim 6

The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein, said pre-installation tasks performed by said pre-install script file corresponding to said determined pre-install class comprise deriving an install class parameters file for an install class, said at least one classification determined in said step d) further comprising said install class; said step e) further comprises executing an install module using said derived install parameters file under the control of said automatic install set up and control module, a selected one of said boot device and said located install media in said step b) further comprising said install module.

Claim 7

The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein, said pre-installation tasks performed by said pre-install script file corresponding to said determined pre-install class comprise localization of said automatic installation and configuration to be performed in said step e).

Claim 8

The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein, a selected one of said boot device and said install media located in said step b) further comprises an install module; said collection of installation files located in said step c) further comprises a plurality of install class parameters files corresponding to a plurality of install classes; said at least one classification determined in said step d) comprises an install class; and said step e) comprises executing said install module using the install class parameters file corresponding to said determined install class under the control of said automatic install set up and control module.

Claim 9

The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein, said install module in said step e) heuristically determines critical install parameters unspecified in said install class parameters file corresponding to said determined install class.

Claim 10

The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein, said collection of installation files located in said step c) further comprises a plurality of post-install script files corresponding to a plurality of post-install classes; said step d) comprises determining a post-install class for said computer system with said automatic install set up and control module using said classification rules file; and said step e) comprises executing the post-install script file corresponding to said determined post-install class with said automatic install set up and control module.

Claim 11

In a computer system, an apparatus for automatically installing a plurality of software products on said computer system and configuring said computer system's operating environment, said apparatus comprising: a) booting means coupled to said computer system's processor and memory comprising an install media locator and starter module for booting said install media locator and starter module into said memory, and transferring control to said install media locator and starter module booted into said memory; b) install media coupled to said computer system's processor and memory comprising an automatic install set up and control module for determining at least one classification for said computer system, said install media being located and said automatic install set up and control module being loaded into said memory and given control by said install media locator and starter module booted into said memory; and c) file subsystem means coupled to said computer system's processor and memory for storing a collection of installation files comprising a classification rules file, said file subsystem means being located and said classification file being used to determine said at least one classification of said computer system by said automatic install set up and control module loaded in said memory; said automatic install set up and control module automatically causing said plurality of software products to be installed on said computer system and said computer system's operating environment to be configured under its control using said at least one classification determined.

Claim 12

The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein, said install media locator and starter module comprises an operating system with minimal functions, a plurality of initialization and related processes, a command-like language interpreter, a set of system reconfiguration files, and an install media locator and starter routine; said booting means boots said install media locator and starter module into said memory and gives it control by booting said operating system into said memory, and giving control to said operating system booted into said memory, loading said initialization and related processes into said memory and executing said loaded initialization and related processes under the control of said operating system, loading said system reconfiguration files into said memory and executing said loaded system reconfiguration files under the control of said operating system and said command-like language interpreter, and loading said install media locator and starter routine into said memory and executing said loaded install media locator and starter routine under the control of said operating system and said command-like language interpreter.

Claim 13

The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein, said located automatic install set up and control module comprises an operating system with minimal functions, a plurality of initialization and related processes, a command-like language interpreter, a set of configuration files, an automatic install set up and control routine, a plurality of probe functions, and a plurality of compare functions; said control transfer to said located automatic install set up and control module is achieved by rebooting said automatic install set up and control module into said memory, and transferring control to said automatic install set up control module booted into said memory.

Claim 14

The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein, said install media is a selected one of i) a local install media of said computer system and ii) a remote install media coupled to said computer system through a network; and said collection of installation files stored in said file subsystem means is a selected one of i) a defaulted collection of installation files, and ii) a customized collection of installation files, said file subsystem means storing said defaulted collection of installation files being a selected one of i) local storage means of said computer system, and ii) a local install media coupled said computer system, said file subsystem means storing said customized collection of installation files being a selected one of i) remote storage means coupled said computer system through a network, and ii) a remote install media coupled to said computer system through a network.

Claim 15

The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein, said collection of installation files stored in said file subsystem means further comprises a plurality of pre-install script files corresponding to a plurality of pre-install classes for performing pre-installation tasks; said at least one classification determined comprises a pre-install class for said computer system; and said automatic installation and configuration caused by said automatic install set up and control module comprises executing the pre-install script file corresponding to said determined pre-install class under its control.

Claim 16

The apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein, said pre-installation tasks performed by said pre-install script file corresponding to said determined pre-install class comprise driving an install class parameters file for an install class, said at least one classification determined further comprising said install class; said automatic installation and configuration caused by said automatic install set up and control module comprises executing an install module using said derived install parameters file under its control, a selected one of said boot device and said located install media further comprising said install module.

Claim 17

The apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein, said pre-installation tasks performed by said pre-install script file corresponding to said determined pre-install class comprise localizing said automatic installation and configuration.

Claim 18

The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein, a selected one of said boot device and said install media further comprises an install module; said collection of installation files further comprises a plurality of install class parameters files corresponding to a plurality of install classes; said at least one classification determined comprises an install class; and said automatic installation and configuration caused by said automatic install set up and control module comprises executing said install module using the install class parameters file corresponding to said determined install class under its control.

Claim 19

The apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein, said install module heuristically determines critical install parameters unspecified in said install class parameter file corresponding to said determined install class.

Claim 20

The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein, said collection of installation files stored in said file subsystem means further comprises a plurality of post-install script files corresponding to a plurality of post-install classes; said at least one classification determined comprises a post-install class; and said automatic installation and configuration caused by said automatic install set up and control comprises executing the post-install script file corresponding to said determined post-install class under its control.