JP2009015604A - Information system installation system - Google Patents

Abstract

[PROBLEMS] To eliminate the potential of human error and automatically select and install a production test program and a customer order shipping operation system corresponding to the hardware configuration of an information processing device based on the acquired configuration information file. Do.
The traceability information acquired before assembling the information processing apparatus is compared with the customer order information, and the configuration information file generated from the customer order information is made a unique configuration information file for each information processing apparatus. A means capable of automatically acquiring from the information processing apparatus side via the network, and a means for automatically confirming the hardware configuration in the information processing apparatus based on the acquired unique configuration information file, From the result of the configuration confirmation, a production test program or a shipping operation system corresponding to the hardware of the information processing apparatus is automatically selected and automatically installed.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

Many current information processing apparatuses are equipped with hard disk drives (hereinafter referred to as HDDs), and a method is adopted in which an operator selects and copies a target HDD from a plurality of master HDDs provided in advance on a production line. However undeniable absolutely possibility of selection errors may occur for selection of a master HDD by the operator. Further, there is a limit to managing a plurality of master HDDs due to restrictions on the location where the master HDDs are managed.

The present invention relates to a system that extracts a hardware configuration and an installation configuration that are different for each customer from an order information system, and automatically downloads a necessary program from a server to a storage device such as an HDD in the apparatus via a network.

Traditionally, manufacturers of information processing equipment have been developing on commercial routes in the form of small-scale mass production with a single hardware configuration and single software format, but now there is a demand for each customer due to diversification of customer needs. It adopts a production method (Customer to Order) (hereinafter referred to as CTO production method) that allows the customer to select the hardware configuration and software configuration to be used for multiple types and low-volume production. Disadvantages on the manufacturer side in the CTO production system include mis-installation of parts due to diversification of assembly, misinstallation due to diversification of installation software, lack of optimization of pre-shipment testing, etc. We are trying to prevent human error due to manual work by automating picking of necessary parts and installation software. The present invention automatically downloads a production TMP and a shipping OS corresponding to appropriate hardware based on customer order information from a server to a target information processing apparatus.
It relates to the method of installation.

There is a technique described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-323977 regarding a similar installation method. In this example, shipping software is selected based on customer order information, and the information is stored in an external storage medium (FD). This is a method of starting the information processing apparatus and downloading the necessary software. In this case, an external storage medium is not used for starting the information processing apparatus, and the Basic Input / Output Sy is executed from the information processing apparatus main body.
Preboot Execution Envi which is a function of the stem (BIOS)
T for production line via network by using the ronment (PXE) function
This is a method of downloading and installing an MP and a shipping OS.

JP 2002-323977 A

The technique described in Patent Document 1 is a method in which installation information generated from customer information is stored in an external storage medium, the device is started from the medium and the necessary software is installed, but once the information is moved to the external storage medium There is a problem of having to. When a medium storing information is inserted into the target information processing apparatus, a manual operation is inevitably caused, and there is a possibility that the medium may be mixed, and a mechanism for preventing the medium from being mixed must be provided. Moreover, at least the production line process is confused due to the correction work in the event of a mistake.

In addition, there is a problem of the quality of the external storage medium, and there remains a problem of garbled data and deterioration of the physical structure due to damage to the magnetic material due to multiple use of the FD disclosed in Patent Document 1. Deterioration problems are unavoidable with respect to external storage media such as other IC chip (USB external storage device, CF, MS, SD and other card type storage devices) type storage devices and optical storage (DVD etc.) media.

It is an object of the present invention to completely eliminate the potential for human error and to pass each customer order information to each target device without human intervention without using an external storage medium for startup that lacks quality stability at the present time. How to implement the method.

In order to realize automatic installation from the upper network, first, a unique number must be assigned to each information processing apparatus so that each information processing apparatus can be identified from the upper network. As a method for this, each information processing apparatus compares each work order number assigned from the customer order information with the product type and number (manufacturing number, MAC address) assigned when picking each information processing apparatus and the customer order information, and associates them. A unique configuration information file is automatically generated. Each information processing apparatus in which the unique number is written is activated, and the management program of the server on the network is accessed by using the PXE function of the BIOS to connect to the network, and the activation image program is downloaded to each information processing apparatus. Further, the configuration information associated with the number assigned to each information processing apparatus is automatically transmitted to the target information processing apparatus via the network. The boot image program has a function for confirming the hardware configuration of each information processing device and a function for performing network connection to the server. Based on the configuration information automatically transmitted via the network, the boot image program The production TMP and the shipping OS corresponding to the hardware of each information processing apparatus are installed.

According to the present invention, the process of writing the production TMP and shipping OS to the HDD before assembly on the production line becomes unnecessary, and it is possible to contribute to the reduction of the production line process, the number of work steps, and the master HDD management. In addition, human work error potential is eliminated.

Each information processing device automatically generated from the order information system based on the order number and work instruction number assigned from the customer order information and the serial number and MAC address that are unique numbers of each information processing device acquired in association with them Production TMP and shipping O using configuration information file for each
A system that automatically selects and installs S, and is compatible with each information processing device.
A network installation system that can eliminate the potential of work mistakes by allowing P and OS selection and TMP and OS installation work to each information processing apparatus to be performed without human intervention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, in order to give the concreteness of the invention, a desktop personal computer (
Hereinafter, PC) is taken as an example. First, it is necessary to issue a work instruction number based on customer order information before assembling the PC 8 as a pre-stage for realizing this network installation system. Based on the work instruction number, the barcode label of each part is scanned by the barcode scanner 7 connected to the traceability terminal 6 at the time of picking each part of each PC. At this time, the main board (hereinafter referred to as M /
The barcode label of the MAC address affixed to B) is also scanned. The traceability information (model name / product number) in the traceability system 2 and the customer order information (order number) in the order information system 4 are compared, and the MAC address is used as the folder name in the configuration information system 3 for each PC. Create a unique folder. The configuration information file for each PC generated from the customer order information is stored in each MAC address name folder in the configuration information system 3.
At this time, the configuration information file for each basic format registered in the configuration information system 3 in advance is automatically selected as the same configuration information file as the basic format registered in the traceability information,
A configuration information file automatically generated from customer information and a configuration information file automatically selected from traceability information are paired and stored in each MAC address name folder in the configuration information system 3. After completing the assembly work, the PC 8 moves to the adjustment process and connects the display monitor, the keyboard, and the LAN cable connected to the host network environment. Turn on the power of PC8 and open the BIOS setting screen. PXE is set as a priority boot device from Boot Order on the BIOS setting screen, the BIOS setting is saved, and the PC is restarted. TM for production by PXE
Connect to the P installation server 1 and expand the boot image file to the RAM drive in each PC. Each PC is booted with the boot image file developed on the RAM drive, and a configuration information file matching the MAC address data in the ROM in which the MAC address mounted on the M / B is written is sent from the configuration information system 3 to each PC. Download to the internal RAM drive. By using the configuration information file downloaded from the configuration information system 3 and executing the configuration confirmation program packaged in the boot image developed on the RAM drive in each PC, the configuration information file and the hardware configuration of each PC are changed. Compare if they match. Confirm that the configuration information file matches the hardware configuration of each PC, and use the production TMP.
A production TMP corresponding to the hardware configuration of each PC is automatically selected from the install server 1 and automatically installed in the built-in HDD. This automatic installation system can be implemented in the same procedure in the shipping OS installation process after the aging process. However, although the production TMP installation server 1 and the shipping OS installation server 5 can be the same server, it is desirable to use separate servers in terms of workability, management man-hours, ease of operation, and the like.

By building a network environment in the information processing equipment production workplace, the production TMP and shipping OS writing processes to the HDD required before assembly of the information processing equipment are no longer required, and the production line process, work man-hours, and master HDD are eliminated. Management can be reduced.

It is a schematic diagram of the Example of this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the Example of this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the Example of this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the Example of this invention. It is a block diagram of the Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Production TMP installation server, 2 ... Traceability system, 3 ... Configuration information system, 4 ... Order information system, 5 ... OS installation server for shipment, 6 ... Traceability terminal, 7 ... Barcode scanner, 8 ... PC (product) .

Claims (1)

Production line test program (hereinafter referred to as TMP) according to different hardware configurations for each customer
), Different shipping operating systems (hereinafter referred to as OS) and application software are registered in advance in the server based on the customer order information and the configuration information associated with each hardware type registered in the customer order information. A system that automatically selects the optimum TMP for production or OS for shipment and automatically installs it on the target device via the network. Each device captures configuration information via the network without using external boot media. A network installation system that can.

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