Abstract: A boot process for a computer comprising, in a client environment, a) generating, using a non-volatile data storage medium, a boot image request, b) passing the boot image request to a boot image repository, c) receiving, from the boot image repository, the requested boot image and d) booting the computer using the received boot image, characterised in that e) the boot image request is passed using an Internet Protocol and is sent to a predetermined location.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for communication between an Information Handling System (HIS) and a display having On “Screen Display” (OSD) capability. The HIS system includes a processor under control of an operating system, a graphics system and an electronic circuit which operates independently on the processor and the graphics system. The display receives a graphics channel with the graphics signals. An additional service channel is used for the interaction between the host and the display, and also for allowing the independent electronic circuit to have a direct access to the On Screen Display capability of the display. The service channel may be advantageously a DDC/CI communication link, and the electronic circuit may be a hardware monitoring circuit which is operational even before the booting process of the processor. No additional Liquid Crystal Display is thus required.

Abstract: A boot process for a computer comprising, in a client environment,

Abstract: The invention relates to the detection of the presence of a connector in a socket (10), the connector keeping a pin (13) of the socket to a a given level. The invention suggests to take advantage of this for detecting the presence of the connector, by trying to pull the pin to another-level (20, 21), and determining whether the level on the pin is the given level or the other level. For a socket for a WOL connector in the motherboard of a computer, the pin used is the wake signal pin, which is normally at a low level. Pull-up means are used to try and pull-up the voltage at the pin. This voltage is measured by scanning the status bit of the event register of the controller, to which the pin is connected. The voltage is pulled up only if no connector is plugged into the socket.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for providing remote power on in a computer where the operating system disables switching off events in the power management control system, except the power button, before requesting the power supply unit to switch off. Under such circumstances, remote power on is not possible, even if a network card is present and receives remote power on signals. The invention suggests invoking a system management interrupt for enabling the remote power on events on the power management control system, after the operating system has disabled all events in the power management control system, except the power button. Thus, the events allowing remote power on are enabled before the power supply unit is switched off, although they were disabled by the operating system.

Abstract: A computer is provided with a power provisioning system for connection to an external power source and comprising a main power supply, a standby power supply, and control circuitry that selectively places the system in an ON state in which the main power supply is energised from the external power source and supplies power to main circuitry (C) of the computer, and a STANDBY state in which the standby power supply is energised from the external power source but the main power supply and the main circuitry (C) are de-energised. In order to make it easy for a user to ensure that the main cicuitry (C) is powered up, one of the standard keys of the computer keyboard, for example the space bar key, is provided with an additional set of contacts not associated with the key scanning arrangement of the keyboard.