Abstract: A method of automatically configuring a server system after a device has been hot added to the system, which includes the following acts: automatically detecting the hot added device; automatically configuring the device; automatically identifying a device type for the device; automatically determining the location where the device has been hot added; automatically loading a driver corresponding to the hot added device; and automatically modifying a configuration file so as to integrate the hot added device into the system.

Abstract: A method of monitoring a status condition of a first server with a second server in a server network, and also providing synchronization and messaging between the two servers, the method including: transmitting a software-generated pulse waveform from the first server to a device coupled to the first server, wherein the software-generated pulse waveform is comprises a first command corresponding to a logic level low and a second command corresponding to a logic level high; setting said device to a first state during logic level lows of said pulse waveform and to a second state during logic level highs of said pulse waveform; receiving the software-generated pulse waveform with the second server by determining when said device is in the first state and when it is in the second state; and determining when said device no longer changes from the first state to the second state.

Abstract: A method of automatically configuring and formatting a computer system for installation of a prespecified application program in the computer system, which includes the performing the following acts: automatically creating a primary active DOS partition on a primary hard disk drive of the computer system; automatically selecting a size value for a primary extended DOS partition; automatically creating the primary extended DOS partition on the primary hard disk drive, wherein the size of the primary extended DOS partition equals the selected size value; automatically formatting each partition so as to create a root directory and a file allocation table for each partition; and automatically executing a DOS batch file in order to install said prespecified application program.

Abstract: A system of automatically configuring and formatting a computer system and installing a prespecified software program in the computer system, which includes: a first partitioning module which automatically creates an active DOS partition on a primary hard disk drive of the computer system; a selection module which automatically selects a size value for an extended DOS partition; a second partitioning module which automatically creates the extended DOS partition, wherein the size of the extended DOS partition equals the selected size value; a formatting module which automatically formats each partition so as to create a root directory and a file allocation table for each partition; and an install module which automatically executes a DOS batch file in order to install said prespecified application program.

Abstract: A method for fault tolerant execution of an application program, in a server network having a first and second server, wherein the method includes: executing the application program in the first server; storing an object which represents the program in a cluster network database, wherein the object contains information pertaining to the program; detecting a failure of the first server; and executing the application program in the second server upon detection of the failure of the first server, in accordance with the information in the object. The information may include: a host server attribute which identifies which server is currently executing the program; a primary server attribute which identifies which server is primarily responsible for executing the program; and a backup server attribute which identifies which server is a backup server for executing the program if the primary server experiences a failure.