Migration of computer personalization information

• US 20020103779A1
• Filed: 01/29/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Windstream Intellectual Property Services, Inc. (Windstream Holdings II LLC)
• Original Assignee: CenterBeam, Inc. (EarthLink Incorporated)
• Inventors: Penzias, Arno, Ricart, Glenn, Laube, Sheldon, Epstein, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 6,795,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/214 Database migration support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A migration tool and methods for migrating computer personalization information from one computer to another when a network is not available, when a network is available but use of the network is undesirable for some reason, and/or when the computer which is the source of the data being migrated has limited or unknown resources to support conventional forms of data migration.

Claims

1. A method for migrating personalization data from a source computer to a destination computer, comprising the steps of:

connecting to the source computer a migration tool having a processor, memory, and means for identifying personalization data;

copying personalization data from the source computer to the migration tool using a minimal file system on the source computer and without using a network;

connecting the migration tool to the destination computer; and

transferring personalization data from the migration tool to the destination computer using a minimal file system on the destination computer and without using a network.

4. A configured storage medium embodying data and instructions readable by a computer to perform the method of claim 1.

2. A migration tool comprising a memory in operable communication with a processor, a means for exchanging information with another computer, and a means of using the memory and processor for identifying personalization data.

3. A signal set embodied in a computer, the signal set comprising the combination of a command to read data, personalization data read in response to the command, and minimal migration file system software used to read the personalization data from a source computer disk.

5. A method comprising the steps of connecting a migration tool to a source computer, requesting information from the source computer, analyzing the information received, identifying personalization information to be retrieved, and retrieving at least a portion of the identified personalization information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising at least one of the following steps:

downloading the personalization information to a destination computer;

storing the personalization information to permit it to be restored later after loss of another copy of the personalization information;

analyzing the personalization information for computer viruses;

statistically analyzing the personalization information;

cloning the personalization information while creating a duplicate machine;

updating the personalization information;

retaining the personalization information as part of a baseline for later comparisons;

assessing the personalization information to help determine whether the source computer should be upgraded;

preserving the personalization information for posterity in a historical institution;

saving the personalization information for use in legal proceedings;

compressing the personalization information;

encrypting the personalization information;

converting the personalization information from one file format or version to another; and

erasing the personalization information from the source computer.

7. A system for migrating personalization data from a source computer to a destination computer, the system comprising:

means for connecting to the source computer a migration tool having a processor, memory, and means for identifying personalization data;

means for copying personalization data from the source computer to the migration tool using a minimal file system on the source computer and without using a network;

means for connecting the migration tool to the destination computer; and

means for transferring personalization data from the migration tool to the destination computer using a minimal file system on the destination computer and without using a network.

8. A system comprising:

means for connecting a migration tool to a source computer,

means for requesting information from the source computer,

means for analyzing the information received,

means for identifying personalization information to be retrieved, and

means for retrieving at least a portion of the identified personalization information.