System and method of providing data images over a network with a local image cache

• US 6,721,846 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johansen, Jonathan, Mund, Keith L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Tuan V.
• Application Number:
  US09/750,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20020099911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 711/100, 711/118, 711/129, 711/130, 711/136, 711/154, 345/557, 345/530
• US Class Current: 711/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method of providing a data image cache. A system suitable for transferring data images includes an image cache suitable for being accessed locally, the image cache suitable for storing at least one data image. Image storage is connected to the image cache over a network, the image storage including a plurality of data images. Wherein, a query is received by the image cache for a data image not included in the image cache, a data image corresponding to the queried image is transferred from the image storage to the image cache over the network.

Claims

1. A method of storing data images, comprising:

receiving a request for a data image;

querying an image cache for the requested data image, wherein if the data image is not included in the image cache, querying an image storage for the requested data image, the image storage connected to the image cache over a network; and

transferring the requested data image to the image cache from the image storage, wherein when there is insufficient storage space to store the requested data image on the image cache, a preexisting data image is deleted;

wherein a controlling partition is included with a plurality of data images to indicate a data image to be utilized; and

wherein the controlling partition is test executive software and the data image comprises test instructions controlled by said test executive software.

2. The method as described in claims 1, wherein at least two data images are included on the image cache, the data image to be deleted is selected based upon which data image has not been accessed for a longer period of time.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the data image included on the image cache is deleted due to insufficient storage space for the transferred data image.

4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the data image includes an identifier suitable for at least one of identifying the data image, indicating usage of the data image, indicating access of the data image, time stamping and indicating a function of the data image.

5. The method as described in claim 1, wherein at least two data images are included on the image cache, the data image to be deleted is selected based upon which data image has been accessed the least number of times while on the image cache.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the data image includes an identifier that indicates the number of times the data image was accessed in a given period of time.

7. The method as described in claim 1, and further comprising the step of executing a test of a device by the test executive software of the controlling partition using the test instructions of the requested data image in the image cache.

8. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the test executive software comprises a program of instructions to configure a system to boot from one data image of the plurality of data images.

9. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the test executive software of the controlling partition is capable of being used to identify and utilize one data image of the plurality of data images for testing a device.

10. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the test executive software of the controlling partition is capable of indicating which data image of the plurality of data images to utilize to test a device.

11. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the test instructions are capable of being used to conduct testing of a device.

12. A system suitable for transferring data images, comprising:

an information handling system including an image cache suitable for being accessed locally, the image cache suitable for storing at least one data image; and

an image server including image storage, the image server connected to the information handling system over a network, the image storage including a plurality of data images,

wherein a plurality of data images transferred from the image server are utilized by the information handling system, a first data image is stored on the image cache which is utilized more recently by the information handling system than a second data image;

wherein a controlling partition is included with the plurality of data images to indicate a data image to be utilized; and

wherein the controlling partition is test executive software and the data image comprises test instructions controlled by said test executive software.

13. The system as described in claim 12, wherein the transferred image is stored on the image cache and at least one data image included on the image cache is deleted.

14. The system as described in claim 13, wherein at least two data images are included on the image cache, the data image to be deleted is selected based upon which data image has not been accessed for a longer period of time.

15. The system as described in claim 13, wherein the data image included on the image cache is deleted due to insufficient storage space for the transferred data image.

16. The system as described in claim 12, wherein the data image includes an identifier suitable for at least one of identifying the data image, indicating usage of the data image, indicating access of the data image, time stamping and indicating a function of the data image.

17. The system as described in claim 12, wherein a plurality of data images is stored on partitions of a hard disk.

18. A method of testing a device on a testing system utilizing data images stored on an image server and an image cache, comprising:

determining an identity of the device;

selecting a test based upon the identity of the device;

identifying a data image appropriate for testing the device;

requesting the data image from the image cache, wherein if the data image is not included in the image cache, querying an image storage for the requested data image, the image storage being connected to the image cache over a network;

transferring the requested data image to the image cache from the image storage, wherein when there is insufficient storage space to store the requested data image on the image cache, a preexisting data image is deleted;

determining if there is sufficient storage space on the image cache to store the requested data image thereon;

deleting a data image preexisting on the image cache when there is insufficient storage space on the image cache to store the requested data image thereon;

loading the data image onto the testing system from the image cache; and

executing a test of the device by the testing system using the requested data image in the image cache.

19. The method as described in claim 18, wherein said step of determining the identity of the device includes automatically sensing the identity of the device by test executive software on a controlling partition on the image server.

20. The method as described in claim 19, additionally comprising providing a test identification by the test executive software.

21. The method as described in claim 20, wherein the step of identifying the appropriate data image includes using the test identification provided by the test executive software.

22. The method as described in claim 18, additionally comprising creating an identifier for the data image stored on the image cache, wherein the identifier is included on the data image.

23. The method as described in claim 22, additionally comprising updating the identifier included on the data image to reflect accessing of the data image.

24. The method as described in claim 23, wherein said step of updating includes time stamping the data image.