Software image transition aid comprising building a disk image based on identified hardware
First Claim
1. A software image transition aid for acting on a disk image that is cloned or stored on a storage media that is physically transferred from a source computer to a target computer, the aid comprising:
- a bootable storage media with stored thereon an operating system arranged to load when the target computer is booted from the storage media and program code elements arranged to modify a cloned or physically transferred disk image under the control of the operating system, so that when the target computer is rebooted from the cloned or physically transferred disk image the target computer will reach an operational state,wherein the program code elements are arranged to;
identify the hardware of the target computer;
the disk image on a hard disk;
identify files to be added to the disk image; and
copy the identified files from a repository to the disk image, whereby when the target computer is rebooted from the disk image, an operating system therein finds the required files.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A software image transition aid is described for acting on a software image that is transferred from a source computer to a target computer, the aid comprising: a bootable storage media with stored thereon one or more operating systems arranged to load when the target computer is booted from the storage media and program code elements arranged to modify the cloned disk image under the control of the operating system or systems, so that when the target computer is rebooted from the transferred image the target computer will reach an operational state. The tool can be used in the following way. First the user transfers the complete operational software image from the target PC onto a source PC. Then, before being booted from the cloned image, the target computer is booted from the image transition aid. The image transition aid acts on the software image stored on the hard disk in the target computer. Once the process in completed the target computer is rebooted to load the operating system that was transferred with the software image.
101 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A software image transition aid for acting on a disk image that is cloned or stored on a storage media that is physically transferred from a source computer to a target computer, the aid comprising:
- a bootable storage media with stored thereon an operating system arranged to load when the target computer is booted from the storage media and program code elements arranged to modify a cloned or physically transferred disk image under the control of the operating system, so that when the target computer is rebooted from the cloned or physically transferred disk image the target computer will reach an operational state,
wherein the program code elements are arranged to;
identify the hardware of the target computer;
the disk image on a hard disk;
identify files to be added to the disk image; and
copy the identified files from a repository to the disk image, whereby when the target computer is rebooted from the disk image, an operating system therein finds the required files. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
boot the first operating system from the bootable media, reserve an area of memory and perform a first task under the control of said first operating system;
store results generated by said first task in the reserved memory area;
reboot the computer so as to load a second operating system from the bootable media; and
perform under the control of the second operating system a second task using the stored results.
- a bootable storage media with stored thereon an operating system arranged to load when the target computer is booted from the storage media and program code elements arranged to modify a cloned or physically transferred disk image under the control of the operating system, so that when the target computer is rebooted from the cloned or physically transferred disk image the target computer will reach an operational state,
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10. A software image transition aid as claimed in claim 9 wherein booting the first operating system includes performing a power-on self test (POST), the arrangement comprising program elements for saving an initial system state after the POST and, prior to the reboot, restoring the system state as it was saved following the POST.
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11. A software image transition aid for acting on a disk image that is cloned or stored on a storage media that is physically transferred from a source computer to a target computer, the aid comprising:
- a bootable storage media with stored thereon a first operating system arranged to load when the target computer is booted from the storage media and program code elements arranged to;
identify the hardware of the target computer;
the disk image on a hard disk;
identify files to be added to the disk image; and
copy the identified files from a repository to the disk image, whereby when the target computer is rebooted from the disk image, a second operating system therein finds the required files and is able to reach an operational state. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
- a bootable storage media with stored thereon a first operating system arranged to load when the target computer is booted from the storage media and program code elements arranged to;
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14. A software image transition aid for acting on a disk image that is cloned or stored on a storage media that is physically transferred from a source computer to a target computer, the aid comprising:
- a bootable storage media with stored thereon an operating system arranged to load when the target computer is booted from the storage media;
a repository of files potentially required for the disk image to be operational in the target computer; and
program code elements arranged to;identify the hardware of the target computer using Plug and Play enumeration techniques;
the disk image on a hard disk;
identify files to be added to the disk image; and
copy the identified files from a repository to the disk image, whereby when the target computer is rebooted from the disk image, an operating system therein finds the required files. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
- a bootable storage media with stored thereon an operating system arranged to load when the target computer is booted from the storage media;
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18. A tool in the form of a single CD for acting on a disk image that is cloned or stored on a storage media that is physically transferred from a source computer to a target computer, the aid comprising:
- a bootable storage media with stored thereon an operating system arranged to load when the target computer is booted from the storage media;
a repository of files potentially required for the disk image to be operational in the target computer; and
program code elements arranged to;identify the hardware of the target computer using Plug and Play enumeration techniques;
the disk image on a hard disk;
identify files to be added to the disk image; and
copy the identified files from a repository to the disk image, whereby when the target computer is rebooted from the disk image, an operating system therein finds the required files. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
- a bootable storage media with stored thereon an operating system arranged to load when the target computer is booted from the storage media;
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21. A software image transition aid for acting on a first storage media that is physically transferred from a source computer to a target computer, said first storage media including a first operating system that is bootable on said source computer, the aid comprising:
- a second bootable storage media with stored thereon a second operating system arranged to load when the target computer is booted from the second storage media and program code elements arranged to;
identify the hardware of the target computer;
the first storage media;
identify required files to be added to a disk image; and
copy the identified required files from a repository to the first storage media, whereby when the target computer is rebooted from the first storage media, the first operating system therein finds the required files and is able to reach an operational state.
- a second bootable storage media with stored thereon a second operating system arranged to load when the target computer is booted from the second storage media and program code elements arranged to;
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22. A software image transition aid for acting on a cloned data image that is copied from a source computer to a target computer, said cloned data image being bootable on said source computer and including a first operating system, the aid comprising:
- a bootable storage media with stored thereon a second operating system arranged to load when the target computer is booted from the second storage media and program code elements arranged to;
identify the hardware of the target computer;
the cloned data image;
identify required files to be added to the cloned data image; and
copy the identified required files from a repository to the cloned data image, whereby when the target computer is rebooted from the cloned data image, the first operating system therein finds the required files and is able to reach an operational state.
- a bootable storage media with stored thereon a second operating system arranged to load when the target computer is booted from the second storage media and program code elements arranged to;
Specification