Method and system for creating and restoring an image file
First Claim
1. A destination storage media having an image file stored thereon, wherein the image file is created from source data stored on a source storage media, the image file including a plurality of image streams, comprising:
- a control stream including data identifying the image file;
a data stream containing the source data; and
a cluster map stream containing a plurality of records, each record identifying;
a first location corresponding to allocation of a portion of the source data on the source media;
a second location corresponding to a location of the portion of the source data in the data stream;
wherein the plurality of image streams further comprising;
a bitmask stream containing data identifying allocated and unallocated clusters of the source storage media; and
wherein the bitmask stream comprises a plurality of bits, each bit corresponding to a cluster on the source storage media volume and each bit having a value that identifies whether the cluster on the source storage media volume is allocated or unallocated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An image file format and a method of creating and restoring an image file is provided by the present invention. The image file format includes a plurality of streams such as a control stream, a data stream, a bitmap stream, and a cluster map stream. An audit trail stream, properties stream and fix-up stream may also be provided. The present invention allows the contents of a storage media to be captured and stored as an image file. The image file is used to restore the storage media to a previous state or allows multiple computers to be provided with a common configuration. The plurality of streams further allow the image file to be viewed, edited or otherwise manipulated.
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. A destination storage media having an image file stored thereon, wherein the image file is created from source data stored on a source storage media, the image file including a plurality of image streams, comprising:
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a control stream including data identifying the image file; a data stream containing the source data; and a cluster map stream containing a plurality of records, each record identifying; a first location corresponding to allocation of a portion of the source data on the source media; a second location corresponding to a location of the portion of the source data in the data stream; wherein the plurality of image streams further comprising;
a bitmask stream containing data identifying allocated and unallocated clusters of the source storage media; andwherein the bitmask stream comprises a plurality of bits, each bit corresponding to a cluster on the source storage media volume and each bit having a value that identifies whether the cluster on the source storage media volume is allocated or unallocated.
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2. A destination storage media having an image file stored thereon, wherein the image file is created from source data stored on a source storage media, the image file including a plurality of image streams, comprising:
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a control stream including data identifying the image file; a data stream containing the source data; and a cluster map stream containing a plurality of records, each record identifying; a first location corresponding to allocation of a portion of the source data on the source media; a second location corresponding to a location of the portion of the source data in the data stream; wherein the first location comprises a starting and ending cluster number representing a series of contiguous blocks where the portion of source data is placed on a storage media volume when the image file is restored.
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3. A destination storage media having an image file stored thereon, wherein the image file is created from source data stored on a source storage media, the image file including a plurality of image streams, comprising:
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a control stream including data identifying the image file; a data stream containing the source data; and a cluster map stream containing a plurality of records, each record identifying; a first location corresponding to allocation of a portion of the source data on the source media; a second location corresponding to a location of the portion of the source data in the data stream; wherein the second location comprises an offset and a length, the offset identifying a starting location in the data stream containing the portion of data and the length identifying a set of contiguous locations within the data stream that contain the portion of data.
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4. A destination storage media having an image file stored thereon, wherein the image file is created from source data stored on a source storage media, the image file including a plurality of image streams, comprising:
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a control stream including data identifying the image file; a data stream containing the source data; and a cluster map stream containing a plurality of records, each record identifying; a first location corresponding to allocation of a portion of the source data on the source media; a second location corresponding to a location of the portion of the source data in the data stream; wherein the portion of source data is compressed and wherein the second location comprises an offset and a size, the offset identifying a starting location in the data stream containing the portion of data and the size identifying a set of contiguous locations within that data stream that contain the compressed portion of data.
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5. A method for creating an image file on a destination storage media volume from source data on a source storage media volume;
- the source data including a plurality of files and control information that identifies a location on the source storage media containing data for each of the plurality of files, comprising;
creating a plurality of image streams including a data stream, and a cluster map stream; reading the control information and identifying the location of the data for at least one file on the source storage media volume; reading the data for the at least one file; writing the data for the at least one file into the data stream; creating a cluster map record identifying the location of the data on the source storage media volume and a location of the data in the data stream;
adding the cluster map record to the cluster map stream; andwriting the plurality of image streams to the destination storage media; wherein the plurality of files includes at least a first file and a second file, the first file and second file including a set of identical data, comprising; writing the data for the first file into the data stream; creating a fast cluster map record for the first file and a second cluster map record for the second file, the first cluster map record identifying the location of the data in the data stream and a first location of the data on the source storage media, the second cluster map record identifying the location of the data in the data stream and a second location of the data on the source storage media volume.
- the source data including a plurality of files and control information that identifies a location on the source storage media containing data for each of the plurality of files, comprising;
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6. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instruction for creating an image file on a destination storage media volume from source data on a source storage media volume;
- the source data including a plurality of files and control information that identifies a location on the source storage media containing data for each of the plurality of files, comprising;
creating a plurality of image streams including a data stream, and a cluster map stream; reading the control information and identifying the location of the data for at least one file on the source storage media volume; reading the data for the at least one file; writing the data for the at least one file into the data stream; creating a cluster map record identifying the location of the data on the source storage media volume and a location of the data in the data stream; adding the cluster map record to the cluster map stream; and writing the plurality of image streams to the destination storage media; wherein the plurality of streams further comprises a fix-up stream, further comprising; modifying the control information and the cluster map record to identify a new location of the data on the source storage media volume.
- the source data including a plurality of files and control information that identifies a location on the source storage media containing data for each of the plurality of files, comprising;
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7. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instruction for creating an image file on a destination storage media volume from source data on a source storage media volume;
- the source data including a plurality of files and control information that identifies a location on the source storage media containing data for each of the plurality of files, comprising;
creating a plurality of image streams including a data stream, and a cluster map stream; reading the control information and identifying the location of the data for at least one file on the source storage media volume; reading the data for the at least one file; writing the data for the at least one file into the data stream; creating a cluster map record identifying the location of the data on the source storage media volume and a location of the data in the data stream; adding the cluster map record to the cluster map stream; and writing the plurality of image streams to the destination storage media; wherein the plurality of files includes at least a first file and a second file, the first file and second file including a set of identical data, comprising; writing the data for the first file into the data stream; creating a first cluster map record for the first file and a second cluster map record for the second file, the first cluster map record identifying the location of the data in the data stream and a first location of the data on the source storage media, the second cluster map record identifying the location of the data in the data stream and a second location of the data on the source storage media volume.
- the source data including a plurality of files and control information that identifies a location on the source storage media containing data for each of the plurality of files, comprising;
Specification