Operating system update and boot failure recovery
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An improved operating system method comprising the steps of:
- storing a primary operating system on a first disk drive accessible by a computing system wherein during normal operation the computing system accesses the primary operating system so that the primary operating system is the present operating system; and
wherein the primary operating system is a bootable operating system;
storing a mirror operating system on a second disk drive accessible by the computing system wherein the mirror operating system is a mirror image of the primary operating system;
storing an updated operating system on a third disk drive accessible by the computing system wherein the updated operating system is a last-known-good image of the primary operating system;
storing a first-boot operating system on a fourth disk drive accessible by the computing system wherein the first-boot operating system is an image of the primary operating system at the time of a first boot of the primary operating system;
monitoring the operation of the present operating system;
based on a set of boot instructions, designating one of the mirror operating system, the updated operating system, and the first boot operating system as an alternate operating system; and
accessing the alternate operating system upon sensing an error in the operation of the primary operating system so that the alternate operating system becomes the present operating system.
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Abstract
An improved operating system method that, in addition to the primary operating system, stores one or more alternate or recovery operating systems. The system monitors the operation of the present operating system and accesses the alternate or recovery operating system based on a fail-over algorithm when a fault condition is detected. The alternate or recovery operating systems are periodically updated.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. An improved operating system method comprising the steps of:
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storing a primary operating system on a first disk drive accessible by a computing system wherein during normal operation the computing system accesses the primary operating system so that the primary operating system is the present operating system; and
wherein the primary operating system is a bootable operating system;storing a mirror operating system on a second disk drive accessible by the computing system wherein the mirror operating system is a mirror image of the primary operating system; storing an updated operating system on a third disk drive accessible by the computing system wherein the updated operating system is a last-known-good image of the primary operating system; storing a first-boot operating system on a fourth disk drive accessible by the computing system wherein the first-boot operating system is an image of the primary operating system at the time of a first boot of the primary operating system; monitoring the operation of the present operating system; based on a set of boot instructions, designating one of the mirror operating system, the updated operating system, and the first boot operating system as an alternate operating system; and accessing the alternate operating system upon sensing an error in the operation of the primary operating system so that the alternate operating system becomes the present operating system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An improved operating system method comprising the steps of:
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storing a primary operating system on a first disk drive accessible by a computing system wherein during normal operation the computing system accesses the primary operating system as a present operating system so that the primary operating system is the present operating system; storing a plurality of alternate operating systems accessible by a computing system, the plurality of alternate operating systems including; a mirror operating system stored on a second disk drive wherein the mirror operating system is a mirror image of the primary operating system, an updated operating system stored on a third disk drive wherein the updated operating system is a last-known-good image of the primary operating system, and a first-boot operating system stored on a fourth disk drive wherein the first-boot operating system is an image of the primary operating system at the time of a first boot of the primary operating system; storing a location and associated boot counter for each of the plurality of alternate operating system in an order in which the alternate operating systems are to be accessed; periodically updating the updated operating system; monitoring the operation of the present operating system; incrementing the boot counter of the present operating system each time an error is sensed in the operation of the present operating system; and accessing a next alternate operating system when the boot counter of the present operating system reaches a threshold value so that the next alternate operating system becomes the present operating system, wherein the next alternate operating system is one of the plurality of alternate operating systems.
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27. For use with a computing system having a set of boot control instructions, a fail-over recovery system comprising:
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a plurality of operating systems including; a primary operating system stored on a first disk drive, a mirror operating system that is a mirror image of the primary operating system and that is one of a plurality of alternate operating systems, the mirror operating system stored on a second disk drive, an updated operating system that is a last-known-good image of the primary operating system and that is one of the plurality of alternate operating systems, the updated operating system stored on a third disk drive, and a first boot operating system that is an image of the operating system at a first boot of the primary operating system and that is one of the plurality of alternate operating systems, the first-boot operating system stored on a fourth disk drive; and an operating system table that lists each of the plurality of operating system, its location, and an order in which the alternate operating systems should be accessed; wherein the boot control instructions access the operating system table to determine which operating system should be booted to control the computing system as the present operating system. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34)
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31. The fail-over recovery system 27 comprising a mirroring module that creates a mirror of the present operating system for storage as one of the alternate operating systems.
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35. An improved operating system method comprising the steps of:
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storing a primary bootable operating system on a first disk drive accessible by a computing system wherein during normal operation the computing system accesses the primary operating system as a present operating system so that the primary operating system is the present operating system; storing a plurality of recovery operating systems accessible by a computing system, the plurality of recovery operating systems including; a mirror operating system stored on a second disk drive wherein the mirror operating system is a mirror image of the primary operating system, an updated operating system stored on a third disk drive wherein the updated operating system is a last-known-good image of the primary operating system, and a first-boot operating system stored on a fourth disk drive wherein the first-boot operating system is an image of the primary operating system at the time of a first boot of the primary operating system; storing a boot register for tracking the operating of the present operating system; monitoring the operation of the present operating system; setting a boot bit in the boot register upon computing system start and resetting the boot bit at each successful boot; and accessing one of the plurality of recovery operating systems when the boot bit is set at computing system start.
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36. An improved operating system comprising;
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means for storing a primary bootable operating system in storage accessible by a computing system wherein during normal operation the computing system accesses the primary operating system so that the primary operating system is the present operating system; means for storing one or more alternate operating systems in storage accessible by the computing system, the one or more alternate operating systems including; a mirror operating system that is a mirror image of the primary bootable operating system, an updated operating system that is a last-known-good image of the primary bootable operating system, and a first-boot operating system that is an image of the primary bootable operating system at the time of a first boot of the primary operating system; means for monitoring the operation of the present operating system; and means for accessing at least one of the one or more alternate operating systems based on a set of boot instructions upon sensing an error in the operation of the primary operating system so that the at least one of the one or more alternate operating systems becomes the present operating system. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification