435 results about "Reboot" patented technology

A computer entity, particularly but not exclusively a headless computer entity, has operating systems stored on a non-volatile data storage device e.g. a hard disk drive, and has a back-up data storage device. Operating system backup's are taken from an uncorrupted copy of an operating system stored in a separate partition on the data storage device to the primary operating system which is actually used to run the device, thereby ensuring that if the primary operating system of the computer entity becomes corrupted either gradually or catastrophically, the back-up copy which is stored on a back-up media is not effected. Under failure conditions of the computer entity, a pristine copy of the operating system can be reloaded from the back-up tape data storage media and the computer entity rebooted from the pristine operating system back-up copy.

A method and system to switch between a Service virtual machine (VM) and a Guest VM in a virtual machine monitor (VMM) of a computer system. The VMM is loaded on the computer system to support a Service VM and a Guest VM. The Service OS is booted in the Service VM during the pre-boot phase. The Guest OS is booted in the Guest VM of the computer system. During OS runtime of the Guest OS, a VM switch is performed from the Guest VM to the Service VM without rebooting the computer system. The Service OS includes diagnostic tools to analyze the Guest OS. In one embodiment, the VM switch is performed by firmware of the computer system. In another embodiment, the VMM operates in accordance with an Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) framework standard.

A “high availability” system comprises multiple switches under the control of a control processor (“CP”). The firmware executing on the processor can be changed when desired. Consistent with the high availability nature of the system (i.e., minimal down time), a single CP system implements a firmware change by loading new firmware onto the system, saving state information pertaining to the old firmware using a reboot manager as a standby image, preventing the old firmware from communicating with the switches, bringing the new firmware to an active state and synchronizing the saved state information to the new firmware using the reboot manager as an active image.

A persistent snapshot is taken and maintained in accordance with a novel method and system for extended periods of time using only a portion of a computer readable medium of which the snapshot is taken. Multiple snapshots can be taken in succession at periodic intervals and maintained practically indefinitely. The snapshots are maintained even after powering down and rebooting of the computer system. The state of the object of the snapshot for each snapshot preferably is accessible via a folder on volume of the snapshot. A restore of a file or folder may be accomplished by merely copy that file or folder from the snapshot folder to a current directory of the volume. Alternatively, the entire computer system may be restored to a previous snapshot state thereof. Snapshots that occurred after the state to which the computer is restored are not lost in the restore operation. Different rule sets and scenarios can be applied to each snapshot. Furthermore, each snapshot can be written to within the context of the snapshot and later restored to its pristine condition. Software for implementing the systems and methods of snapshots in accordance with the present invention may comprise firmware of a hard disk drive controller or a disk controller board or within the HDD casing itself. The present invention further comprises novel systems and methods in which the systems and methods of taking and maintaining snapshots are utilized in creating and managing temporal data stores, including temporal database management systems. The implications for data mining and exploration, data analysis, intelligence gathering, and artificial intelligence (just to name a few areas) are profound.