Backup Image Manager Slicing System Images
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Solution Overview
Problem
System images for modern computing systems are large and require significant storage space, making traditional backup methods inefficient, especially since they often rely on user-accessible storage that can be altered or corrupted.
Innovation Solution
A backup image manager slices the system image into smaller, secure image slices that can be stored in protected computer memory inaccessible to users, ensuring data integrity and efficient storage within the computing system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If system images are stored on restoration media such as DVD or downloaded from Internet-based recovery service, then the system image can be backed up, but the storage space required is large and the backup process is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system image is divided into multiple slices and distributed across multiple computing devices within the network. Each device stores only a portion of the image, reducing the storage burden on any single device while maintaining complete backup capability through aggregation of all slices.
2Ease of operation
If system images are stored on user-accessible storage, then the backup is easily accessible, but the data can be altered or corrupted by users
Solution Approach 1:
The backup image manager serves as an intermediary component that handles all access to the distributed image slices. It manages the segmentation, distribution, and restoration processes while preventing direct user access to the raw image data, thereby maintaining data integrity while enabling controlled accessibility through proper authorization.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, and products for backing up an image in a computing system that includes computer memory, including: receiving, by a backup image manager, an image for one or more computing devices within the computing system; identifying, by the backup image manager, available protected computer memory within the computing system, wherein the available protected computer memory within the computing system is restricted from alteration by a user of the computing system; slicing, by the backup image manager, the image into a plurality of image slices; and storing, by the backup image manger, one or more of the image slices in the available protected computer memory.