Live Imaging Client Device with Dual Drive Partitioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autogenic imaging techniques require device downtime for imaging, result in data loss, and lack remote imaging capabilities due to the need for rebooting and separate partitions on the same drive, with no fallback mechanism if the imaging process fails.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method for live imaging where a client device with two drives or partitioned single drive can image one drive while in use, allowing seamless switching between drives or partitions to minimize downtime and maintain data integrity, with automatic activation and configuration synchronization of the new OS.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the device is restarted to boot from the boot agent partition for imaging, then the imaging operation can be performed, but the device becomes unusable during the process and user data may be lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the drive into multiple partitions (active OS partition, boot agent partition, and backup partition) that can operate independently. This segmentation allows the imaging solution to run from the boot agent partition while the OS runs from the active partition, enabling imaging without full system shutdown and preventing data loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging solution is pre-installed on the boot agent partition alongside the OS. This preliminary setup allows the imaging process to be initiated and executed without needing to boot into a separate imaging environment, thereby reducing device downtime while ensuring reliable imaging operation.
2Productivity
If the image is downloaded to the backup partition, then the device can be imaged without full shutdown, but remote imaging is impossible due to drive or boot failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates distinct functional zones on the drive with different properties: the boot agent partition contains the imaging solution for local execution, the active partition holds the running OS, and the backup partition stores the image. This local quality differentiation enables both fast local imaging and provides fallback mechanisms for remote imaging scenarios.
3Ease of manufacture
If the imaging process is performed on the OS partition, then the image can be deployed, but user data stored on the OS partition is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the imaging function from the active OS partition and places it on the boot agent partition. The imaging solution is taken out of the running OS environment and positioned in a separate partition that can execute independently, allowing the OS partition to remain intact with all user data preserved during the imaging process.
Data Source
AI summary
Live imaging of a device can be performed. A client device can include at least two drives that are alternately employed to store the active OS partition. An imaging solution that executes on the active OS partition on a first drive can perform a live imaging process in which a second drive is fully imaged while the user continues to use the client device. Then, once the imaging of the second drive has been completed, the client device can be rebooted to cause the client device to boot from the second drive. In this way, the only downtime that a user may experience due to the imaging process is during the reboot. In a similar manner, when a client device includes only a single available drive, the drive can be divided into two or more sets of one or more partitions that are alternately employed as the active OS partition(s).