OS-Agnostic Restore Environment for Virtual Disk Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for installing operating systems on computer hardware require multiple Microsoft licenses for each instance of Windows on different partitions, limiting deployment flexibility and increasing licensing costs, as they are specific to Microsoft tools and do not support other operating systems like Linux or FreeBSD.
Innovation Solution
A method that bundles a lightweight, operating system-agnostic Linux restore environment with virtualization software to create and deploy guest disk images, allowing for the installation of various operating systems on virtual disks without the need for Microsoft-specific tools, enabling the use of multiple operating systems like Windows, Linux, and FreeBSD on the same hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Microsoft-specific tools are used to install Windows operating systems on each partition, then the installation process is reliable and supported, but multiple Microsoft licenses are required increasing costs and limiting deployment flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal restore environment that can deploy multiple operating systems (Windows, Linux, FreeBSD) across multiple partitions without requiring separate Microsoft licenses for each instance. This multi-functional platform eliminates the need for OS-specific installation tools while maintaining reliable deployment capabilities through a single licensed environment.
2Reliability
If multiple Microsoft licenses are purchased for each Windows instance on different partitions, then each partition can be properly licensed and supported, but licensing costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple operating system deployment capabilities into a single licensed restore environment. Instead of requiring separate Microsoft licenses for each Windows instance on different partitions, the system combines Windows, Linux, and FreeBSD deployment capabilities into one unified platform that requires only a single license, dramatically reducing licensing costs while maintaining compliance.
3Ease of manufacture
If operating system-specific tools are used for installation, then the installation process is optimized for that specific OS, but deployment flexibility is limited to only that operating system
Solution Approach 1:
The restore environment is designed as a universal platform that can deploy multiple operating systems (Windows, Linux, FreeBSD) with optimized installation capabilities for each. The system maintains OS-specific optimization while eliminating the limitation of supporting only one operating system type, allowing flexible deployment across diverse computational environments.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a single computer runs multiple Windows instances on different partitions, then the system can serve multiple purposes, but multiple Microsoft licenses are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple operating system instances (Windows, Linux, FreeBSD) on different partitions into a single licensed restore environment. This merging approach allows the computer to serve multiple purposes with diverse operating systems while requiring only one license instead of multiple separate licenses for each Windows instance.
Data Source
AI summary
A guest disk may be setup through the assistance of a restore environment. A restore environment may be bundled with partitioning software, and the restore environment may be a small, lightweight Linux™ environment that is operating-system agnostic. The restore environment allows any operating system image file to be deployed on the guest disk. The guest disk may be created through the use of virtualization software and a guest operating system.