Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory – Storage accessing and control – Control technique
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-12
2003-07-15
Yoo, Do Hyun (Department: 2187)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory
Storage accessing and control
Control technique
C360S015000, C360S055000, C360S131000, C369S084000, C711S111000, C711S147000, C711S154000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06594743
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to information technology, and more particularly, to a disk-cloning method and system for cloning computer data from a source disk to a target disk, which can be utilized, for example, in the computer assembly line to clone a preselected set of software programs to the main hard disk of each computer unit, or as a backup utility to data storage means.
2. Description of Related Art
Personal computers, such as Wintel-based PCs, are typically bundled with preinstalled operating system and application programs, such as Microsoft Windows 98 and Office 97, for the purpose of promoting sales. Normally, Windows 98 & Office 97 can be installed onto a PC's hard disk using their included setup programs. In the PC factory, however, using the setup program to preinstall Windows 98 & Office 97 onto each PC unit would be extremely laborious and time-consuming to carry out, because the total time required to complete the installation of Windows 98 would be typically from 30 to 60 minutes.
One solution to the foregoing problem is to install Windows 98 & Office 97 (hereinafter referred to as source data) onto a hard disk (hereinafter referred to as source disk), then compress the installed files on the source disk as an image file, and then clone the compressed file through decompression onto to the hard disk of each PC unit (hereinafter referred to as target disk). This disk-cloning method allows Windows 98 & Office 97 to be more quickly installed to each PC unit than using setup programs. In addition, in the event that Windows 98 & Office 97 on a hard disk is damaged, the image file can serve as a backup for recovery of the original Windows 98 & Office 97 files to the hard disk.
FIG. 1
is a schematic diagram showing the module configuration for a conventional disk-cloning method and system. As shown, the disk-cloning method and system is used to clone a set of software programs, such as Windows 98 & Office 97, from a source disk
10
to a target disk
20
. In the first step, the disk-cloning method and system utilizes a source-disk read module
11
to read all the files stored on the source disk
10
in a file-by-file manner (these files are denoted respectively by FILE_
1
, FILE_
2
, . . . , and FILE_N and are collectively designated by the reference numeral
12
in FIG.
1
). These files FILE_
1
, FILE_
2
, . . . , and FIEL_N are then compressed by a compression module
13
into an image file
14
. After this, a decompression module
21
is used to decompress the image file
14
to recover the primitive data form of the original files FILE_
1
, FILE_
2
, . . . , and FIEL_N read from the source disk
10
. The decompressed data are then written by a target-disk read/write module
22
in a file-by-file manner onto the target disk
20
.
Using the prior art of
FIG. 1
, the cloning of 1 GB (gigabyte) of source data from the source disk
10
to the target disk
20
would require about 10 minutes and 26 seconds to complete.
The foregoing disk-cloning method and system however, is considered complicated in process, poor in system security, and slow in efficiency. These drawbacks arise due to the fact that the source-disk read procedure needs to look up the entire FDT (File Directory Table) and FAT (File Allocation Table) on the source disk to read all the files from the source disk, which takes much time to complete. Moreover, during the target-disk write procedure, it is required to modify the FDT and FAT on the target disk, which also takes much time to complete. Moreover, in the case of the target disk being different in capacity from the source disk, the modifications to FAT and FDT would be even more time-consuming to complete, and the system security of the target disk can be affected.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an objective of this invention to provide a new disk-cloning method and system, which allows a faster cloning speed than the prior art.
It is another objective of this invention to provide a new disk-cloning method and system, which requires no modifications to the FDT and FAT of the target disk so that the system security of the target disk can be ensured.
It is still another objective of this invention to provide a new disk-cloning method and system, which allows a fast cloning speed even in the case of the source and target disks being different in capacity.
In accordance with the foregoing and other objectives of this invention, a new disk-cloning method and system is proposed. The invention is characterized in that the source data are cloned in a sector-by-sector manner rather than in a file-by-file manner as the prior art. This feature allows the cloning procedure to be more efficiently carried out than the prior art. Moreover, it allows the disk-cloning procedure to be performed without having to make modifications to the existing FDT and FAT on the target disk, thus ensuring the system security of the target disk.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5438671 (1995-08-01), Miles
patent: 5881038 (1999-03-01), Oshima et al.
patent: 6185666 (2001-02-01), Murray et al.
patent: 2002/0107877 (2002-08-01), Whiting
Chen Tong S.
Lin Kuang Shin
Shi Yong Jun
Chace C. P.
Corless Peter F.
Edwards & Angell LLP
Inventec C'orporation
Jensen Steven M.
LandOfFree
Disk-Cloning method and system for cloning computer data... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Disk-Cloning method and system for cloning computer data..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Disk-Cloning method and system for cloning computer data... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3052969