US6108697A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
One-to-many disk imaging transfer over a network
Assignee: CA Inc
•
Filing: 1998-10-02
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Granted: 2000-08-22
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Expires: 2018-10-02
Abstract
Abstract Methods, systems, articles of manufacture, and signal formats are provided for transferring disk images from a transmitting computer to one or more downloading computers. The transfer is done in a manner that allows a technician to start the download to one computer while preparing a second computer for downloading or shutting down a third computer after it has finished downloading the disk image. The computers need not wait for the beginning of a data stream but can instead join the download at specified points within the data stream. This reduces the time spent waiting to begin the download, particularly when the disk image being transferred is large. Compression and connection selection may be performed in response to changes in network performance. Image file packing and error management techniques may also be used, as well as on-the-fly file system instance manipulations.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert S Raymond
- 👤 Blaine S Dennis
- 👤 Eric J Ruff
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 03:23
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L67/06; H04L69/00; H04L69/04; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 55
Claim 1
Independent Claim
94 words
A method of transferring disk images from one computer to a plurality of computers, comprising the steps of: transmitting repetitions of a data stream containing a disk image over at least one network connection, the data stream having a beginning, an end, and at least one join point between the beginning and the end; and downloading the disk image to at least two computers, wherein the downloading to at least one computer begins at a join point within a repetition of the data stream and ends in a subsequent repetition of the data stream.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
94 words
A method of transferring disk images from one computer to a plurality of computers, comprising the steps of: transmitting repetitions of a data stream containing a disk image over at least one network connection, the data stream having a beginning, an end, and at least one join point between the beginning and the end; and downloading the disk image to at least two computers, wherein the downloading to at least one computer begins at a join point within a repetition of the data stream and ends in a subsequent repetition of the data stream.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of extracting the disk image from an image file stored on permanent storage before transmitting any repetitions of the data stream.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the image file is in a file-by-file format.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the image file is in a sector-by-sector format.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the image file is stored on a plurality of removable storage units.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the image file is stored on permanent storage on a server, the extracting step is performed by the server, and the downloading step downloads the disk image to at least one client of the server.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of reading the disk image directly from permanent storage without using an image file before transmitting repetitions of the data stream.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of performing an on-the-fly partition manipulation on at least one partition in the disk image before transmitting repetitions of the data stream.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of compressing at least a portion of the disk image before transmitting it in the data stream, and the step of decompressing at least a portion of the disk image after downloading it to a computer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 9, wherein the compressing step creates at least one compression sync point in the data stream.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 10, wherein each join point in the data stream coincides with a compression sync point in the data stream.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step transmits disk image data and join points over the same network connection.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step transmits disk image data over one network connection and transmits corresponding join points over another network connection.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the downloading step downloads the disk image to the same computer that is performing the transmitting step.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
129 words
A computer system for transferring disk images from one computer to a plurality of computers, the system comprising: a first computer; an obtaining means for obtaining a disk image; a second computer connectable to the first computer by at least one network connection; a transmit means for transmitting repetitions of a data stream containing the disk image over at least one network connection to the second computer, the data stream having a beginning, an end, and at least one join point between the beginning and the end; and a download means for downloading the disk image to the second computer, wherein the downloading to the second computer begins at a join point within a repetition of the data stream and ends in a subsequent repetition of the data stream.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
129 words
A computer system for transferring disk images from one computer to a plurality of computers, the system comprising: a first computer; an obtaining means for obtaining a disk image; a second computer connectable to the first computer by at least one network connection; a transmit means for transmitting repetitions of a data stream containing the disk image over at least one network connection to the second computer, the data stream having a beginning, an end, and at least one join point between the beginning and the end; and a download means for downloading the disk image to the second computer, wherein the downloading to the second computer begins at a join point within a repetition of the data stream and ends in a subsequent repetition of the data stream.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the first computer is a server and the second computer is a client of that server.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the first computer and the second computer are peers in a peer-to-peer network.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the obtaining means comprises a permanent storage device attached to the first computer and a means for reading the disk image from the permanent storage device.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 18, wherein the permanent storage device comprises a magnetic tape.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 18, wherein the permanent storage device comprises a CD-ROM.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 18, wherein the permanent storage device comprises a hard disk.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 18, wherein the means for reading disk image data comprises a means for reading disk image data from an image file.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the obtaining means comprises a means for reading only selected files in a partition.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the obtaining means comprises a means for reading directory information for a predetermined file in a partition and the transmit means avoids transmitting the corresponding file content.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the network connection comprises a client-server network connection.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the network connection comprises a file visible to both computers.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the network connection comprises a TCP/IP connection.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the transmit means comprises a server agent capable of responding automatically to transmission requests from other computers.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the download means comprises a client agent capable of responding automatically to download requests from a server.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
38 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the download means comprises a means for verifying receipt of disk image data by verifying that all sectors corresponding to the data have been stored on permanent storage by the second computer.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the join points have byte granularity.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the join points have sector granularity.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the join points have packet granularity.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the data stream specifies the size of at least one partition in the disk image.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the data stream specifies at least one address of an alternate network connection which also carries part or all of the data stream.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 35, wherein the address includes a local area network address.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 35, wherein the address includes a universal resource locator.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
48 words
The system of claim 15, further comprising a compression means for compressing at least a portion of the disk image before transmitting it in the data stream, and a decompression means for decompressing at least a portion of the disk image after downloading it to the second computer.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 38, further comprising a dynamic speed monitor which monitors network connection performance and regulates the compression means on detecting a change of predetermined amount in network connection performance.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
38 words
The system of claim 15, further comprising a dynamic speed monitor which monitors performance of at least two network connections and selects between the connections in response to predetermined events that indicate changes in relative network connection performance.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
121 words
A computer storage medium having a configuration that represents data and instructions which will cause at least a portion of a computer system to perform method steps for transferring disk images from one computer to a plurality of computers, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting repetitions of a data stream containing a disk image over at least one network connection, the data stream having a beginning, an end, and at least one join point between the beginning and the end; and downloading the disk image to at least two computers, wherein the downloading to at least one computer begins at a join point within a repetition of the data stream and ends in a subsequent repetition of the data stream.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
121 words
A computer storage medium having a configuration that represents data and instructions which will cause at least a portion of a computer system to perform method steps for transferring disk images from one computer to a plurality of computers, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting repetitions of a data stream containing a disk image over at least one network connection, the data stream having a beginning, an end, and at least one join point between the beginning and the end; and downloading the disk image to at least two computers, wherein the downloading to at least one computer begins at a join point within a repetition of the data stream and ends in a subsequent repetition of the data stream.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
24 words
The storage medium of claim 41, wherein the downloading step identifies a join point using a current sector number included in the data stream.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
24 words
The storage medium of claim 41, wherein the downloading step identifies a join point using a list of sectors included in the data stream.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
33 words
The storage medium of claim 41, wherein the downloading step selects a join point based at least in part on an indication of disk image size which is included in the data stream.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
30 words
The storage medium of claim 41, wherein the downloading step selects a join point based at least in part on compression state information which is included in the data stream.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
19 words
The storage medium of claim 41, wherein the transmitting step comprises including error management bits in the data stream.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
24 words
The storage medium of claim 41, wherein the downloading step comprises sending a retransmission request from a downloading computer to a repetition transmitting computer.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
54 words
A series of data stream signal repetitions embodied in a network connection for transferring disk image data, each repetition of the data stream signal having a beginning, an end, and at least one join point between the beginning and the end, and each repetition of the data stream signal also containing disk image data.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
54 words
A series of data stream signal repetitions embodied in a network connection for transferring disk image data, each repetition of the data stream signal having a beginning, an end, and at least one join point between the beginning and the end, and each repetition of the data stream signal also containing disk image data.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
26 words
The series of data stream signal repetitions of claim 48, wherein each repetition of the data stream signal also contains at least one compression sync point.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
17 words
The series of data stream signal repetitions of claim 48, wherein the disk image data is packed.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
26 words
The series of data stream signal repetitions of claim 48, wherein each repetition of the data stream signal also contains control information identifying another network connection.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-08-22 | 2004-02-21 | 2004-08-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-08-22 | 2008-02-21 | 2008-08-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-08-22 | 2012-02-21 | 2012-08-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |