Method and system for managing image files
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsWesley A. Witt, Sara J. Schumacher, Kartik N. Raghaven
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for managing image files is provided. The image files include a plurality of streams such as a control stream, a data stream, a bitmap stream, and a cluster map stream. An audit trail stream, properties stream and fix-up stream may also be provided. An image driver translates requests from the operating system so that the image can be read, edited or otherwise manipulated.
Claims30
A method for accessing data in an image file, the image file comprising a plurality of streams including a data stream and a cluster map stream, the data stream including the data and the cluster map stream including a plurality of records, each record identifying a virtual location of the data and a data stream location of the data, comprising:
- receiving an access request, wherein the access request identifies the virtual location of the data;
- mapping the virtual location into the data stream location using one of the plurality of records;
- and
- reading the data from the data stream.
A method of editing a first image file, the first image file comprising a plurality of streams including a data stream and a cluster map stream, comprising:
- receiving, at an image driver, a request to store a set of data in the first image file, the request including a virtual location for the set of data;
- adding the set of data to a location in the data stream;
- creating a cluster map record;
- the cluster map record including the virtual location for the set of data and the location in the data stream for the set of data;
- and
- adding the cluster map record to the cluster map stream.
A method of transporting an image file over a network comprising at least a first computer and a second computer, the image file comprising a control stream, a data stream, and a cluster map stream:
- parsing the image file into a plurality of segments including at least a first segment and a second segment, wherein the first segment comprises the control stream, the cluster map stream and a first portion of the data stream and wherein the second segment comprises a second portion of the data stream;
- sending the first segment from the first computer to the second computer;
- and
- sending the second segment from the first computer to the second computer.
In a computer, a method of creating a plurality of image files from source data on a source storage media, comprising:
- creating a first image file from the source data and storing the first image file on a destination storage media volume, the first image file comprising a first data stream that includes the source of data, a first control stream with a unique identifier and a first cluster map stream;
- modifying the source data of on the source storage media volume;
- creating a second image file from the modified set of data and storing the second image file on the destination storage media volume, the second image file comprising a second data stream that includes the modified source data;
- a control stream that points to the unique identifier of the first image file, and a second cluster map stream.
A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for a method for accessing desired data in an image file, the image file comprising a plurality of streams including a data stream and a cluster map stream, the data stream including the desired data and the cluster map stream including a plurality of records, each record identifying a virtual location of the desired data and a data stream location of the desired data, comprising:
- receiving an access request, wherein the access request identifies the virtual location of the desired data;
- converting the virtual location into the data stream location using one of the plurality of records;
- and
- reading the data from the data stream.
A computer-readable medium having computer executable instruction for a method of editing a first image file, the first image file comprising a plurality of streams including a data stream and a cluster map stream, comprising:
- receiving, at an image driver, a request to store a set of data in the image file, the request including a virtual location for the set of data;
- adding the set of data to a location in the data stream;
- creating a cluster map record;
- the cluster map record including the virtual location for the set of data and the location in the data stream for the set of data;
- and
- adding the cluster map record to the cluster map stream.
A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for a method of creating a plurality of image files from source data on a source storage media, comprising:
- creating a first image file from the source data and storing the first image file on a destination storage media volume, the first image file comprising a first data stream that includes the source of data, a first control stream with a unique identifier and a first cluster map stream;
- modifying the source data of on the source storage media volume;
- creating a second image file from the modified set of data and storing the second image file on the destination storage media volume, the second image file comprising a second data stream that includes the modified source data;
- a control stream that points to the unique identifier of the first image file, and a second cluster map stream.
A method for a system tool to obtain information from an image file comprising a plurality of streams, each of the plurality of streams comprising a set of data, comprising the steps of:
- receiving, at an interface, a request for the set of data from at least one of the plurality of streams;
- sending the request from the interface to an image driver executing in an operating system;
- reading the set of data from the at least one of the plurality of streams;
- providing the system tool with the set of data from the at least one of the plurality of streams.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.