System and method of imaging a memory module while in functional operation
View Patent ↗A memory module (e.g. a hard drive, an optical drive, a flash drive, etc.) associated with a computer system may be imaged without substantial interruption to the operation of the overall system. The imaging may include applying an image to the memory module while execution of one or more operations and/or algorithms that require at least intermittent access to information stored initially in the memory module is ongoing. This may enable a system associated with the memory module to continue with normal, or substantially normal, operation while the image is being applied to the memory module. The image applied to the memory module may, for example, update the system, restore the system to a previous state (e.g., to its state at a previous point in time), or otherwise modify the system with which it is associated.
1. A system for imaging a memory module while in functional operation, comprising:
a processor configured to execute one or more operations or algorithms;
a primary memory module accessible to the processor at a primary mount point in a file system directory, wherein the primary memory module stores information that the processor is configured to access in order to execute the one or more operations or algorithms;
a directory management module configured to cause the primary mount point in the file system directory to point to a secondary memory module that is different from the primary memory module while the processor executes the one or more operations or algorithms;
an imaging module configured to apply an image to the primary memory module while the primary mount points to the secondary memory module; and
a process execution module configured to execute the one or more operations or algorithms and access information at the primary mount point in the file system directory in order to execute the one or more operations or algorithms such that if the primary mount point points to the primary memory module, the process execution module is configured to access the information from the primary memory module, or if the primary mount point points to the secondary memory module, the process execution module is configured to access the information from the secondary memory module,
the directory management module being further configured to remount the primary memory module to the file system directory in response to the image having been applied to the primary memory module in order to cause the primary mount point to once again point to the primary memory module.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary memory module is synchronized with the primary memory module.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein information stored in the secondary memory module that is synchronized with the primary memory module comprises one or more of a software kernel module, a driver, or a configuration file.
4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a synchronization module configured to synchronize the secondary memory module with the primary memory module while the processor executes the one or more operations or algorithms.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the primary memory module comprises a hard drive.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary memory module is mounted to the file system directory at a secondary mount point.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging module is further configured to take the image from the primary memory module at a previous point in time.
8. A method for imaging a memory module while in functional operation, comprising:
executing one or more operations or algorithms, wherein executing the one or more operations or algorithms comprises at least intermittently accessing information initially stored in a primary memory module that is initially mounted in a file system at a primary mount point; and
imaging the primary memory module while the execution of the one or more operations or algorithms is ongoing, wherein imaging the primary memory module comprises:
adjusting the file system such that the primary mount point points to a secondary memory module so that the ongoing execution of the one or more operations or algorithms will access information stored in the secondary memory module; and
adjusting the file system, subsequent to applying an image to the primary memory module that takes place as the primary mount point points to the secondary memory module, such that the primary mount point once again points to the primary memory module so that the ongoing execution of the one or more operations or algorithms will access the information stored in the primary memory module in response to the image having been applied to the primary memory module.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising synchronizing the secondary memory module with the primary memory module while the execution of the one or more operations or algorithms is ongoing.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the information stored in the secondary memory module that is synchronized with the primary memory module comprises one or more of a software kernel module, a driver, or a configuration file.
11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising mounting the secondary memory module in the file system at a secondary mount point prior to adjusting the file system.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein imaging the primary memory module further comprises applying the image to the primary memory module while the primary mount point points to the secondary memory module.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising taking the image from the primary memory module at a previous point in time.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the image applied to the primary memory module comprises the image taken from the primary memory module at the previous point in time.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein applying the image to the primary memory module comprises storing the image taken from the primary memory module at the previous point in time over information currently stored in the primary memory module.
16. The method of claim 8 , wherein the primary memory module comprises a hard drive.
17. The method of claim 8 , wherein the secondary memory module comprises random access memory.