Combined image views and methods of creating images

Abstract

A first image of a first software which can be combined with other images of other software such that any one or more of the images can be restored from the combined image, and methods relating thereto. The method of making the combined image comprises creating a first image from a first software, creating a second image from the second software, and combining the first image and the second image into the combined image. Each image includes first descriptive data (metadata) corresponding to descriptive data of its software and includes file data corresponding to file data of its software.

1 . A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a first image of a data structure of a first software which first image can be combined with one or more other images having the same data structure into a combined image so that the first image and/or any of the one or more other images of the combined image can each be re-created by imaging from the combined image, comprising: 
 an image of descriptive data of the first software; and    an image of file data of the first software.    
   
   
       2 . The medium of  claim 1  wherein the descriptive data comprises metadata including one or more of the following: file names, attributes, file times, compression formats, locations and streams.  
   
   
       3 . The medium of  claim 1  wherein the file data comprises any binary file data or any other data other than metadata.  
   
   
       4 . The medium of  claim 1  wherein the one or more other images comprise a second image of descriptive data of a second software and a second image of file date of the second software.  
   
   
       5 . The medium of  claim 4  wherein at least part of the file data of the first image and is the same as at least part of the file data of the second image.  
   
   
       6 . The medium of  claim 1  further comprising modifying, updating or restoring file data and/or modifying the descriptive data to point to any modified, updated or restored file data.  
   
   
       7 . A computer implemented method executing on a computer of converting a first software into a first image having a data structure which can be combined with one or more other images having the same data structure to form a combined image from which the first image and/or any one or more of the other images of the combined image can each be re-created by imaging from the combined image, comprising: 
 generating metadata of the first image;    generating a hash list of the first image;    reading each file data of the first software;    generating a hash for each file data of the first software; and    adding each file data to the first image and updating the metadata and the hash list of the first image if the hash for each file data is not in the hash list.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said hash list is a list of identifiers and each hash is an identifier.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising associating each read file with an identifier based on the contents of the file data.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising associating each read file with a hash based on the contents of the file data.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the generated metadata includes one or more of the following: file names, attributes, file times, compression formats, locations and streams.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the file data comprises any binary file data or any other data other than metadata.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising modifying, updating or restoring file data and/or modifying the metadata to point to any modified, updated or restored file data.  
   
   
       14 . A combined image including a first image of a first software and including a second image of a second software, said combined image comprising: 
 a header of the combined image;    a first metadata of the first image;    a second metadata of the second image;    a first file data of file data of the first image and not of the second image;    a second file data of file data of the second image and not of the first image;    a common file data of file data of both the first image and the second image; and    a signature of the combined image whereby the first image and/or the second image can be imaged from said combined image and whereby the size of the combined image is less than the total size of the first image and the second image.    
   
   
       15 . The combined image of  claim 14  wherein the first metadata and the second metadata each include one or more of the following: file names, attributes, file times, compression formats, locations and streams.  
   
   
       16 . The combined image of  claim 14  wherein each of the first and second file data comprises any binary file data or any other data other than metadata.  
   
   
       17 . The combined image of  claim 14  further comprising modifying, updating or restoring file data and/or modifying an offset table to point to any modified, updated or restored file data.  
   
   
       18 . The combined image of  claim 14  wherein the first software or the second software includes an operating system, an application program or both.  
   
   
       19 . The combined image of  claim 14  wherein the first software and the second software are similar applications, wherein the first software is for use with a first operating system and wherein the second software is for use with a second operating system.