Storage media with benchmark representative of data originally stored thereon

Abstract

Data on a master is read into a master image file, and the master image file is manipulated to include a benchmark comprising tracking and verification information tied to at least a portion of the master image file. Thus, a copied-to storage media as copied from the master image file also includes such benchmark, a data alteration of the master image file causes a mis-match with regard to the benchmark in such master image file, and a data alteration of the copied-to storage media also causes a mis-match with regard to the benchmark in such storage media as copied from such master image file. The benchmark may include a part identifier and a security identifier.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of copying data from a master storage medium (“master”) for copying such data of a computing device to a copied-to storage medium, media the method comprising: media medium, the method comprising:
 verifying the computing device based on an identifier of the computing device; 
 reading the data on the master storage medium of the verified computing device into a master image file; 
 manipulating the master image file to includecreating a benchmark comprising tracking and verification information tied to at least a portion of the master image file, wherein the benchmark is not contained in the master storage medium; 
 writing the benchmark into the master image file, wherein a part identifier that identifies the master image file is included in the benchmark; and 
 whereby a copied-to storage media as copied fromwriting the master image file also includes such, including the benchmark, to the copied-to storage medium, wherein writing the master image file to the copied-to storage medium comprises inserting the benchmark into an area of the copied-to storage medium which is a normally inaccessible area of the copied-to storage medium; 
 wherebywherein the benchmark is usable to detect a data alteration of the master image file causes a mis-match with regard to the benchmark in such master image file, and wherebyor a data alteration of the copied-to storage media also causes a mis-match with regard to the benchmark in such storage media as copied from such master image filemedium. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the master storage medium has a file directory thereon, wherein reading the data comprises:
 accessing the file directory on the master storage medium; 
 ascertaining file information from the file directory; and 
 reading the data on the master storage medium into a master image file based on such file information. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2  wherein the file directory is a DOS file allocation table (FAT). 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  comprising wherein the reading comprises:
 reading all of the data on the master storage medium into the master image file,; 
 suchwherein the master image file thereby containing a master image of the master and beingcontains all of the data on the master storage medium available to create a copied image of the master storage medium on the copied-to storage mediamedium. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein manipulating the master image file to include a benchmark comprises inserting a part identifier into the master image file which identifies such master image file. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  comprising inserting the part identifier into an area of the master image file such that the part identifier appears in a normally inaccessible area in a copied-to storage media as copied from the master image file. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim  6  comprising wherein the inserting the part identifier into an area of the master image file such that comprises inserting the part identifier appears in dead space in a of the copied-to storage media medium as copied from the master image file, the dead space not normally being accessible by an operating system of a computer having the copied-to storage media mounted thereto, but accessible by a utility application running on such computer. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim  5  comprising inserting 1 wherein the part identifier is a 10-byte part identifier. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim  5  1 further comprising inserting a byte count of the part identifier into the master image file adjacent the part identifier. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim  5  1 further comprising storing the inserted part identifier in an image data file separate from the master image file. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 calculating a checksum of the entire master image file, including the benchmark; and 
 storing the checksum in the image data file, whereby wherein the stored checksum is available for later reference to ensure that the master image file has not become corrupted. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1  wherein manipulating the master image file to include a the writing the benchmark comprises inserting a security identifier into the master image file, where the security identifier is tied to the data in such master image file. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12  comprising wherein the inserting the security identifier into an area of the master image file such that comprises inserting the security identifier appears in a normally inaccessible area in a of the copied-to storage media as copied from the master image file medium. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  comprising wherein the inserting the security identifier into an area of the master image file such that comprises inserting the part security identifier appears in dead space in a of the copied-to storage media medium as copied from the master image file, the dead space not normally being accessible by an operating system of a computer having the copied-to storage media medium mounted thereto, but accessible by a utility application running on such computer. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12  comprising wherein the inserting a the security identifier produced by comprises:
 calculating a checksum of each byte of at least a portion of the master image file; and 
 encrypting the calculated checksum by way of an encrypting algorithm. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15  comprising calculating a checksum of each byte of wherein the at least a portion of the master image file including comprises a file directory thereof. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16  wherein the file directory is a DOS file allocation table (FAT). 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15  comprising encrypting the calculated checksum by way of an wherein the encrypting algorithm that produces an encrypted value having a pre-determined length. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 12  further comprising inserting a byte count of the security identifier into the master image file adjacent the security identifier. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 calculating a checksum of the entire master image file, including the benchmark; and 
 storing the checksum in an image data file separate from the master image file, whereby wherein the stored checksum is available for later reference to ensure that the master image file has not become corrupted. 
 
     
     
       21. A computer-readable storage medium having data stored thereon, the data comprising:
 an identifier for verifying a computing device comprising a master storage medium; 
 data copied from the master storage medium of the verified computing device; 
 a computer-readable data structure comprising a first field containing a benchmark comprising tracking and verification information tied to at least a portion of the data structure, copied from the master storage medium, wherein the benchmark is not contained in the master storage medium, wherein the first field appears in a normally inaccessible area in the computer-readable storage medium; and 
 a part identifier which identifies a master image file; 
 wherebywherein the benchmark is usable to detect a data alteration of the data structure causes a mis-match with regard to the benchmark in such first fieldcopied from the master storage medium. 
 
     
     
       22. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 21  having stored thereon a computer-readable data structure comprising a first field containing a benchmark comprising tracking and verification information tied to at least a portion of the data structure, whereby wherein a copied-to storage media as comprising the data copied from the data structure computer-readable medium also includes such benchmark, whereby wherein the benchmark is usable to detect a data alteration of the data structure causes a mis-match with regard to the benchmark in such first field, and whereby a data alteration of the data structure also causes a mis-match with regard to the benchmark in such storage media as copied from such data structure of the copied-to storage medium. 
     
     
       23. The computer-readable medium of  claim 21  wherein the benchmark includes a part identifier. 
     
     
       24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim  23  21 wherein the benchmark includes a 10-byte part identifier. 
     
     
       25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim  23  21 wherein the benchmark further includes a byte count of the part identifier. 
     
     
       26. The computer-readable medium of  claim 21  wherein the first field appears in a normally inaccessible area in a copied-to storage media as copied from the data structure. 
     
     
       27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim  26  21 wherein the first field appears in dead space in a of the copied-to storage media as copied from the data structure medium, the dead space not normally being accessible by an operating system of a computer having the copied-to storage media medium mounted thereto, but accessible by a utility application running on such computer. 
     
     
       28. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 21  wherein the first field appears in a normally inaccessible area in the data structure of the copied-to storage medium. 
     
     
       29. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 28  wherein the first field appears in dead space in the data structure of the copied-to storage medium, the dead space not normally being accessible by an operating system of a computer, but accessible by a utility application running on such computer. 
     
     
       30. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 21  wherein the benchmark includes a security identifier tied to the data in the data structure of the copied-to storage medium. 
     
     
       31. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 30  wherein the security identifier comprises a checksum of each byte of at least a portion of the data structure of the copied-to storage medium. 
     
     
       32. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 31  wherein the security identifier comprises a checksum of each byte of at least a portion of the data structure, the checksum being is encrypted by way of an encrypting algorithm. 
     
     
       33. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 32  wherein the checksum is encrypted by way of an encrypting algorithm that produces an encrypted value having a predetermined length. 
     
     
       34. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 30  further comprising a second field containing a file directory, wherein the security identifier comprises a checksum of each byte of at least a portion of the data structure of the copied-to storage medium including the file directory. 
     
     
       35. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 34  wherein the file directory is a DOS file allocation table (FAT). 
     
     
       36. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 30  wherein the benchmark further includes a byte count of the security identifier. 
     
     
       37. An apparatus for copying data from a master storage medium of a computing device to a copied-to storage medium, the apparatus comprising:
 means for verifying the computing device based on an identifier of the computing device;   means for reading the data on the master storage medium of the verified computing device into a master image file;   means for creating a benchmark comprising tracking and verification information tied to at least a portion of the master image file, wherein the benchmark is not contained in the master storage medium;   means for writing the benchmark into the master image file, wherein a part identifier that identifies the master image file is inserted into the benchmark; and   means for writing the master image file, including the benchmark, to the copied-to storage medium, wherein said means for writing the master image file is configured to write the benchmark into an area of the copied-to storage medium which is a normally inaccessible area of the copied-to storage medium;   wherein the benchmark is usable to detect a data alteration of the master image file or a data alteration of the copied-to storage medium.   
     
     
       38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the master storage medium has a file directory thereon, wherein said means for reading the data comprises:
 means for accessing the file directory on the master storage medium;   means for ascertaining file information from the file directory; and   means reading, the data on the master storage medium into a master image file based on such file information.   
     
     
       39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the file directory is a DOS file allocation table (FAT). 
     
     
       40. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein said means for reading the data is a means for reading all of the data on the master into the master image file, wherein the master image file contains all of the data on the master storage medium available to create a copied image of the master storage medium on the copied-to storage medium. 
     
     
       41. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein said means for inserting the part identifier is configured to insert the part identifier into dead space of the copied-to storage medium as copied from the master image file, the dead space not normally being accessible by an operating system of a computer having the copied-to storage media mounted thereto, but accessible by a utility application running on such computer. 
     
     
       42. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the part identifier is a 10-byte part identifier. 
     
     
       43. The apparatus of claim 37 further comprising means for inserting a byte count of the part identifier into the master image file adjacent the part identifier. 
     
     
       44. The apparatus of claim 37 further comprising means for storing the inserted part identifier in an image data file separate from the master image file. 
     
     
       45. The apparatus of claim 44 further comprising:
 means for calculating a checksum of the entire master image file including the benchmark; and   means for storing the checksum in the image data file, wherein the stored checksum is available for later reference to ensure that the master image file has not become corrupted.   
     
     
       46. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein said means for writing the benchmark is configured to write a security identifier into the master image file, where the security identifier is tied to the data in such master image file. 
     
     
       47. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said means for writing the benchmark is configured to write the security identifier in a normally inaccessible area of the copied-to storage medium as copied from the master image file. 
     
     
       48. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein said means for writing the benchmark is configured to write the security identifier into a dead space of the copied-to storage medium as copied from the master image file, the dead space not normally being accessible by an operating system of a computer having the copied-to storage medium mounted thereto, but accessible by a utility application running on such computer. 
     
     
       49. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said means for writing the benchmark comprises:
 means for calculating a checksum of each byte of at least a portion of the master image file; and   means for encrypting the calculated checksum by way of an encrypting algorithm.   
     
     
       50. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said security identifier is produced by:
 calculating a checksum of each byte of at least a portion of the master image file including a file directory thereof; and   encrypting the calculated checksum by way of an encrypting algorithm.   
     
     
       51. The apparatus of claim 50 wherein the file directory is a DOS file allocation table (FAT). 
     
     
       52. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein the encrypting algorithm produces an encrypted value having a pre-determined length. 
     
     
       53. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the master image file includes a byte count of the security identifier adjacent the security identifier. 
     
     
       54. The apparatus of claim 37 further comprising:
 means for calculating a checksum of the entire master image file, including the benchmark; and   means for storing the checksum in an image data file separate from the master image file, wherein the stored checksum is available for later reference to ensure that the master image file has not become corrupted.   
     
     
       55. A computer system for copying data from a master storage medium of a computing device to a copied-to storage medium, the system comprising:
 a module for verifying the computing device based on an identifier of the computing device;   a module for copying the data from the master storage medium of the verified computing device into a master image file stored on the system and writing to the master image file a benchmark that includes tracking and verification information derived at least partly from the master image file, wherein the benchmark is not contained in the master storage medium;   a module for checking for alteration of the master image file from the master using the benchmark;   a module for producing a production copy of the master image file and benchmark onto the copied-to storage medium, wherein the copied-to storage medium comprises a part identifier which identifies the master image file in the benchmark, wherein the copied-to storage medium comprises the benchmark in a normally inaccessible area of the copied-to storage medium; and   a module for comparing the master image file and benchmark with the production copy, wherein data alteration causes a mis-match between the benchmarks of the master image file and the production copy.   
     
     
       56. The system of claim 55 further comprising a drive for receiving a master storage media containing the master. 
     
     
       57. The system of claim 55 further comprising a first drive for receiving a master storage media containing the master and a second drive for receiving copied-to media for receiving the production copy.