SOFTWARE INSTALLATION AND RECOVERY SYSTEM

摘要

A software installation and recovery system provides an initial bootstrap sequence of instructions that initializes the low-level parameters of the client device, initializes the persistent storage system, loads a bootstrap loader from the persistent store into program memory, and passes execution to the bootstrap loader. A second stage boot loader locates the operating system in the persistent store, loads the operating system into program memory, and passes execution to the operating system which then performs necessary hardware and software initialization, loads the viewing object database code and other application software from the persistent store, and begins execution of the applications. The persistent store contains at least two partitions for each of the following: the second stage boot loader; the operating system kernel; and the application software. A partition table resides in the boot sector that records an indication for duplicated partitions in which one of the partitions is marked primary and another is marked backup. The invention verifies that each level of software was loaded off of the primary partition. If a load was from the primary partition and the installation at that level was successful, then a successful indication is recorded for that level, otherwise, the backup partition for that level is copied over the primary partition and a failure indication is recorded for that level. Finalizing the installation for the top application level of a software may be delayed until all parts of the application environment have been successfully loaded and started.