Image file to HDD transfer

Software-based VM-centric and flash-friendly VM storage + free version

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Brandon
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2005 4:15 pm
Location: Olympia, WA - USA

Tue Jun 28, 2005 6:16 pm

Is there a way to take an image file created with mksparse and write that to a physical hard drive in a recovery situation?

Example:
You create a 20GB .img file - "example.img"
You publish this .img file - "Example.iscsi.image"
An initiator subscribes to the image and writes data to it.
Say 6 months go by and the initiator system will be moving but needs to keep it's 20GB of data.

Can you take that .img file off the target and "ghost" it to a physical hard drive, plug that hdd into the system and have all the data be there?

I think this would be a useful feature. Rather than going through the hassle of a file copy from the iscsi volume to a physical disk, or making a ghost image of the iscsi volume and then ghosting it to a physical disk.

Perhaps a way to use Ghost/Driveimage/DD/rawrite/etc..
Just a thought,

Brandon
Val (staff)
Posts: 496
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2004 8:38 pm

Tue Jun 28, 2005 9:00 pm

Hi Brandon,

I think it's possible to write an image file to a real hard drive.

But there could be issues with disc geometry parameters.
An image file includes its own MBR itself so it will not suit the geometry of the destination hard drive.
This may be fixed with a MBR editor tool, but there is a chance that some applications stop working after such a moving.
Best regards,
Valeriy
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