AppAssure

Server Disk Imaging

Disk imaging refers to copying the contents of a data storage device or medium, and transferring this to another, similar medium or device. In its original context, disk imaging implies the creation of an exact duplicate of a computer’s hard disk drive – including its programs, setup and data, then storing this in a special, compressed file format.

Disk imaging aims to provide the user with an exact replica of a computer’s systems and data needed in case of a catastrophic disk crash where the user needs to recover systems or data (e.g. in the event of a virus attack or accident), to ‘clone’ a systems set-up for installation in another computer or to move these to another hard drive.

The primary use of disk imaging software is to provide quick and easy backups of computer software and data stored on hard disks. While most people think of backing up data, disk imaging programs back up not only data but also the computer’s systems and configuration.

In other words, a disk image means having an updated ‘rescue disk’ that one uses to easily reinstall the system to what it was at the time of ‘duplication,’ without having to go through the involved process of installing software and resetting or tweaking settings once again to the desired configuration.