Patent ID: 7953833

Claim:
A system comprising: a plurality of computing devices; and a data center communicatively connected to the plurality of computing devices, wherein the data center comprises: a plurality of virtual disks, wherein a separate one of the plurality of virtual disks is associated with each separate computing device of the plurality of computing devices, wherein each virtual disk of the plurality of virtual disks comprises an image that includes: an Operating system (OS) for the associated computing device; one or more applications for a user of the computing device; a machine profile associated with the computing device; user data and settings that are specific for the user of the computing device; first logic which is stored in first storage medium and which, when executed at the data center, is operable at least to: send at least a bootable portion of the OS from the image to the computing device; wherein the bootable portion of the OS is stored in second non-volatile storage medium at the computing device, and the bootable portion of the OS is instantiated at the computing device based on the machine profile; wherein the bootable portion of the OS, which is instantiated and stored in the second non-volatile storage medium, is used to boot the computing device on the next reboot of the computing device; receive, from the computing device, changes made by the user on the second non-volatile storage medium at the computing device to each of the OS, the one or more applications, the machine profile, and the user data and settings; and update the image in the virtual disk corresponding the computing device by applying, at the data center, the changes to each of the OS, the one or more applications, the machine profile, and the user data and settings.