Patent ID: 8245217

Claim:
A method for creating a virtual facsimile of a source machine, the method comprising: examining the source machine to ascertain a set of software characteristics associated with the source machine, wherein the set of software characteristics includes an identity of a software component installed on the source machine; determining an installed version of the software component, wherein the installed version of the software component is currently installed on the source machine; determining, from an update server, whether the installed version of the software component is a most current version of the software component; forming an image of the source machine that includes the most current version of the software component; identifying an update to the software component, wherein the update is currently installed on the source machine; determining an installed version of the update, wherein the installed version of the update is currently installed on the source machine; determining, from the update server, whether the installed version of the update is a most current version of the update; and including the most current version of the update in the image of the source machine, the including the most current version of the update comprising: examining a first set of files to determine whether any of the files in the first set is affected by the update, the first set of files forming a software profile of the source machine; and forming a second set of files that includes at least one replacement file, the replacement file corresponding to a file from the first set that was affected by the update.