Patent ID: 7174547

Claim:
A method for replacing a current operating software working with current files in a network element comprising a processing element module and a persistent storage module, each having an active region and a non-active region, said current operating software and said current files residing in said active region of said processing element module and said persistent storage module while said processing element module and said persistent storage module are active and wherein said non-active region of said processing element module and said non-active region of said persistent storage module maintain a prior operating software, said method comprising: preserving said prior operating software in said non-active region of said processing element module and in said non-active region of said persistent storage module; downloading a new operating software to said non-active region of said persistent storage module; installing said new operating software in said non-active region of said processing element module and in said non-active region of said persistent storage module; saving said current files; updating said current files to create updated files conforming with said new operating software; and rebooting said network element such that said active region and said non-active region of said processing element module are swapped, and said active region and said non-active region of said persistent storage module are swapped, thereby replacing said current operating software working with said current files with said new operating software working with said updated files; wherein said network element concurrently utilizes the current operating software and current files residing in said active region of said processing element module during said downloading to said non-active region of said persistent storage module and installing of said new operating software in said non-active region of said processing element module and in said non-active region of said persistent storage module; wherein the processing element module comprises a first central processing unit, a first physical storage unit for the active region, and a second physical storage unit for the non-active region, and the persistent storage module comprises a second central processing unit, a third physical storage unit for the active region, and a fourth physical storage unit for the non-active region; and wherein the active region of the processing element module and the active region of the persistent storage module are synchronized and access-locked, and the non-active region of the processing element module and the non-active region of the persistent storage module are not synchronized and not access-locked.