Patent ID: 8565545

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for restoring images, the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising: identifying an image to restore to a volume; creating a synchronization map that reflects differences between the image and the volume; intercepting at least one attempt to read from a region of the volume; determining, when the synchronization map indicates that the attempt to read applies to a region that has not yet been restored, that the region of the volume has not yet been restored from the image; in response to both the attempt to read from the region of the volume and the determination that the region of the volume has not yet been restored from the image: restoring the region of the volume from the image to the volume; updating the synchronization map to reflect that the region of the volume has been restored; upon restoring the region of the volume from the image to the volume, allowing the attempt to read from the region of the volume to proceed.