US Patent 7356679 Computer image capture, customization and deployment

A source image of the hardware and software configuration of a source computer, including the state of at least one source disk, is automatically captured. The source computer may remain unprepared and requires no program for facilitating computer cloning and reconfiguration. The source image is automatically analyzed and the hardware configuration of a destination computer is determined. The source image is modified as needed for either compatibility with the destination computer, or for customization, and after possible modification the source image is deployed on the destination computer. Either or both of the source and destination computers may be virtual machines.