Virtual storage interface device

• US 20030110300A1
• Filed: 12/12/2001
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Jerry
• Application Number:
  US10/012,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20030110300A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

In a virtual storage interface device, a virtual storage control unit is coupled to a first connector unit of a computer terminal via a second connector unit, and is further coupled to a network system via a network control unit. A processing unit is coupled to the network control unit and the virtual storage control unit, and controls transmission of outgoing data of the computer terminal received by the virtual storage control unit to the network system via the network control unit for storage of the outgoing data in a data storage device of the network system after performing a first data format transformation upon the outgoing data, and transmission of incoming data of the data storage received by the network control unit to the computer terminal via the virtual storage control unit and the second connector unit after performing a second data format transformation upon the incoming data.

Claims

1. A virtual storage interface device adapted for interconnecting a computer terminal and a data storage device of a network system such that the data storage device is capable of being accessed by the computer terminal, the computer terminal being provided with a first connector unit configured for interfacing with at least one peripheral data storage medium, said virtual storage interface device comprising:

a second connector unit adapted to be coupled to the first connector unit;

a network control unit adapted to be coupled to the network system;

a virtual storage control unit coupled to said second connector unit and said network control unit and capable of receiving outgoing data of the computer terminal from said second connector unit and incoming data of the data storage device of the network system from said network control unit; and

a processing unit coupled to said network control unit and said virtual storage control unit,

said processing unit being operable so as to control transmission of the outgoing data received by said virtual storage control unit to the network system via said network control unit for storage of the outgoing data in the data storage device after performing a first data format transformation upon the outgoing data,

said processing unit being further operable so as to control transmission of the incoming data received by said network control unit to the computer terminal via said virtual storage control unit and said second connector unit after performing a second data format transformation upon the incoming data.

2. The virtual storage interface device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a memory unit coupled to said processing unit and adapted to provide an operating system and a data storage area to the computer terminal when said network control unit is disconnected from the network system.

3. The virtual storage interface device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a circuit board having said second connector unit, said network control unit, said virtual storage control unit, said processing unit and said memory unit mounted thereon.

4. The virtual storage interface device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a circuit board having said second connector unit, said network control unit, said virtual storage control unit, and said processing unit mounted thereon.

5. The virtual storage interface device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second connector unit includes at least one of an IDE connector, a FDD connector, and a SCSI connector.