Virtual storage device driver

• US 20060130074A1
• Filed: 12/01/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kumar, Arunvijay
• Granted Patent: US 7,500,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/324
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3696 Methods or tools to render software testable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0614 Improving the reliability of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0674 Disk device

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for a method for automating testing tasks which would otherwise have to be done manually using actual hardware by providing the capability to dynamically create many types of storage devices with different storage media, thus eliminating the need to have test machines with the actual hardware. In one embodiment a virtual storage device driver can be implemented that can be used to simulate various storage devices such as CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, removable disk drives and fixed disk drives. Manual testing tasks such as testing autoplay functionality when a CD is inserted, CD burning, and CD audio playback testing can then be automated.

Claims

1. A method for creating a virtual storage device on a computer system, the method comprising:

loading a system bus driver module, wherein the system bus driver module simulates a system bus;

creating a device on the simulated system bus;

returning a hardware ID, wherein the hardware ID identifies a type of the created device;

attaching, to the created device, a storage class driver corresponding to the type of the created device;

mounting a file to the created device; and

formatting the file.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the created device is a removable disk drive.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the created device is a fixed disk drive.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the created device is an optical disk drive.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the file is formatted in IS09660 format.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the file is formatted in UDF format.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the file is formatted in FAT format.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the file is formatted in FAT32 format.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the file is formatted in NTFS format.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the file contains a partition table and at least one partition.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the step recited in claim 1.

12. A method for reading from a virtual storage device on a computer system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a storage class driver, an I/O request for a sector on a drive on the virtual storage device;

calculating an offset in a backing store file corresponding to the sector; and

reading data contained in the sector.

13. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the step recited in claim 12.

14. A method for writing to a virtual storage device on a computer system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a storage class driver, an I/O request for a sector on a drive on the virtual storage device;

calculating an offset in a backing store file corresponding to the sector; and

writing data to the sector.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the step recited in claim 14.

16. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components comprising:

a system bus driver module for simulating a system bus;

a device creation module for creating a device on the simulated system bus and returning a hardware ID identifying a type of the created device;

a storage class attachment module for attaching, to the created device, a storage class driver corresponding to the type of the created device;

a file mounting module for mounting a file to the created device; and

a file formatting module for formatting the file.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the created device is a removeable disk drive.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the created device is a fixed disk drive.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the created device is an optical disk drive.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the file is formatted in IS09660 format.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the file is formatted in UDF format.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the file is formatted in FAT format.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the file is formatted in FAT32 format.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the file is formatted in NTFS format.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 having further computer-executable components comprising a partition manager module for managing a partition table and at least one partition of the file.