CLOUD STORAGE ACCESS DEVICE AND METHOD FOR USING THE SAME

• US 20120221668A1
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: CHEN, BIN-RONG, LAI, CHIEN-PAN, HUANG, CHIH-YUAN
• Application Number:
  US13/080,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20120221668A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A cloud storage access device includes a data fetching unit, a user management unit, and a data link unit. The data fetching unit collects private data of each user of the cloud storage access device. The user management unit creates a home directory corresponding to each user in the cloud storage access device. The data link unit connects each of the home directories to both the cloud and a local storage of a network terminal, such that the cloud storage access device communicates with both the cloud and the local storage. Each user of the cloud storage access device stores data to the cloud or the local storage and accesses data stored in the cloud or the local storage through the home directory corresponding to the user.

Claims

1. A cloud storage access device, comprising:

a data fetching unit that collects private data of each user of the cloud storage access device;

a user management unit that creates a home directory corresponding to each user of the cloud storage access device in a storage system of the cloud storage access device; and

a data link unit that connects each of the home directories to both a cloud and a local storage of a network terminal, such that the cloud storage access device communicates with both the cloud and the local storage, and each user of the cloud storage access device stores data to the cloud or the local storage and accesses data stored in the cloud or the local storage through the home directory corresponding to the user.

2. The cloud storage access device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cloud communicates with the local storage through each of all the home directories, such that the cloud processes data stored in the local storage, and appliances connected to the local storage process data stored in the cloud.

3. The cloud storage access device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data link unit connects each of the home directories to both the local storage and the cloud by means of symbolic link.

4. The cloud storage access device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the user management unit creates at least two virtual holders under each of the home directories, and the data link unit connects at least one of the virtual folders to the local storage and the other of the virtual folders to the cloud.

5. The cloud storage access device as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the virtual folders is connected to a real folder or a service routine created in the cloud or the local storage to enable operations in the virtual folders to be applied to the cloud or the local storage.

6. The cloud storage access device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the real folders of the cloud are cloud storage of the cloud, and the real folders of the local storage are folders corresponding to the appliances connected to the local storage.

7. The cloud storage access device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the service routines of the cloud are translation routines, file mode converting routines, or image processing routines processed by the cloud;

and the service routines of the local storage are image capturing routines, print routines, or audio signal code/encode routines processed by the appliances connected to the local storage.

8. The cloud storage access device as claimed in claim 1, wherein addresses of all the home directories are allocated corresponding to the private data of the users, the private data of the users including identity (ID) of each user, Internet protocol (IP) address of each user, and application protocols that are to be used by each user.

9. The cloud storage access device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the application protocols that are to be used by each user includes Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), Samba service for Linux systems, and File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

10. A method for using cloud access storage device, comprising:

collecting private data of a user of the cloud access storage device;

creating a home directory corresponding to the user in the cloud access storage device;

connecting the home directory to both the cloud and a local storage of a network terminal;

using the cloud storage access device to communicate with both the cloud and the local storage through the home directory; and

storing data to the cloud or the local storage, or accessing data stored in the cloud or the local storage through the home directory.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

using the cloud and the local storage to communicate with each other through the home directory; and

using the cloud to process data stored in the local storage, and using appliances connected to the local storage to process data stored in the cloud.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the home directory is connected to the local storage and the cloud by means of symbolic link.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

creating at least two virtual holders under the home directory; and

connecting at least one of the virtual folders to the local storage and the other of the virtual folders to the cloud.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising connecting each of the virtual folders to a real folder or a service routine of the cloud or the local storage to enable operations in the virtual folders to be applied to the cloud or the local storage.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising allocating address of the home directory corresponding to the private data of the user.