Method and apparatus for a virtual storage device
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- providing a first interface between a computer and a removable storage device that is external to the computer, whereinthe first interface enables first data access between the computer and the removable storage device;
receiving data from the computer using the first interface, whereinthe data is to be stored at the removable storage device;
caching the data on the removable storage device;
executing a virtual storage agent in response to the computer generating an access attempt to read another data, whereinthe virtual storage agent is stored on the removable storage device,the access attempt is configured to read the another data from the removable storage device, andexecuting the virtual storage agent comprises the computer executing the virtual storage agent in response to the another data not being stored on the removable storage device;
establishing a second interface with at least one remote storage location using the virtual storage agent, whereinthe at least one remote storage location is external to both the computer and the removable storage device, andthe executing the virtual storage agent comprisesusing the computer to communicate, via the second interface, with the at least one remote storage location; and
storing the data at the at least one remote storage location using the second interface.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for a virtual storage device is provided. In one example, data to be stored at a removable storage device is received. A virtual storage agent is executed on the removable storage device. An interlace is established with at least one remote storage location. The data is stored at the at least one remote storage location. In another example, a request to access data associated with a removable storage device is received. A virtual storage agent on the removable storage device is executed. An interface is established with at least one remote storage location. The data is fetched from the at least one remote storage location.
18 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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providing a first interface between a computer and a removable storage device that is external to the computer, wherein the first interface enables first data access between the computer and the removable storage device; receiving data from the computer using the first interface, wherein the data is to be stored at the removable storage device; caching the data on the removable storage device; executing a virtual storage agent in response to the computer generating an access attempt to read another data, wherein the virtual storage agent is stored on the removable storage device, the access attempt is configured to read the another data from the removable storage device, and executing the virtual storage agent comprises the computer executing the virtual storage agent in response to the another data not being stored on the removable storage device; establishing a second interface with at least one remote storage location using the virtual storage agent, wherein the at least one remote storage location is external to both the computer and the removable storage device, and the executing the virtual storage agent comprises using the computer to communicate, via the second interface, with the at least one remote storage location; and storing the data at the at least one remote storage location using the second interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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receiving a request from a computer to read first data associated with a removable storage device, wherein the computer is external to the removable storage device, the request is configured to read the first data from the removable storage device, and the removable storage device is operable to cache data received from the computer; determining if the first data is cached on the removable storage device; the computer executing a virtual storage agent stored on the removable storage device in response to determining that the first data is not cached on the removable storage device; establishing an interface with at least one remote storage location that is external to both the computer and the removable storage device using the virtual storage agent, wherein the executing the virtual storage agent comprises using the computer to communicate, via the interface, with the at least one remote storage location; and the virtual storage agent fetching the first data from the at least one remote storage location to the removable storage device using the interface. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus comprising:
a removable storage device configured to use a first interface between a computer and the removable storage device that is coupled to an external computer, wherein the first interface is configured to enable at least a transfer of data and requests between the computer and the removable storage device, the removable storage device is configured to receive first data using the first interface from the computer for storage at the removable storage device, the removable storage device is further configured to receive an access request using the first interface from the computer to read second data, the access request is configured to read the second data from the removable storage device, and the removable storage device comprises; a cache for caching data, and a virtual storage agent operable to be executed by the computer in response to the computer generating the access request, wherein the virtual storage agent is configured to; determine if the second data referred to by the access request is stored in the cache, in response to determining that the second data is not stored in the cache, establish a second interface with at least one remote storage location that is external to both the computer and the removable storage device, store the first data at the at least one remote storage location using the second interface, wherein
the virtual storage agent is configured to perform the storing using the computer,store metadata describing the first data stored at the at least one remote storage location using the second interface, and fetch the second data from the at least one remote storage location using the second interface. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method comprising:
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a computer executing a virtual storage agent to interface with at least one remote storage location, wherein the virtual storage agent is stored on at least one of a plurality of removable storage devices, each of the removable storage devices is external to the computer, the at least one remote storage location is external to the removable storage devices and the computer, the computer is executing the virtual storage agent in response to a request to read a set of data, the request is configured to read the set of data from the removable storage device, and the set of data comprises a first data and a second data; determining if the set of data referred to by the request is cached on the removable storage devices; in response to a determination that the set of data is not cached on the removable storage devices, storing the first data at the at least one remote storage location, wherein the storing is performed using the virtual storage agent, caching the second data at each of the plurality of removable storage devices, and synchronizing the second data at each of the plurality of removable storage devices with the first data at the at least one remote storage location. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification