Software-aided storage device emulation in a physical storage device

摘要

Mechanisms that allow a physical storage device that has storage capability (such as a hard disk, tape drive, tape changer, or read-write compact disk) to emulate one or more storage devices. A configuration interface receives configuration function calls that specify properties of the storage device to be emulated. A front end component receives network communications and extracts SCSI commands from the network communication. An emulation software component establishes a file within the physical storage device in response to the configuration function call, determines that the SCSI command is intended for the emulated storage device, and uses the properties and the file storage space that correspond to the emulated storage device to fulfill the SCSI command in a manner that emulates the fulfillment of the SCSI command on the emulated storage device.