Patent ID: 7849153
Filing Date: 2010-12-07
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of accessing a network coupled device through a network carrying general-purpose network traffic using a certain network protocol from a host having an internal host system bus and running an operating system, the method comprising: operating a virtual host bus adapter at a device driver level for controlling the device through the network via a network interface, the virtual host bus adapter including a device driver enumerating devices that are available over the network, not directly attached to the host internal system bus, so that the host recognizes the device as a host local device, the virtual host bus adapter controlling the device in a way indistinguishable from the way it is controlled as a physical host bus adapter device controlling the same type of device so that the host recognizes the device as if it is a local device connected directly to the system bus of the host; encapsulating device level commands and optional data for controlling the device into outgoing data link frames for communication over the network; communicating the outgoing data link frames on the network; receiving the outgoing data link frames and extracting the device level commands and optional data; communicating the extracted device level commands and optional data to the device and operating the device in accordance with the extracted device level commands; generating an incoming command and optional data and encapsulating it into an incoming data link frame for communicating to the host over the network; sending the incoming data link frame to the host; and extracting the device level command and optional data from the host received data link frame and processing the device level command in accordance with predetermined rules.