Patent ID: 6735623
Filing Date: 2004-05-11
Classification: G06F,G06Q

Abstract:
A method for accessing a network-based data storage system that provides seamless access to a plurality of user-assigned storage areas, the method comprising:presenting a plurality of access interfaces to the user-assigned storage areas via a plurality of software applications executing on a storage server of the data storage system; servicing access requests from an operating system of a client computer with a first one of the access interfaces to provide access to a target one of the plurality of user-assigned storage areas, wherein the operating system of the client computer includes application programming interface (API) routines that present the target one of the plurality of user-assignable storage areas to software applications executing on the client computer as local to the client computer; servicing access requests from at least one communication software application executing on the client computer with a second one of the access interfaces to provide access to the target one of the plurality of user-assigned storage areas; and processing an electronic mail message with a third one of the access interfaces to provide access to the target one of the plurality of user-assigned storage areas.