Patent ID: 8914575

Claim:
A method for controlling access to an emulated block-based storage device configured to receive block-based commands while storing data in a file-based data storage device configured to receive file-level commands and comprising a file system and storage resources to store the data in accordance with the file system, the method comprising: receiving an initial block-based command to access an emulated block-based storage device, wherein the emulated block-base storage device is represented by a first file stored in the file-based data storage device; determining whether a second file associated with the first file exists in the file-based data storage device, wherein the second file maintains a first lock value for controlling access to the first file; if the second file exists, assessing whether the first lock value is being updated by another entity, denying access to the first file if the first lock value is being updated by the other entity, and accessing the first file by deleting the second file and creating a third file in the file-based data storage device if the first lock value is not being updated by the other entity, wherein the third file maintains a second lock value for controlling access to the first file and periodically updating the second lock value to maintain access to the first file; and transmitting file level commands to the file-based data storage device corresponding to received block-based commands intended for the emulated block-based storage device.