Patent ID: 7613784

Claim:
A system for sharing block data over a network, said system comprising: an appliance comprising one or more non-removable media devices for storing the block data; a plurality of computers separate from said appliance, said plurality of computers comprising at least one application server and at least one backup server, each computer having respective means for initiating discovery commands, transferring data with devices utilizing removable block media and transferring data with devices utilizing non-removable block media; means associated with said one or more non-removable media devices for receiving discovery commands from multiple ones of said computers and generating responses thereto, said responses identifying a non-removable media device in said appliance utilizing non-removable media as a removable media device; and means for processing removable block media data transfers with a non-removable media device in said appliance to transfer block data stored on said at least one application server to said appliance, wherein said at least one application server acts as owner of said non-removable media devices during said transfer, and to transfer said block data stored on said appliance to said at least one backup server, wherein said at least one backup server acts as owner of said non-removable media device during said transfer; wherein said at least one backup server comprises a means for writing data received from said appliance to tape.