Patent ID: 7774560

Claim:
A storage emulator for allowing a host system to access a storage unit connected to a storage system via a network as if the storage unit is directly coupled to the host system, the storage emulator comprising: a virtual storage emulating module coupled to the host system, for emulating at least one virtual storage unit corresponding to the storage unit on the host system and receiving a storage accessing command from the host system; a storage-managing unit, for identifying the storage accessing command as either a self-sustaining type command or a non-self-sustaining type command; and a communicating module, for communicating with the storage unit of the storage system via the network; wherein if the storage accessing command is identified as the self-sustaining type command, the storage-managing unit generates a self-sustaining command response in accordance with the storage accessing command and returns the self-sustaining command response to the host system directly; if the storage accessing command is identified as the non-self-sustaining type command, the storage-managing unit forwards the storage accessing command to the storage system via the network, receives a command response in accordance with the storage accessing command from the storage system, and returns the command response to the host system.