Patent ID: 8452927

Claim:
A local storage device (LSD), comprising: a HD/LSD interface providing a communication path between a host device (HD) and the LSD, wherein the LSD does not utilize any interface to a device external to the HD other than that HD/LSD interface; a controller in communication with the HD/LSD interface, the controller configured to: generate a LSD logical request independent of the HD, wherein the LSD logical request is not created to serve a HD initiated process; and send the LSD logical request to the HD over the HD/LSD interface to prompt the HD to: utilize a network interface to provide a network link between the HD and a remote application associated with a device external to the HD and the LSD included in a network, or provide a local communication path between the LSD and a local application other than a LSD driver that is associated with a local device external to the LSD, wherein the local communication path is not the network link and wherein the local device is in local communication with the HD; wherein the local device is a second LSD managed by the host device; wherein the device external to the host device and the LSD is a network device (ND); and wherein when the network is an IP protocol based network, then the LSD and the second LSD are assigned an LSD IP address and a second LSD IP address, respectively, the host device is assigned a host device IP address, and the ND is assigned an ND IP address.