Patent ID: 6839706

Claim:
A computer structure comprising: a host computer that is remotely located relative to a network attached storage device and comprising: a host network interface for transmitting/receiving communications to/from a network infrastructure according to a packet protocol; a host operating system with a host block storage device processor that is capable of: receiving, from an application executing on a host computer, a file command; translating a file command into a network command of a set of network commands that is interface independent relative to block data storage devices, said set of network commands including a read command for use in causing at least one block of data stored on a recording medium of a block data storage device to be read, said read command including a unique block address within the block data storage device; transmitting said network command to said host network interface for conveyance over a network infrastructure according to a packet protocol; receiving a response to a previously transmitted network command from said host network interface; and transmitting, if appropriate, said response to the application as at least a partial reply to the file command.