System and method for server-to-server data storage in a network environment

A storage server contained on a computer readable medium and executable by a processor in a computer, for use in storing data in a computer network, comprising:

• a network communications manager operable to control communication to and from a set of defined network interfaces;
• a metadata storage manager operable to control the management and storage of a set of metadata for the storage server;
• and
• a data storage manager operable to control the management and storage of data from a client.

A system for storing data in a computer network, comprising:

• a target server computer having a target server;
• a source server computer having a source server;
• a means for representing a virtual volume as a sequential storage media within a set of metadata stored on the source server computer;
• a server application stored on the source server computer in a computer usable medium and on the target server computer in a computer usable medium;
• wherein the source server computer executes the server application to:
• open a communication channel between the source server and the target server using a server-to-server protocol;
• transfer the data from the source server to the target server;
• and
• represent the data as being stored on a virtual volume locally attached to the source server.

A method for managing data storage interaction between a source server and a target server in a computer network, comprising:

• receiving a write operation request at the source server from a client to request the storage of a data file on sequential storage media at the source server;
• opening a communication connection between the source server and the target server using a server-to-server protocol;
• opening a sequential virtual storage volume at the source server;
• creating a file object at the target server that includes a virtual volume verb;
• opening the file object on the target server for storing the data file;
• and
• writing data from the data file to the created file object at the target server to store the data file.

In a computing network environment, a system for storing data, comprising:

• a source server having data that needs to be stored;
• a target server in communication with a target storage media;
• a virtual volume created and maintained in a set of metadata stored on the source server;
• and
• a command interface operable to configure the source server to enable a transfer of data from the source server to the target server over the network using a server-to-server protocol while also representing the data as stored at a location on the virtual volume.