Upgradeable persistent virtual storage

A method to provide at least one of a scalable, a replaceable, and an upgradeable mass storage device via remote access solution virtual media, the method comprising:

• emulating a physical plug-and-play universal serial bus mass storage device to a managed host server system as a persistent virtual mass storage device using firmware in a service processor and a virtual media engine of a remote access solution comprising a remote access card disposed in the managed host server system, the physical plug-and-play universal serial bus mass storage device disposed in the remote access card;
• proxying data communications between the physical plug-and-play universal serial bus mass storage device and the managed host server system through the service processor;
• and
• allowing remote access to the physical plug-and-play universal serial bus mass storage device by a remote management client using the firmware in the service processor and the virtual media engine via an out-of-band dedicated remote access card network interface card disposed in the remote access card.

A system for providing at least one of a scalable, a replaceable, and an upgradeable device via remote access solution virtual media, the system comprising:

• a managed host server system;
• a remote access solution comprising a remote access card disposed in the managed host server system, the remote access card comprising a service processor and a virtual media engine;
• and
• a physical plug-and-play universal serial bus device disposed in the remote access card;
• wherein the service processor and the virtual media engine have firmware capable of emulating the physical plug-and-play universal serial bus device to the managed host server system as a virtual media device, proxying data communications between the physical plug-and-play universal serial bus device and the managed host server system through the service processor, and allowing remote access to the physical plug-and-play universal serial bus device by a remote management client via at least one remote access card administrative command through an out-of-band dedicated remote access card network interface card disposed in the remote access card.