Method and apparatus for mounting files and directories to a local or remote host

An apparatus for mounting at least one file to a host, the apparatus comprising:

• a creation unit for creating a virtual device image comprising a logical block address table;
• a processing unit for writing information regarding a block address and a size of an occupied space of the at least one file into the logical block address table, the information being calculated according to a format of a normal device image file system, and for recording in the logical block address table a file address map relationship comprising a map from the block address of the at least one file to a real position of the at least one file outside of the virtual device image;
• and
• a drive for mounting the virtual device image to the host.

A method for reading a virtual device image used to mount at least one file to a host, the method comprising:

• receiving a command from a read device regarding content to be read;
• obtaining a real position of the content to be read in the virtual device image according to a file address map relationship, the file address map relationship comprising a map from a block address of the at least one file to a real position of the at least one file outside of the virtual device image;
• and
• reading the content from the real position of the at least one file.

An apparatus for reading a virtual device image used to mount at least one file to a host, the apparatus comprising:

• a command reception unit for receiving a command from a read device regarding content to be read and for determining whether a device to be read in accordance with the command is a virtual device image;
• an address transformation unit for obtaining a real position of the content to be read in the virtual device image according to a file address map relationship, the file address map relationship comprising a map from a block address of the at least one file to a real position of the at least one file outside of the virtual device image;
• and
• a read unit for reading the content from the real position of the at least one file.