Storage router and method for providing virtual local storage

A storage network comprising:

• a set of devices connected to a first transport medium, wherein the first transport medium comprises a serial network transport medium;
• a set of remote storage devices connected to a second transport medium;
• a storage router operable to provide virtual local storage connected to the first transport medium and the second transport medium, the storage router configured to:
• maintain a map between devices connected to the first transport medium and the storage devices, wherein the map associates representations of devices connected to the first transport medium with representations of subsets of storage space on storage devices connected to the storage router through the second transport medium;
• implement access controls for storage space on the storage devices;
• and
• allow access from devices connected the first transport medium to remote storage devices using a native low level block protocol received from the devices connected to the first transport medium.

A method of providing virtual local storage on remote storage devices comprising:

• connecting to a first transport medium, wherein the first transport medium comprises a serial network transport medium;
• connecting to a second transport medium;
• maintaining a map between devices connected to the first transport medium and storage devices connected to the second transport medium, wherein the map associates representations of devices connected to the first transport medium with representations of subsets of storage space on storage devices connected to the storage router through the second transport medium;
• implementing access controls for storage space on the storage devices;
• and
• allowing access from devices connected the first transport medium to the storage devices using a native low level block protocol received from the devices connected to the first transport medium.