ACCESSING A BLOCK BASED VOLUME AS A FILE BASED VOLUME

1 . A method for accessing a block level volume by a file level client, the method comprises:

receiving, by a network attached storage (NAS) interface of a storage system, a file level command that is associated with a virtual pathname that is indicative that the file level command is aimed to a given block level volume and not to a file of a file system;

translating, by the storage system, the file level command to a block level command for accessing the given block level volume;

accessing, by the storage system, the given block level volume to provide a block level response;

converting, by the storage system, the block level response to a file level response; and

sending to the file level client the file level response.

2 . The method according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the block level volume was written in a response to a reception of a block level write command received via a storage access network (SAN) interface of the storage system.

3 . The method according to claim 1 comprising receiving via a storage access network (SAN) interface of the storage system a block level command from a block level client for accessing the given block level volume; accessing, by the storage system, the given block level volume to provide a block level response; and sending to the block level client the block level response.

4 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the receiving of the file level command is followed by forwarding the file level command to a translator of the storage system for translating the file level command to the block level command for accessing the given block level volume.

5 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the receiving of the file level command is preceded by performing a loopback mount command for mounting the file.

6 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the translating of the file level command to the block level command comprises accessing a lookup table for providing, in response to the virtual pathname, a volume identifier of the block level volume.

7 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the translating of the file level command to the block level command comprises applying a predefined function for providing, in response to the virtual pathname, a volume identifier of the block level volume.

8 . The method according to claim 1 comprising receiving, by the translator, translation information for translating virtual pathnames to block level volumes.

9 . A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions that once executed by a storage system cause the storage system to:

receive a file level command that was sent through a network attached storage (NAS) interface of the storage system and is associated with a virtual pathname that is indicative that the file level command is aimed to a given block level volume and not to a file of a file system;

translate the file level command to a block level command for accessing the given block level volume;

access the given block level volume to provide a block level response;

convert the block level response to a file level response; and

send to the file level client the file level response.

10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9 wherein at least a portion of the block level volume was written in a response to a reception of a block level write command received via a storage access network (SAN) interface of the storage system.

11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9 that stores instructions for:

receiving via a storage access network (SAN) interface of the storage system a block level command from a block level client for accessing the given block level volume;

accessing, by the storage system, the given block level volume to provide a block level response; and

sending to the block level client the block level response.

12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9 wherein the receiving of the file level command is followed by forwarding the file level command to a translator of the storage system for translating the file level command to the block level command for accessing the given block level volume.

13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9 wherein the receiving of the file level command is preceded by performing a loopback mount command for mounting the file.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9 wherein the translating of the file level command to the block level command comprises accessing a lookup table for providing, in response to the virtual pathname, a volume identifier of the block level volume.

15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9 wherein the translating of the file level command to the block level command comprises applying a predefined function for providing, in response to the virtual pathname, a volume identifier of the block level volume.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9 that stores instructions for receiving by the translator translation information for translating virtual pathnames to block level volumes.

17 . A storage system that comprises a network attached storage (NAS) interface, a translator and storage units that store multiple block level volumes;

wherein the NAS interface is configured to receive a file level command that is associated with a virtual pathname that is indicative that the file level command is aimed to a given block level volume and not to a file of a file system;

wherein the translator is configured to translate the file level command to a block level command for accessing the given block level volume, to access the given block level volume, to receive a block level response and to convert the block level response to a file level response; and

wherein the NAS interface is configured to send to the file level client the file level response.

18 . The storage system according to claim 17 further comprising a storage access network (SAN) interface; wherein at least a portion of the block level volume was written in a response to a reception of a block level write command received via the SAN interface.

19 . The storage system according to claim 17 further comprising a storage access network (SAN) interface; wherein the SAN interface is configured to receive a block level command from a block level client for accessing the given block level volume; wherein the controller is configured to access the given block level volume to provide a block level response; and wherein the SAN interface is configured to send to the block level client the block level response.

20 . The storage system according to claim 17 wherein the SAN interface is configured to forward the file level command to the translator.

21 . The storage system according to claim 17 wherein the translator is configured to access a lookup table for providing, in response to the virtual pathname, a volume identifier of the block level volume.

22 . The storage system according to claim 17 wherein the translator is configured to translate the file level command to the block level command by applying a predefined function for providing, in response to the virtual pathname, a volume identifier of the block level volume.

23 . The storage system according to claim 17 wherein the translator is configured to receive translation information for translating virtual pathnames to block level volumes.