DSLAM-hosted information storage functionality

摘要

One embodiment of the disclosures made herein is a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) (16) adapted for facilitating DSLAM-hosted information storage functionality. In accordance with such embodiment, the DSLAM includes a storage apparatus (26) and a storage management apparatus (24). The storage management apparatus (24) is adapted for enabling data storage functionality to be facilitated between a subscriber data processing system (14) and the storage apparatus (26). Such data storage functionality includes preparing a subscriber storage space account designating at least a portion of available storage space of the storage apparatus as a mapped network drive on the subscriber data processing system; receiving a storage space access request from a data processing system accessible by a subscriber; creating a cross-connection between the storage apparatus and a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) circuit serving the subscriber in response to verifying the storage space access request; and creating at least one of a virtual connection (VC) and a tunnel between a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) circuit serving a subscriber and a subscriber data processing system.