diff --git a/weed/filer/remote_mapping.go b/weed/filer/remote_mapping.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c23a60422
--- /dev/null
+++ b/weed/filer/remote_mapping.go
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+package filer
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/pb/filer_pb"
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/pb/remote_pb"
+)
+
+func SaveMountMapping(filerClient filer_pb.FilerClient, dir string, remoteStorageLocation *remote_pb.RemoteStorageLocation) (err error) {
+
+	// read current mapping
+	var oldContent, newContent []byte
+	err = filerClient.WithFilerClient(func(client filer_pb.SeaweedFilerClient) error {
+		oldContent, err = ReadInsideFiler(client, DirectoryEtcRemote, REMOTE_STORAGE_MOUNT_FILE)
+		return err
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		if err != filer_pb.ErrNotFound {
+			return fmt.Errorf("read existing mapping: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// add new mapping
+	newContent, err = AddRemoteStorageMapping(oldContent, dir, remoteStorageLocation)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("add mapping %s~%s: %v", dir, remoteStorageLocation, err)
+	}
+
+	// save back
+	err = filerClient.WithFilerClient(func(client filer_pb.SeaweedFilerClient) error {
+		return SaveInsideFiler(client, DirectoryEtcRemote, REMOTE_STORAGE_MOUNT_FILE, newContent)
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("save mapping: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/weed/shell/command_remote_mount.go b/weed/shell/command_remote_mount.go
index 6a292e3aa..25d61941d 100644
--- a/weed/shell/command_remote_mount.go
+++ b/weed/shell/command_remote_mount.go
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func (c *commandRemoteMount) Do(args []string, commandEnv *CommandEnv, writer io
 	}
 
 	// store a mount configuration in filer
-	if err = c.saveMountMapping(commandEnv, *dir, remoteStorageLocation); err != nil {
+	if err = filer.SaveMountMapping(commandEnv, *dir, remoteStorageLocation); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("save mount mapping: %v", err)
 	}
 
@@ -177,36 +177,6 @@ func (c *commandRemoteMount) syncMetadata(commandEnv *CommandEnv, writer io.Writ
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *commandRemoteMount) saveMountMapping(filerClient filer_pb.FilerClient, dir string, remoteStorageLocation *remote_pb.RemoteStorageLocation) (err error) {
-
-	// read current mapping
-	var oldContent, newContent []byte
-	err = filerClient.WithFilerClient(func(client filer_pb.SeaweedFilerClient) error {
-		oldContent, err = filer.ReadInsideFiler(client, filer.DirectoryEtcRemote, filer.REMOTE_STORAGE_MOUNT_FILE)
-		return err
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		if err != filer_pb.ErrNotFound {
-			return fmt.Errorf("read existing mapping: %v", err)
-		}
-	}
-
-	// add new mapping
-	newContent, err = filer.AddRemoteStorageMapping(oldContent, dir, remoteStorageLocation)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("add mapping %s~%s: %v", dir, remoteStorageLocation, err)
-	}
-
-	// save back
-	err = filerClient.WithFilerClient(func(client filer_pb.SeaweedFilerClient) error {
-		return filer.SaveInsideFiler(client, filer.DirectoryEtcRemote, filer.REMOTE_STORAGE_MOUNT_FILE, newContent)
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("save mapping: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
 
 // if an entry has synchronized metadata but has not synchronized content
 //    entry.Attributes.FileSize == entry.RemoteEntry.RemoteSize