METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTING VIRTUALIZATION OF STORAGE WITHIN A STORAGE AREA NETWORK THROUGH A VIRTUAL ENCLOSURE

摘要

Methods and apparatus for implementing storage virtualization on a networkdevice of a storage area network are disclosed. A virtual enclosure is createdthat has one or more virtual enclosure ports and is adapted for representingone or more virtual storage units. Each of the virtual storage unitsrepresents one or more physical storage locations on one or more physicalstorage units of the storage area network. Each of the virtual enclosure portsof the virtual enclosure is associated with a port of a network device withinthe storage area network. An address or identifier is then assigned to each ofthe virtual enclosure ports.