Storage area network methods and apparatus for display and management of a hierarchical file system extension policy

In a storage area network (SAN) comprising one or more digital data processors and one or more storage devices, a graphical user interface, comprising:

• one or more graphical objects each representing a processor group to which one or more of the digital data processors are assigned, the digital data processors assigned to a processor group sharing a policy for file system extension, the processor groups forming a hierarchical tree with each graphical object representing a node in the tree, and
• one or more textual descriptions associated with at least one of the tree nodes for describing at least a portion of the file system extension policy associated with a processor group represented by that tree node.

In the SAN of claim 14, wherein the graphical user interface displays the tree nodes and the textual descriptions in a single panel.

A storage area network (SAN), comprising:

• a plurality of digital data processors each having a file system that effects access to one or more storage devices coupled to the SAN,
• a process in communication with the digital data processors, the process responding to a file system extension request by a selected one of the digital data processors in accord with a policy defined for a first processor group to which the selected digital processor belongs, the first processor group being hierarchically related to a second processor group, the second processor group being at a higher level, and the policy defined for the first processor being inherited entirely or at least partially from a policy defined for the second processor group,
• a graphical user interface that displays at least two hierarchically related graphical objects one of which represents the first processor group and another represents the second processor group, the graphical interface further provides, for each graphical object, description of one or more attributes of the file extension policy associated with the processor group represented by that graphical object.