Non-disruptive configuration of a virtualization cotroller in a data storage system

A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code that when executed by a processor performs operations, the operations comprising:

• establishing a first data path between a host and a storage controller that interfaces with the host and a plurality of storage devices for storing data, wherein the host accesses the disks through the storage controller, wherein the host and the disks are in a communication zone;
• adding a virtualization controller to map the storage devices to a plurality of virtual volumes;
• establishing a second data path between the host and the storage devices through the virtual volumes, wherein the host recognizes the virtual volumes as an alternate data path to the first data path between the hosts and the storage devices;
• removing the first data path between the host and the storage controller in response to establishing the second data path, wherein the virtualization controller is configured without disrupting I/O operations between the host and the disks;
• and
• performing I/O operations between the host and the disks through the second data path and the virtualization controller.

A controller system configured to be coupled to a storage area network (SAN), the controller system comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
• establish a first data path between a host and a storage controller that interfaces with the host and a plurality of storage devices for storing data, wherein the host accesses the disks through the storage controller, wherein the host and the disks are in a communication zone;
• add after establishing the first data path, a virtualization controller to map the storage devices to a plurality of virtual volumes and establishes a second data path between the host and the storage devices through the virtual volumes, wherein the host recognizes the virtual volumes as an alternate data path to the first data path between the hosts and the storage devices;
• removing the first data path between the host and the storage controller in response to establishing the second data path, wherein the virtualization controller is configured without disrupting I/O operations between the host and the disks;
• and
• performing I/O operations between the host and the storage devices through the second data path and the virtualization controller.