Method and apparatus for storing data

A method of storing data on a storage network, comprising:

• receiving, via an interface to a host device, a request, the host device issuing the request for storage and retrieval services, the interface responsive to the host device for fulfilling the issued request, the request corresponding to a host protocol for defining the issued requests recognized by the interface device;
• invoking a storage protocol for determining storage locations on a plurality of storage elements corresponding to the issued request, the storage protocol conversant in at least a subset of the host protocol;
• mapping, via the invoked storage protocol, a payload on the host corresponding to the issued request to a location for shadowing the identified payload pending storage in at least one of the storage elements;
• and
• transmitting the request via an interface to the plurality of storage elements, the plurality of storage elements conversant in the storage protocol, the storage protocol common among each of the storage elements in the plurality of storage elements, the storage protocol presenting a common storage entity to the host device, and further responsive to the issued request from the host device.

A computer program product having instructions encoded on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that, when executed by a processor, perform a method of storing data on a storage network, comprising:

• receiving, via an interface to a host device, a request, the host device issuing the request for storage and retrieval services, the interface responsive to the host device for fulfilling the issued request, the request corresponding to a host protocol for defining the issued requests recognized by the interface device;
• invoking a storage protocol for determining storage locations on a plurality of storage elements corresponding to the issued request, the storage protocol conversant in at least a subset of the host protocol;
• mapping, via the invoked storage protocol, a payload on the host corresponding to the issued request to a location for shadowing the identified payload pending storage in at least one of the storage elements;
• and
• transmitting the request via an interface to the plurality of storage elements, the plurality of storage elements conversant in the storage protocol, the storage protocol common among each of the storage elements in the plurality of storage elements, the storage protocol presenting a common storage entity to the host device, and further responsive to the issued request from the host device.