Apparatus and method for using storage domains for controlling data in storage area networks

A computer program product for managing a storage area network (SAN), the computer program product stored on a computer readable medium and adapted to perform operations comprising:

• defining storage domains respectively having associated configurable storage management properties that are separate from individual physical capabilities of physical storage resources available through the SAN, wherein a first set of storage management properties is associated with a first storage domain and a second set of storage management properties is associated with a second storage domain, with the first set of storage management properties being different from the second set of storage management properties;
• accommodating the creation of logical volumes configurable for presentation to hosts through the SAN;
• and
• allocating the logical volumes to hosts in the context of the storage domains, wherein allocating a first logical volume to a first host in the context of the first storage domain entails the provision of storage resources according to the first set of storage management properties and allocating a second volume to a second host in the context of the second storage domain entails the provision of storage resources according to the second set of storage management properties,
• wherein presentation of logical volumes to hosts accommodates storage resource access by hosts without requiring hosts to be configured according to the requirements of the physical storage resources, and wherein said allocation of the first logical volume to the first host entails the provision of storage resources according to the first set of storage management properties and said allocation of the second logical volume to the second host subject entails the provision of storage resources according to the second set of storage management properties even though the first logical volume and second logical volume are created from physical storage resources in common.

An apparatus for managing a storage area network (SAN), the apparatus comprising:

• means for defining storage domains respectively having associated configurable storage management properties that are separate from individual physical capabilities of physical storage resources available through the SAN, wherein a first set of storage management properties is associated with a first storage domain and a second set of storage management properties is associated with a second storage domain, with the first set of storage management properties being different from the second set of storage management properties;
• means for accommodating the creation of logical volumes configurable for presentation to hosts through the SAN;
• and
• means for allocating the logical volumes to hosts in the context of the storage domains, wherein allocating a first logical volume to a first host in the context of the first storage domain entails the provision of storage resources according to the first set of storage management properties and allocating a second volume to a second host in the context of the second storage domain entails the provision of storage resources according to the second set of storage management properties
• wherein presentation of logical volumes to hosts accommodates storage resource access by hosts without requiring hosts to be configured according to the requirements of the physical storage resources, and wherein said allocation of the first logical volume to the first host entails the provision of storage resources according to the first set of storage management properties and said allocation of the second logical volume to the second host subject entails the provision of storage resources according to the second set of storage management properties even though the first logical volume and second logical volume are created from physical storage resources in common.

A storage area network (SAN) that accommodates presentation of logical volumes to hosts and associates access to storage with configurable storage management properties defined by a storage domain, the storage area network comprising:

• storage domains respectively defined to have associated configurable storage management properties that are separate from individual physical capabilities of physical storage resources available through the SAN, wherein a first set of storage management properties is associated with a first storage domain and a second set of storage management properties is associated with a second storage domain, with the first set of storage management properties being different from the second set of storage management properties;
• logical volumes configurable for presentation to hosts through the SAN;
• and
• means for allocating the logical volumes to hosts in the context of the storage domains, wherein allocating a first logical volume to a first host in the context of the first storage domain entails the provision of storage resources according to the first set of storage management properties and allocating a second volume to a second host in the context of the second storage domain entails the provision of storage resources according to the second set of storage management properties
• wherein presentation of logical volumes to hosts accommodates storage resource access by hosts without requiring hosts to be configured according to the requirements of the physical storage resources, and wherein said allocation of the first logical volume to the first host entails the provision of storage resources according to the first set of storage management properties and said allocation of the second logical volume to the second host subject entails the provision of storage resources according to the second set of storage management properties even though the first logical volume and second logical volume are created from physical storage resources in common.