Systems, devices, apparatus, and methods for transparently inserting a virtual storage layer in a fibre channel based storage area network while maintaining continuous input/output operations

A method comprising:

• connecting a first interceptor appliance having a first interceptor port and a second interceptor port to a first switch that links a server having a first initiator port and a second initiator port to a storage system having a first target port and a second target port, wherein the first initiator port is connected to the first switch and the first target port is connected to the first switch;
• connecting a second interceptor appliance having a third interceptor port and a fourth interceptor port to a second switch that links the server to the storage system, wherein the second initiator port is connected to the second switch and the second target port is connected to the second switch;
• adding a first world wide port name of the first initiator port to the fourth interceptor port of the second interceptor appliance;
• adding a second world wide port name of the second initiator port to the second interceptor port of the first interceptor appliance;
• using, by the second interceptor appliance, the first world wide port name of the first initiator port to identify first stored data to which the first initiator port has access;
• using, by the first interceptor appliance, the second world wide port name of the second initiator port to identify second stored data to which the second initiator port has access;
• and
• providing a data management service is provided.