Patent ID: 7584340
Filing Date: 2009-09-01
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: pre-provisioning a plurality of spare addressable storage units in a storage system to a plurality of host systems on a storage network, wherein the storage network is configurable to allow and configurable to not allow access to particular addressable storage units by particular host systems; wherein said pre-provisioning comprises configuring the storage network so that each spare addressable storage unit is currently accessible to two or more of the plurality of host systems through a storage network fabric; one of the host systems obtaining exclusive access to one of the spare addressable storage units which the host system is configured to access through the storage network fabric without reconfiguring the storage network to allow or not allow access to particular addressable storage units by particular host systems; wherein other host systems are prevented from obtaining exclusive access to the spare addressable storage unit, without reconfiguring the storage network to allow or not allow access to particular addressable storage units by particular host systems, after exclusive access to the spare addressable storage unit has been obtained by the host system.