Patent ID: 7269644

Claim:
A device for managing network-storage, comprising: a network interface used to couple the device to a network; a memory space used to hold write data; a performance profile having a plurality of host entries, wherein each of the plurality of host entries is associated with one of a plurality of hosts connected to the device over the network and wherein each of the plurality of host entries is configured to a first or second performance mode; means for configuring the performance profile, wherein the means for configuring includes means for defining for each of the plurality of host entries which of the first or second performance mode is to be used to receive write data from its associated host; and one or more performance rules operable on the performance profile, wherein the performance rules cause the device to reserve an amount of the memory space for unsolicited write data sent to the device when the performance profile is configured to the first performance mode, and wherein the performance rules cause the device to use the memory space only for solicited write data sent to the device when the performance profile is configured to the second performance mode; wherein the memory space receives the write data from one of the plurality of hosts and forwards the write data to one or more network-storage devices as a function of a performance rule associated with the first or second performance mode for that particular host.