Patent ID: 8161079

Claim:
A method comprising, grouping, by a processor, a plurality of components of a storage area network into a plurality of component groups, wherein a component group includes one or more of the plurality of components of the storage area network, wherein the plurality of components include a first operating system, a second operating system, a first server, a second server, a first host bus adapter (HBA), a second HBA, a first storage area network (SAN) switch, a second SAN switch, wherein the plurality of component groups include a first server group, a first operating system group, a HBA group, and a first SAN switch group, and wherein the first server group includes the first server and the second server, the first operating system group includes the first operating system and the second operating system, the HBA group includes the first HBA and the second HBA, and the first SAN switch group includes the first SAN switch and the second SAN switch; providing in a first group relationship data structure, relationships among one or more of the plurality of component groups, wherein a relationship indicates a supported configuration of the storage area network, wherein the first group relationship data structure includes the first server group, the first operating system group, the HBA group, and the first SAN switch group; and in response to indicating that the second operating system is not supported on the first server, and that the first SAN switch is not supported on the second server, performing: creating a second group relationship data structure to add to the provided first group relationship data structure, wherein the second group relationship data structure includes a second server group, a second operating system group, the HBA group, and a second SAN switch group; modifying the plurality of component groups, wherein entries in the modified plurality of component groups are greater in number than entries in the plurality of component groups prior to the plurality of component groups being modified, and wherein the relationships among the one or more of the plurality of component groups are fewer in number in comparison to all supported combinations of the plurality of components in the storage area network reflected in a fully expanded configuration in which selected entries have been marked as incompatible configurations; and indicating interoperation relationships among components via the first and second group relationship data structures and the modified component groups, wherein any maintenance of exception indications are avoided.