Patent ID: 8150806

Claim:
A method for managing operations in a data storage system, the method comprising: monitoring, by a first storage controller, operation state information associated with a plurality of operation states stored in a data structure: detecting, by the first storage controller, a change in the operation state information, wherein the change in the operation state information is in response to a managing entity, which is external to the first storage controller, updating the operation state information to a first operation state in the plurality of operation states in the data structure and wherein the managing entity updates the operation state information stored in the data structure, instead of directly communicating a request to the first storage controller for performing a first operation, to cause the first storage controller to perform the first operation; responsive to detecting the change in the operation state information, identifying, by the first storage controller, a reference to the first operation associated with the first operation state updated by the managing entity, wherein the first operation is one operation in a plurality of operations; and performing, by the first storage controller, the first operation associated with the first operation state updated by the managing entity.