Patent ID: 8406152

Claim:
A machine implemented method, comprising: configuring a target port of a target storage array as a plurality of virtual ports; wherein an application executed by a computing system uses the target port to access storage space at the storage array; presenting the plurality of virtual ports to an operating system instance executed by a computing system processor; and using the plurality of virtual ports to read and write information to the storage space of the target storage array; wherein a router coupled to the target storage array and the computing system presents the plurality of virtual ports to the operating system instance in a virtual machine environment where each virtual port is used to present a plurality of logical unit numbers (LUNs) associated with the storage space at the storage array, without having to virtualize the LUNs for the operating system instance; and wherein the router presents the operating system instance as a plurality of host systems to the target port by virtualizing a router port coupled to the target port such that it appears to the target storage array that it is communicating with the plurality of host systems when presenting the plurality of LUNs via the plurality of virtual ports.