Patent ID: 7539824

Claim:
A method for use by a storage switch in a storage area network, the method comprising: automatically obtaining by the switch information about performance characteristics of a physical device in communication with the switch, the physical device including one or more logical units (LUs); based on the performance characteristics, assigning by the switch the LUs for the physical device to one of a plurality of storage pools; receiving at the switch a request from a user for a virtual target, the request including a requested characteristic of the virtual target and a requested storage pool from which to provision the virtual target, the requested storage pool being accessible only to selected ones of requesting users that are members of a predetermined group; automatically determining by the switch if LUs of physical devices assigned to the requested storage pool are available that meet the characteristic requested; and if the LUs of physical devices are available and said user is a member of said predetermined group permitted access to said requested storage pool, provisioning by the switch the virtual target from said physical devices.