Patent ID: 7343410

Claim:
A method of creating a data path for a process executing on a server coupled to a storage area network (SAN), the SAN providing connectivity between the server and a storage device in the SAN, the method comprising: parameterizing a set of attributes for a desired data path between the process and the storage device of the SAN, wherein the set of attributes includes: a detail about at least one data volume; a performance setting; and a policy setting; and constructing the data path that provides said set of attributes, wherein said constructing step further comprises: searching the SAN for a set of candidate storage devices; identifying a candidate data path from the server to each candidate storage device of said set of candidate storage devices; evaluating each said candidate data path against the set of attributes to rank said candidate data paths from a best candidate data path to a least best candidate data path according to the attributes, wherein the act of evaluating each said candidate data path against the set of attributes includes ranking all of the switch fabrics in the SAN; and selecting said best candidate data path as the data path to be constructed by said constructing step.