Patent ID: 8615586

Claim:
A method for detecting logical images in a network, the network including a host system and a plurality of physical devices in operable communication with one another, the method comprising: forming a query packet at the host system; providing the query packet to at least one of the plurality of physical devices; forming at the at least one of the plurality of physical devices a first vector in response to the query packet, the first vector including a bit for each possible virtual image that may be formed in the at least one of the plurality of devices and indicating which of the virtual images are configured and addressable; and providing the first vector to the host system; wherein the query packet includes a requester base and count field; wherein the requester base indicates a first virtual image formed on the host system that is requesting the first vector and wherein forming includes indicating only the virtual images that are configured and addressable and available to the first virtual image; and wherein the count indicates a range of requesting virtual images formed on the host system beginning with the first virtual image and wherein an additional vector is formed for each virtual image in the range.