Patent ID: 8601472

Claim:
A method for processing information, comprising: providing a user with a storage array comprising a set of one or more blades on which a default set of one or more virtual appliance images is preinstalled; receiving from the user an indication of a need for a first service with respect to the storage array; determining, based at least in part on the indication, a first virtual appliance that provides the first service; using a corresponding first virtual appliance image included in the default set of one or more virtual appliance images, and stored in a corresponding blade included in the set of one or more blades, to instantiate the first virtual appliance wherein the instantiation creates a running instance of the first virtual appliance on the corresponding blade; wherein the running instance of the first virtual appliance is included in a dynamic set of one or more virtual appliances running on the set of one or more blades, wherein the dynamic set of one or more virtual appliances is changeable over time by doing one or both of instantiating additional virtual appliance instances as newly needed and decommissioning previously-instantiated virtual appliance instances as they are no longer needed without adding or removing physical devices to or from the storage array; wherein instantiating the first virtual appliance further includes activating the first virtual appliance at least in part by receiving authorization information including license keys from a distributor of the storage array and entering the license keys.