Patent ID: 7523231

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for processing a data storage configuration request for an application comprising: determining a first user level of a plurality of user levels at which said data storage configuration request is made; providing one or more rule sets defining mappings between different ones of said plurality of user levels, each of said different user levels being associated with a different level of abstraction with respect to processing performed in the data storage system for implementing the data storage configuration request; selecting one of said one or more rules sets in accordance with said application, a data service requested in said data storage configuration request, and a user grouping including said plurality of user levels; and servicing the data storage configuration request, said servicing including using a first rule of said selected rule set to map data of the data storage configuration request from said first user level to another user level and performing a first call from a first service provider associated with the first user level to a second service provider associated with a second of said plurality of user levels.