Patent ID: 7743198

Claim:
A load balancing method for identifying a network path from a plurality of network paths between a system and a plurality of Input/Output devices, wherein each network path defines a route through a fabric between one of a plurality of I/O ports used by the system and one of a plurality of I/O ports used to communicate with one of the I/O devices, comprising: determining eligible network paths that are available to be used to communicate between the system and the I/O devices; selecting one of the eligible network paths based on criteria for each of the eligible network paths, comprising: an I/O port utilization of the I/O port for the system based on I/O resources consumed by at least one of the I/O devices assigned to the I/O port for the system; a network path distance based on a distance between the I/O port for the system and the I/O port on the I/O device in the network path; a fabric utilization indicating data rates of ports in the network path between the ports on the system and the I/O device; and using the selected network path for communication between the system and the I/O device to which the system connects on the network path.