Patent ID: 8028062

Claim:
A method for providing non-disruptive data mobility in connection with a first storage device coupled to a storage area network and a second storage device coupled to the storage area network, the method comprising: blocking I/O operations for a first port of the first storage device coupled to the storage area network, wherein the first port is associated with a first identifier; creating a first virtual storage area network and a second virtual storage area network within the storage area network; coupling the first storage device to the second virtual storage area network via the first port of the first storage device having the first identifier; coupling the second storage device to the second virtual storage area network via a first port of the second storage device having a second identifier different from the first identifier; coupling a virtualization engine to the first virtual storage area network via a first port of the virtualization engine that is associated with the first identifier; coupling the virtualization engine to the second virtual storage area network via a second port of the virtualization engine; after creating the first virtual storage area network and the second virtual storage area network, unblocking the I/O operations for the first port of the first storage device; and after unblocking the I/O operations for the first port of the first storage device, causing at least a portion of I/O operations received by the virtualization engine through the first port thereof to be routed through the second port thereof to both the first port of the first storage device and the first port of the second storage device via a plurality of data paths established in the second virtual storage area network, wherein the virtualization engine controls directing of the at least a portion of I/O operations via a first data transfer path in the second virtual storage area network to the first storage device and via a second data transfer path in the second virtual storage area network to the second storage device.