Patent ID: 7467257

Claim:
A method comprising: determining a first specification for a first set of needed storage regions, wherein the determining is performed in response to receiving a request to perform an operation on a logical volume, wherein the logical volume is created before the request to perform an operation is received, the first specification is based on an intent for the logical volume and the operation, the first set of needed storage regions is needed to perform the operation on the logical volume, and the first set of needed storage regions satisfies the intent of the logical volume, wherein the intent comprises an intended configuration for implementing the logical volume, and a rule is a portion of the intent associated with the logical volume; searching a plurality of existing storage regions for a corresponding existing storage region for each needed storage region in the first set of needed storage regions; and if no existing storage region is found corresponding to a first needed storage region in the first set of needed storage regions, determining a second specification for a second set of storage regions to be acquired, wherein the second set of storage regions is needed to perform the operation on the logical volume.