Patent ID: 8539218

Claim:
A method for installing a virtual storage appliance on a host server platform, the method comprising: providing an installation package accessible by a host server platform, the installation package comprising an installation script for installing an I/O virtual machine (IOVM), an IOVM boot console, and an IOVM management module; powering up the host server platform and loading boot code; loading the installation package to run on top of the boot code; running the installation script to create a hidden boot partition on a boot disk and copy the IOVM boot console and the IOVM management module to the hidden boot partition; rebooting the host server platform and loading the boot code; loading the IOVM boot console and the IOVM management module from the hidden boot partition; configuring a disk array via the IOVM management module; creating a hidden boot partition, and replicating the IOVM boot console and the IOVM management module, on each disk in the disk array; and installing a virtual storage environment using the IOVM boot console as a storage driver.