Patent ID: 7827317

Claim:
A digital data processing system for managing mixed protocol storage area: networks, the digital data processing system comprising: a first component set, comprising one or more components coupled for communication with a first network manager via a first protocol, the first network manager managing the one or more components and identifying each of the one or more components in the first component set with an identifier of a first identifier type, the identifier being unique to that component under that protocol with respect to the other components in the first component set, a second component set, comprising one or more components coupled for communication with a second network manager via a second protocol, the second network manager managing the one or more components and identifying each of the one or more components in the second component set with an identifier of a second identifier type, the identifier being unique to that component under the second protocol with respect to the other components in the second set, wherein the first and second protocols differ, and the second network manager is coupled with the first network manager and transmits to the first network manager information regarding at least one component in the second component set, wherein the second network manager provides with the information an identifier of the first identifier type for each of the components of the second component set for which information is transmitted by the second network manager, and for a common component that is common to the first component set and the second component set, the second network manager transmits an identifier of the first identifier type that matches an identifier of the first identifier type used by the first network manager to identify the common component.