Patent ID: 8127059

Claim:
A switch for connecting a plurality of host systems to a single target storage device, the switch comprising: a plurality of host ports, each of the plurality of host ports receiving data from and transmitting data to a host system of the plurality of host systems; a target port receiving data from and transmitting data to the single target storage device; a memory receiving and buffering data received by each of the plurality of host ports and the target port; and a processor configured to present separate independent instances of a virtual target storage device based on the single target storage device to each of the plurality of host systems, each independent instance of the virtual target storage device having the functionality of the single target storage device, and to provide each of the plurality of host systems with transparent access to the single target storage device by providing each of the plurality of host systems direct and concurrent connection to the single target storage device through its corresponding independent instance of the virtual target storage device without any of the plurality of the host systems having knowledge of the switch or the shared nature of the single target storage device.