Patent ID: 8307240

Claim:
A method for communication between an initiator system and a block storage cluster, comprising: receiving a command at a first storage system included in a plurality of storage systems of the block storage cluster, the command being transmitted by the initiator system to the first storage system via a network, the command including a request for data; when data requested in the data request is stored by the first storage system, transferring said stored data from the first storage system to the initiator system via the network; and when a portion of the data requested in the data request is not stored by the first storage system, but is stored by a second storage system included in the plurality of storage systems of the block storage cluster, transmitting a referral response from the first storage system to the initiator system, wherein the referral response provides an indication to the initiator system that not all of the requested data was transferred and further provides information for directing the initiator system to the second storage system.