Patent ID: 7707263

Claim:
A method, comprising: configuring a cluster from a plurality of servers each server of the plurality of servers managing one or more storage devices; assigning an IP address to each storage device, connecting a storage device, having an assigned IP address to a first server of the plurality of servers, said first server managing said storage device; connecting the remaining storage devices, having assigned IP addresses, to a second server, said second server managing the remaining storage devices; storing a first table on each storage device, storing an association between the IP address and a logical name said logical name describing a set of network interface controllers that the IP address of the storage device should be advertised over, and the first table is stored in a predetermined location on the storage device that is accessible by other servers connected to the network, and wherein the logical name describing the set of network interface controllers is a group set by an administrator for assigning network interface controllers to a certain group of clients; storing a second table on the first server, storing an association between the logical name and one or more network interface controllers; advertising the IP address of the storage device over appropriate network interface controllers of the first server; and configuring one or more clients, to address data access requests to a storage device using the IP address of the storage device, that relates to the logical name being accessed by said client.