Patent ID: 7707331

Claim:
A method for determining a path selection for data transmission from a source device of a source data storage system to a target device of a target data storage system comprising: selecting a source port servicing said source device in the source data storage system; and selecting a target port servicing said target device of said target data storage system, wherein said source port and said target port are used as a preferred source-target port pairing defining a preferred path used when transmitting data from said source device of said source data storage system to said target device of said target data storage system, at least one of said source port or said target port being determined using at least one of a preferred path mapping, or a designated group of ports, said preferred source-target port pairing defining said preferred path and said preferred path mapping specifying preferences to be used for said data transmission prior to utilizing other alternatives in connection with said data transmission, said target data storage system being different than said source data storage system, if said preferred path is not able to send data transmissions between said source device and said target device and said source data storage system is controlling the data transmission, executing code of said source data storage system to select another target port associated with said target device, said another target port and said source port used to send data transmissions between said source device and said target device, and otherwise if said target data storage system is controlling the data transmission, executing code of said target data storage system to select another source port associated with said source device, said another source port and said target port used to send data transmissions between said source device and said target device.