Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for provisioning storage resources according to a modeling policy. The modeling apparatus includes a monitoring module, a policy module, and a provisioning module. The monitoring module monitors the storage resources on the storage system. The policy module stores and maintains storage management, storage provisioning, and storage resource modeling policies. A user may access and specify these policies via a specification module. The provisioning module automatically provisions new storage resources, such as logical unit numbers (LUNs) according to the storage provisioning policies and modeling policies. The modeling policy defines a modeling strategy by which new storage resources are provisioned to include some or all of the attributes of a model storage resource.

Abstract: Novel storage area networks (SANs) and methods of operation thereof utilize a plurality of hosts coupled via an interconnect with one or more storage units. A manager device, process or other functionality in communication with a plurality of agent processes, devices or other functionality, each of which is associated with a host. The agents identify attributes of (i) their associated hosts, (ii) interconnect to which that host is coupled, and/or (iii) storage units to which that host is coupled via the interconnect. The manager responds to these attributes identified by the agents to manage the SAN. The manager can be implemented on a first digital data processor and the hosts on further digital data processors. These digital data processors can be coupled via a first network, e.g., an IP or other network, to support communications between the manager and the agents. A second network, e.g.