Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method and system for making storage information available to virtual machines in virtual environments. A method includes sending a request, via an electronic system, for a plurality of storage attributes to a virtual storage access module. The virtual storage access module may facilitate access to storage for a virtual machine via a virtual access path. The method further includes receiving the plurality of storage attributes from the virtual storage access module and storing the plurality of storage attributes. In one embodiment, storing is operable to store the plurality of storage attributes such that they are available for use in storage management tasks.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus and software can implement a SAN monitoring scheme for determining changes in SAN topology, such as device failure and state changes. These changes are recorded in a SAN topology data structure. Information in the SAN topology data structure is used, for example, to identify a suspect path or set of paths, and to make decisions about communications pathways used by a multipath device driver.

Abstract: A method for controlling data traffic within a storage area network can be provided. The method can comprise analyzing data for a path in a storage area network to determine whether the path should be identified as a less preferred path, and controlling data traffic routing to avoid use of a path identified as a less preferred path. In some embodiments, the data can be obtained from a host bus adaptor in the path. In some embodiments, the controlling can comprise throttling traffic over a path identified as a less preferred path.