Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving by first network device a request for storage resources from a second network device; evaluating a willingness of the first network device to provide the requested storage resources and assigning a willingness score based on the evaluating; determining whether the willingness score is greater than a minimum value; and if the willingness score is greater than the minimum value, providing a response to the request from the first network device to the second network device, wherein the response comprises a bid by the first network device to provide the requested storage resources to the second network device.

Abstract: A method is performed at a Fibre Channel (FC) switch of an FC switch fabric through which servers connected to the FC switch fabric access logical partitions of a storage array connected to the FC switch fabric. The FC switch receives from the storage array information indicative of port zoning rules and logical partition masking that collectively define which server ports are permitted access to which storage array ports and to which logical partitions of the storage array. The FC switch generates from the information authorization rules for enforcing the port zoning rules and the logical partition masking, and programs the authorization rules into memory. The FC switch receives FC frames from the server ports. The FC frames convey respective input-output (IO) operations destined for the logical partitions. The FC switch authorizes each IO operation based on a lookup of the programmed authorization.

Abstract: A method is performed at a Fibre Channel (FC) switch of an FC switch fabric through which servers connected to the FC switch fabric access logical partitions of a storage array connected to the FC switch fabric. The FC switch receives from the storage array information indicative of port zoning rules and logical partition masking that collectively define which server ports are permitted access to which storage array ports and to which logical partitions of the storage array. The FC switch generates from the information authorization rules for enforcing the port zoning rules and the logical partition masking, and programs the authorization rules into memory. The FC switch receives FC frames from the server ports. The FC frames convey respective input-output (IO) operations destined for the logical partitions. The FC switch authorizes each IO operation based on a lookup of the programmed authorization.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving by first network device a request for storage resources from a second network device; evaluating a willingness of the first network device to provide the requested storage resources and assigning a willingness score based on the evaluating; determining whether the willingness score is greater than a minimum value; and if the willingness score is greater than the minimum value, providing a response to the request from the first network device to the second network device, wherein the response comprises a bid by the first network device to provide the requested storage resources to the second network device.