Methods and systems for storage architectures

Abstract

Methods and systems for storage architectures are provided. Storage resource provider modules interface with storage resources to perform storage operations. A storage management data store maintains storage data associated with a storage environment of the storage resources. The storage resource provider modules retrieve and update the storage management data in response to processing the storage operations. In one embodiment, a storage management application requests a selected storage resource provider module to perform a selected storage operation. The storage management application determines the selected storage resource provider module by acquiring the storage management data in the data store.

1 - 20 . (canceled)  
   
   
       21 . A method comprising: 
 providing a plurality of storage resource provider modules, wherein each storage resource provider module of the plurality of storage resource provider modules interfaces with a different storage resource of a plurality of storage resources;    storing storage management data associated with the plurality of storage resources in a storage management data store; and    each of the plurality of storage resource provider modules storing and retrieving storage management data to and from the data store in order to maintain a consistent storage environment representation in the data store.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 receiving a storage management operation request at a storage management application; and    accessing the data store from the storage management application to select a storage resource provider module of the plurality of storage resource provider modules to perform a storage management operation corresponding to the storage management operation request.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 dynamically binding a storage resource of the plurality of storage resources to the storage resource provider module.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 the storage management application using the storage management data included in the data store and the plurality of storage resource provider modules to interface with the plurality of storage resources to manage a storage environment.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the storage resources include storage arrays.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the storage management data is used to make decisions about storage management operations.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the data store is a database having access and update methods.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the storage management data includes storage configuration settings.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the storage management data includes states associated with one or more storage resources of the plurality of storage resources.  
   
   
       30 . A method comprising: 
 providing a plurality of storage resources, wherein each storage resource includes an interface used to perform storage management operations on the storage resources, wherein two or more of the interfaces are different from one another;    providing a plurality of storage resource provider modules, wherein each storage resource provider module communicates with one of the interfaces;    storing storage management data associated with the storage management operations in a storage management data store;    the storage resource provider modules acting as an intermediary on behalf of a calling application when processing the storage management operations; and    the storage resource provider modules storing and retrieving results associated with processing the storage management operations in the data store.    
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the calling application is at least one of a host application and a storage management application.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 the calling application retrieving the storage management data from the data store.    
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 the storage resource provider modules accessing the data store over a network.    
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 the calling application requesting one of the storage management operations by calling a storage resource provider module associated with a particular storage resource of the plurality of storage resources.    
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the plurality of storage resource provider modules provide consistent calling syntaxes to the calling application for requesting the storage management operations.