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Abstract

A storage area network (SAN) management and configuration method and apparatus are provided via enabling in-band communications. In the storage area network (SAN) management and configuration method, a SAN management application is utilized for communicating with a device driver. A pass through is provided by the device driver to a host bus adapter (HBA) for passing communications to a device in the storage area network from the SAN management application. The storage area network (SAN) management and configuration apparatus via enabling in-band communications includes a storage area network (SAN) management application for communicating with at least one SAN-connected host system. Each SAN connected host system includes a management application agent for communicating with a host bus adapter (HBA) device driver. The HBA device driver is provided for communicating with a device in the storage area network. The HBA device driver includes at least one pass through service for passing a plurality of commands to the device in the storage area network. The management application agent provides predefined protocol functions for communicating with the device in the storage area network. The predefined protocol functions include a common transport (CT) protocol function and an extended link service (ELS) protocol function.

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