System and methods for storage area network simulation

Abstract

A storage area network simulator, operable to simulate an exchange of calls emanating from a SAN management application to a plurality of manageable entities, allows analyzing SAN management application response to a particular configuration. A capture tool discovers manageable entities interconnected in a particular SAN experiencing undesirable operation. The capture tool provides exemplary calls to an agent, and gathers responses. The exemplary calls enumerate expected responses from the various manageable entities responsive to the agent. The gathered responses take the form of an XML markup script. A simulation plug-in is operative as an interface module (e.g. plug-in) for a test agent in a test environment, such as the management application test facility. The test agent employs the simulation plug-in as the API plug-in for calls emanating from the test agent. The plug-in receives the normalized responses, and selectively transmits the corresponding response from the gathered normalized responses in response to agent calls received via the API.