US Patent 7581007 Method, apparatus and services for leasing volumes

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and system are presented for providing a data storage service. An apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention includes a first server coupled to a network and adapted to receive a request for storage from a client computer via the network, and a storage system coupled to the network and adapted to provide a data storage area corresponding to the request for storage, wherein the first server is further adapted to transmit access information associated with the storage area to the client computer, wherein the storage system is further adapted to directly receive an I/O command from the client program for at least one operation relating to the storage area.