Semantic data migration

1. A method of migrating data within a storage area network, comprising:

creating a migration plan, the migration plan to move data stored in the storage area network, wherein each element of data is to be moved from a source location to a destination location according to a mapping therebetween;

assigning a virtual identifier to each mapping according to the migration plan, each virtual identifier associated with the source location and the destination location according to the mapping of each respective element of data;

executing the migration plan, wherein upon completion of the movement of an element of data, the virtual identifier for the mapping of that element of data is assigned to a resultant location to which that element of data is moved; and

verifying, upon completion of the execution of the migration plan, the movement of the data by comparing, for each element of data, the virtual identifier of the mapping and the virtual identifier of the resultant location.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein creating comprises:

receiving a selection of the data to be moved within the storage area network;

identifying operations required to perform the movement of each element of the selected data, wherein the operations required to move a particular element of the selected data are grouped as a task; and

creating an operational order for all operations within each task and all tasks.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein identifying comprises:

identifying operations required to perform the movement of the selected data by accessing a relational mapping of the storage area network and its components stored within a repository.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising:

tracking movement of data during the execution of the migration plan by referring to the virtual identifiers associated with data being moved; and

storing the tracked movement in a track record.

5. The method of claim 4 comprising:

detecting an error during execution of the migration plan;

halting execution of the migration plan;

undoing any actions that resulted in the error by consulting the track record;

refining the migration plan to avoid the detected error; and

resuming execution of the migration plan as refined.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein detecting comprises:

detecting an error during execution of the migration plan, wherein the error includes movement of an element of data to a location that is not the destination location for that element of data;

and wherein undoing comprises:

undoing any actions that resulted in the error by consulting the track record and identifying differences between the destination location for an element of data and the resultant location for that element of data by examining the related virtual identifiers.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein creating and assigning are performed through use of a migration and task schema, wherein executing is performed through use of an operational schema, and wherein verifying is performed through use of a verification schema.

8. A computer system comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a display; and

an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the display, allowing communication there between;

wherein the memory of the computer system is encoded with a semantic data migration application, that when executed in the processor, provides a semantic data migration process that migrates data within a storage area network by causing the computer system to perform operations of:

creating a migration plan, the migration plan to move data stored in the storage area network, wherein each element of data is to be moved from a source location to a destination location according to a mapping therebetween;

assigning a virtual identifier to each mapping according to the migration plan, each virtual identifier associated with the source location and the destination location according to the mapping of each respective element of data;

executing the migration plan, wherein upon completion of the movement of an element of data, the virtual identifier for the mapping of that element of data is assigned to a resultant location to which that element of data is moved; and

verifying, upon completion of the execution of the migration plan, the movement of the data by comparing, for each element of data, the virtual identifier of the mapping and the virtual identifier of the resultant location.

9. The computer system of claim 8 wherein creating comprises:

receiving a selection of the data to be moved within the storage area network;

identifying operations required to perform the movement of each element of the selected data, wherein the operations required to move a particular element of the selected data are grouped as a task; and

creating an operational order for all operations within each task and all tasks.

10. The computer system of claim 8 comprising:

tracking movement of data during the execution of the migration plan by referring to the virtual identifiers associated with data being moved; and

storing the tracked movement in a track record.

11. The computer system of claim 10 comprising:

detecting an error during execution of the migration plan;

halting execution of the migration plan;

undoing any actions that resulted in the error by consulting the track record;

refining the migration plan to avoid the detected error; and

resuming execution of the migration plan as refined.

12. The computer system of claim 11 wherein detecting comprises:

detecting an error during execution of the migration plan, wherein the error includes movement of an element of data to a location that is not the destination location for that element of data;

and wherein undoing comprises:

undoing any actions that resulted in the error by consulting the track record and identifying differences between the destination location for an element of data and the resultant location for that element of data by examining the related virtual identifiers.

13. The computer system of claim 8 wherein creating and assigning are performed through use of a migration and task schema, wherein executing is performed through use of an operational schema, and wherein verifying is performed through use of a verification schema.

14. A computer program product, stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, to create a model of a system by reconciling information that describes physical elements of the system as objects in the model, the computer program product comprising computer program code for:

creating a migration plan, the migration plan to move data stored in the storage area network, wherein each element of data is to be moved from a source location to a destination location according to a mapping therebetween;

assigning a virtual identifier to each mapping according to the migration plan, each virtual identifier associated with the source location and the destination location according to the mapping of each respective element of data;

executing the migration plan, wherein upon completion of the movement of an element of data, the virtual identifier for the mapping of that element of data is assigned to a resultant location to which that element of data is moved; and

verifying, upon completion of the execution of the migration plan, the movement of the data by comparing, for each element of data, the virtual identifier of the mapping and the virtual identifier of the resultant location.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein creating comprises:

receiving a selection of the data to be moved within the storage area network;

identifying operations required to perform the movement of each element of the selected data, wherein the operations required to move a particular element of the selected data are grouped as a task; and

creating an operational order for all operations within each task and all tasks.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein identifying comprises:

identifying operations required to perform the movement of the selected data by accessing a relational mapping of the storage area network and its components stored within a repository.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 comprising:

tracking movement of data during the execution of the migration plan by referring to the virtual identifiers associated with data being moved; and

storing the tracked movement in a track record.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 comprising:

detecting an error during execution of the migration plan;

halting execution of the migration plan;

undoing any actions that resulted in the error by consulting the track record;

refining the migration plan to avoid the detected error; and

resuming execution of the migration plan as refined.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein detecting comprises:

detecting an error during execution of the migration plan, wherein the error includes movement of an element of data to a location that is not the destination location for that element of data;

and wherein undoing comprises:

undoing any actions that resulted in the error by consulting the track record and identifying differences between the destination location for an element of data and the resultant location for that element of data by examining the related virtual identifiers.

20. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein creating and assigning are performed through use of a migration and task schema, wherein executing is performed through use of an operational schema, and wherein verifying is performed through use of a verification schema.