A manager node provides discovery, translation, and mapping services for supported Ethernet protocol layers. The manager node discovers other nodes within the cloud environment and issues commands to each of the discovered nodes to obtain storage device specific information associated to storage devices communicatively connected to the discovered nodes. The storage device information obtained may include such things as device function (initiator or target), device model number, device capacity, and available storage (free), etc. When the manager node has gathered the storage device specific information it makes available to a management application a list of all feasible storage devices that could be utilized within the cloud environment. The management application determines which of the discovered storage devices will be enabled. Subsequently, the manager node serves as an address translator and a gateway between protocols.