Support for virtualization in a storage area networks may be provided using a variety of techniques. In one embodiment of the present invention, exchange level load balancing may be provided by determining if input/outputs (IOs) received by a device are new. If a particular IO is new, the IO may be assigned to a particular data path processor and an context may be created corresponding to the IO and to the processor. Then, when an event corresponding to the IO is received, the event may be forwarded to the processor assigned to the IO.