1. A method for addressing at least one anomaly associated with at least one actual hardware element in a computer system having a plurality of hardware elements, said method comprising the steps of: responsive to detecting said at least one anomaly, inserting a virtualization layer between (i) an operating system of said computer system, and (ii) said plurality of hardware elements; performing at least one of hardware emulation and hardware deactivation on said at least one actual hardware element, with said virtualization layer; wherein said insertion of said virtualization layer is accomplished in an on-the-fly manner; wherein said at least one anomaly associated with said at least one actual hardware element comprises a failure of said actual hardware element, and wherein said virtualization layer performs said hardware emulation by presenting to said operating system a virtual hardware element having characteristics substantially similar to those of said actual hardware element; and wherein said at least one actual hardware element comprises an original first storage element; receiving, by said virtualization layer from said operating system, a request to read a block of data from said original first storage element; determining whether said block of data has already been transferred from said original first storage element to a second storage element; and responsive to said determining step indicating that said block of data has not already been transferred from said original first storage element to said second storage element, reading said block of data from said original first storage element.