1. A method of improving utilization of a computer-implemented data storage system that includes one or more data storage devices, comprising: associating the one or more data storage devices with a data storage system host layer; querying the one or more data storage devices for device configuration information; determining one or more data storage device management functions that are applicable to the one or more data storage devices; determining one or more data storage device management functions that are particular to a given one of the one or more data storage devices; assigning data storage device management functions that are particular to the given one of the one or more data storage devices to the given one of the one or more data storage devices; and assigning data storage device management functions that are not particular to the given one of the one or more data storage devices to the data storage system host layer.