Patent ID: 7502898

Claim:
A method for managing access to a shared resource by a plurality of devices that are coupled to the shred resource via a network, the method including acts of: (a) in response to a non-media access request by a first of the plurality of devices to discover a logical device at the shared resource for which the first device has no data access privileges, determining whether the first device is authorized to have non-media access to the logical device; and (b) authorizing the non-media access request when it is determined in the act (a) that the first device is authorized to have non-media access to the logical device, wherein the shared resource is a storage system, and the logical device is a logical volume of data; wherein the act (a) comprises, in response to the non media access request by the first device to the logical volume of data at the storage system for which the first device has no data access privileges, determining whether the first device is authorized to have non-media access to the logical volume; and wherein the act (b) includes an act of authorizing the non media access request when it is determined in the act (a) that the first device is authorized to have non-media access to the logical volume.