Patent ID: 7644168

Claim:
A serial attached SCSI (SAS) expander, comprising: memory configured to store a static data for route checking and a dynamic data for explicit route checking; an SAS expander port comprising one or more PHYs that can be logically configured into one of two or more PHY categories; a source identifier logic configured to selectively prevent communications from passing through the SAS expander based, at least in part, on a source identifier validation, and on the PHY category of the SAS expander port PHY; and a route checking logic configured to receive from an initiator device a request for access to a target device and to selectively deny the initiator device access to the target device through the SAS expander port based, at least in part, on evaluating a route from the initiator device to the target device in light of the static data, the dynamic data, and the PHY category of the SAS expander port PHY.