Patent ID: 8006310

Claim:
A storage system comprising: a plurality of interfaces coupled to a plurality of computers via an Internet Protocol (IP) network; a processor coupled to the plurality of interfaces; and a plurality of storage devices coupled to the processor, wherein the processor checks whether a first computer of the plurality of computers is permitted to access a first storage device of the plurality of storage devices when one of the plurality of interfaces receives a discovery request based on an Internet Small Computer System Interface (i-SCSI) protocol from the first computer, wherein the processor sends first information related to the first storage device, a first interface of the plurality of interfaces and a logical unit number, the logical unit being provided by the plurality of storage devices, to the first computer via one of the plurality of interfaces if the first computer is permitted to access the first storage device, wherein the processor sends second information related to a fictitious storage device a fictitious interface and a fictitious logical unit number to the first computer via the one of the plurality of interfaces if the first computer is not permitted to access the first storage device, and wherein the first interface accepts a first login command requesting to login to the first storage device from the first computer with the logical unit number if the first computer is permitted to access the first storage device.