Patent ID: 8340108

Claim:
A method for assigning a device to a network zone, comprising: receiving, by a switch component, an attachment request, port and device name data and device operating characteristics data from said device via: a sending of a FC2login frame to said device; a sending of a FC4login frame to said device; and subsequent to the sending of said FC2login frame and said FC4login frame, a sending of small computer system interface (SCSI) inquiries to said device to determine further information about said device to select a zone for said device; acquiring said device operating characteristics data by a rules engine from said switch component; and applying, by said rules engine, rules logic to said device operating characteristics data to select said zone for said device, wherein to select said zone for said device, said rules logic includes rules to indicate that all storage devices that provide identification of a selected type are to be zoned in with a selected type of volume controller, and wherein said rules logic includes additional rules to indicate that all devices with a predefined type of host bus adapter that are identified as host or initiator systems are to be zoned in individual zones with a selected type of storage device, wherein said network zone is configured via port zoning, World Wide Port Name zoning, and zoning based on the SCSI inquires, wherein said device is able to connect to any point in said network zone even if a Word Wide Port Name for said device is unavailable.