Patent ID: 8560859

Claim:
A storage controller coupled to plurality of storage resources, the storage controller comprising: a processor operable to perform a disruptive operation on each of the storage resources of the plurality of storage resources; a storage for storing data comprising data associating an at least a first storage resource of the plurality of storage resources with a first project and associating a first key and a third key with the first project, the first project having at least one user associated therewith, the first key being generated on behalf a first user associated with the first project, the third key being generated on behalf of a second user associated with the first project; a program module comprising instructions for performing a method comprising: receiving an input from an administrator, the administrator not being among the at least one user associated with the first project, the input comprising a second key, a fourth key, an identifier of a first storage resource from the plurality of storage resources and a command for performing the disruptive operation; determining the first key and third key associated with the first storage resource by reading the keys associated with the project to which the first storage resource is associated; comparing the second key and the fourth key with the first key and the third key, respectively; verifying that the administrator is authorized as an administrator of the storage resource; and performing the disruptive operation on the storage resource if the second and fourth keys match the first and third keys associated with the storage resource and the administrator is authorized, and otherwise denying performance of the disruptive operation.