Patent ID: 7818436

Claim:
A method for controlling access to storage system information, comprising: receiving log in information from a first user, wherein the log in information comprises a user name and password; validating the log in information from the first user, after receiving the log in information; establishing a first session for the first user, after validating the log in information, wherein an active session is established after validating log in information from a user, wherein an active session is maintained without requiring revalidating log in information; maintaining by a first storage system controller a session database table, wherein the session database table comprises only active sessions; maintaining by the first storage system controller a user table, wherein the user table includes an entry associated with the first user, wherein the entry associated with the first user does not identify a computer used by the first user, wherein the session database table includes an identification of a user associated with each active session, wherein the first user is associated with the first session in the session database table, wherein at least the first session is associated with communications over a first network between the first user and the first storage system controller, wherein a number of sessions are listed in the session database table, wherein the first session and a second session are included in the number of sessions listed in the session database table, and wherein at least second session included in said number of sessions is associated with communications over a second network between one of the first user or a second user and the first storage system controller, wherein the first network includes an in-band network and wherein the second network includes an out-of-band network, and wherein the in-band and out-of-band networks are physically different communication networks that are connected to the first storage system controller at two different interfaces on the first storage system controller.