Patent ID: 7917712

Claim:
A method of governing access to a storage device connected to a storage area network (SAN), the method comprising: at initial setting up of the storage device in relation to a rest of the SAN; obtaining a first list at the storage device from a SAN repository having stored thereon the first list, repository, wherein access to the storage device by other devices is governed at least in part at the storage device based upon the first list, and wherein each of the other devices is at least one of fully precluded from accessing the storage device, partly precluded from accessing the storage device, and allowed to access the storage device; and during operation of the SAN: checking the first list for a requesting device and performing a requested action if the requesting device is not at least partly precluded from accessing the storage device; if it is time to update the first list after checking the first list and performing the requested action, then querying the SAN to determine if at least one additional other device has entered into communication with the SAN; and automatically updating the first list to reflect the at least one additional other device so that access to the storage device by the at least one additional other device is also governed at least in part based upon the first list.