Method and system for providing data accessibility and interlinks between a user and a storage device

A method for controlling user access to data stored in a storage data pool, said method comprising:

• associating a plurality of user hardware devices to a plurality of sub-zones;
• corresponding a plurality of multiple logical storage units of said storage data pool to plurality of sub-zones;
• and
• providing data access interlink between sub-groups of said plurality of user hardware devices and sub-portions of said plurality of logical storage units associated with common sub-zones of said plurality of sub-zones.

A method for determining whether to grant access to data on a data storage system having a plurality of logical storage units, said method comprising:

• associating a sub-portion of said plurality of logical storage units with one of a plurality of sub-zones;
• receiving, from a user hardware device, a request for access to one of said plurality of logical storage units, said request including user ID data for said user hardware device;
• determining whether said user ID data is associated with any of said plurality of sub-zones;
• and
• in response to determine that said ID is associated with any of said plurality of sub-zones, ascertaining whether said one of said plurality of sub-zones is included in said any of said plurality of sub-zones.

A system for controlling access to data stored in a storage data pool by a plurality of user hardware devices, said system comprising:

• a plurality of logical storage units formed from said data storage pool;
• zoning modules for establishing amongst said plurality of logical storage units and said plurality of user hardware devices, a plurality of sub-zones associated with said plurality of logical storage units and said plurality of user hardware devices, with one of said plurality of sub-zones being associated with multiple logical storage units;
• and
• an interlinks module for establishing accessibility interlinks between said plurality of user hardware devices and said plurality of logical storage units corresponding to a common sub-zone amongst said plurality of sub-zones.

A system for controlling logical storage units of a storage hardware and network comprising:

• a user interface module for receiving an access request from a user hardware device;
• an inquiring module for inquiring into the presence of a correspondent user ID when requested by the user hardware device and to retrieve a logical unit ID from the access request by users of the same sub-zone if the user ID is found in the same sub-zone;
• and
• a control module for granting access to the user if the corresponding logical unit ID is found, else to deny access.

A storage system comprising:

• a storage hardware and network in which a plurality of logical storage units reside and operable to handle an access request;
• a user hardware device operable to initiate the access request;
• and
• a sub-zoning system for inquiring into the existence of a user ID among a plurality of sub-zones and to retrieve logical unit IDs allocated in a same sub-zone when the user ID is found to be valid, and to forward the access request to the storage hardware and network if the logical unit IDs are retrieved successfully, else denying the access request.