Managing connections in a data storage system

A method of managing connections in a data storage system, wherein the data storage system includes at least two computing devices, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a local computing device, a connection request from a remote computing device,
• wherein the connection request includes an identifier that identifies the remote computing device,
• wherein the local computing device is located at a friendly side of a firewall, and
• accessing a blacklist, wherein the blacklist includes one or more entries, wherein the entries include an identifier of a computing device;
• receiving an indication to enable refusing connection requests at the local computing device to computing devices that are not at the friendly side of the firewall;
• based upon the identifier of the remote computing device, determining from the blacklist whether the connection request from the remote computing device should be refused;
• and,
• if the connection request from the remote computing device should be refused based upon the determination from the blacklist, then refusing the connection request from the remote computing device;
• if the remote computing device is either not authenticated or not authorized to connect to the local computing device, refusing the connection request from the remote computing device;
• and
• if the remote computing device is authenticated, or if the remote computing device is authorized to connect to the local computing device, allowing the remote computing device to connect to the local computing device.

A computer-readable, non-transitory medium including instructions for managing connections in a data storage system, comprising:

• receiving, at a first time at a first computing device, a connection request from a second computing device,
• wherein the connection request includes an identifier that identifies the second computing device;
• accessing a blacklist,
• wherein the blacklist includes zero or more entries, and,
• wherein the entries are configured to include an identifier of a computing device;
• receiving an indication to enable refusing connection requests at the first computing device to computing devices that are not on a friendly side of a firewall and that are not authenticated;
• based upon the combination of the identifier of the second computing device and the first time, determining from the blacklist whether the connection request should be refused;
• and,
• if the connection request from the second computing device should be refused based upon the determination from the blacklist, then refusing the connection request from the second computing device;
• if the second computing device is either not authenticated or not authorized to connect to the secondary storage computing device, refuse the connection request;
• and
• if the second computing device is authenticated, or if the second computing device is authorized to connect to the first computing device, allowing the second computing device to connect to the first storage computing device.