Client/server authentication over Fibre channel

A method for receiving an authentication service to authenticate an access request from a computer, comprising:

• generating, by a storage device, an authentication request message for the authentication service, wherein the message identifies the computer;
• sending the message from the storage device over a Common Transport (CT) layer of a Fibre Channel (FC) network via FC layer 2 protocols;
• and
• receiving a reply in response to the message over the CT layer of the FC network via FC layer 2 protocols, the reply providing an indication of whether the access request from the computer has been authenticated.

A method for providing an authentication service to authenticate an access request from a computer, comprising:

• receiving, by a server that provides the authentication service, an authentication request message from a storage device for the authentication service sent over a Common Transport (CT) layer of a Fibre Channel (FC) network via FC layer 2 protocols by a storage device of the FC network, wherein receiving the message includes processing the message from a lower layer protocol (LLP) of FC to an upper layer protocol (ULP) of FC;
• generating, by the server, a reply to the authentication request message;
• and
• sending the reply from the server over the FC network, the reply providing an indication of whether the access request from the computer has been authenticated.

A system for providing an authentication service to authenticate an access request from a computer, comprising:

• a storage device that generates and sends an authentication request message for the authentication service over a Common Transport (CT) layer of a Fibre Channel (FC) network via FC layer 2 protocols, and receives a reply to the message, the reply providing an indication of whether the access request from the computer has been authenticated;
• a server that receives the message, and generates and sends the reply to the message;
• and
• a Fibre Channel (FC) network that transports the message and the reply,
• wherein the message is generated by processing the message under an upper protocol (ULP) of Fibre Channel (FC) standards, and received by processing the message from a lower layer protocol (LLP) of FC to the ULP of FC, and
• wherein the reply is generated by translating the reply message from a non-FC protocol into the ULP of FC.

Computer-executable program instructions, stored on a computer-readable medium, for supporting an authentication service to authenticate an access request from a computer, the program instructions executable to perform a method comprising:

• receiving an authentication request message for the authentication service, wherein the message is in an upper layer protocol (ULP) of FC;
• processing the message from the ULP to a lower layer protocol (LLP) of FC;
• sending the message over a a Common Transport (CT) layer of a Fibre Channel (FC) network via FC layer 2 protocols from a storage device;
• and
• receiving an indication of whether the access request from the computer has been authenticated.

Computer-executable program instructions, stored on a computer-readable medium, for supporting an authentication service to authenticate an access request from the requesting computer, the program instructions executable to perform a method comprising:

• receiving an authentication request message for the authentication service, wherein the message is in a non-FC protocol;
• processing the message by translating the message from the non-FC protocol into an upper layer protocol (ULP) of FC;
• sending the message to be transmitted over a Common Transport (CT) layer of a Fibre Channel (FC) network via FC layer 2 protocols from a storage device;
• and
• receiving an indication of whether the access request from the computer has been authenticated.