NODE DEVICE COOPERATING WITH SWITCH WHICH IMPLEMENTS ZONES IN A FIBRE CHANNEL SYSTEM

In a system comprising a first fabric and a plurality of devices coupled to the fabric by Fiber Channel connections, the devices are logically grouped to form configurations and zones. A configuration includes at least one zone, and each zone includes at least one device as a member of the zone. Communications between the devices is restricted according to the configuration currently in effect. For example, one device may be permitted to communicate with another device only if they are members of a common zone.