Warren wants to hide storage resources from a server that should not access them. Which storage controller feature should he configure?

Warren wants to hide storage resources from a server that should not access them. Which storage controller feature should he configure?

• A. Zoning
• B. LUN Masking
• C. Port Masking
• D. VLANs

Answer: (B)

LUN masking is used to control which logical units are visible to a specific host. By configuring masking on the storage controller, you map only the LUNs that the server is allowed to access to that host’s initiator (usually identified by its WWN or IQN). Any other LUNs remain hidden from the server, so even if paths to the storage exist, those resources cannot be opened or used. This provides precise, per-host access control and helps prevent data exposure or accidental access to storage that the server should not see. Zoning restricts access at the fabric level by grouping initiators and targets into zones, which can also prevent a host from seeing certain storage, but masking offers finer-grained control at the LUN level and works independently of fabric configuration. Port masking is less common and focuses on hiding specific ports rather than controlling which LUNs a host can see. VLANs segment network traffic, not specifically storage visibility.

LUN masking is used to control which logical units are visible to a specific host. By configuring masking on the storage controller, you map only the LUNs that the server is allowed to access to that host’s initiator (usually identified by its WWN or IQN). Any other LUNs remain hidden from the server, so even if paths to the storage exist, those resources cannot be opened or used. This provides precise, per-host access control and helps prevent data exposure or accidental access to storage that the server should not see.

Zoning restricts access at the fabric level by grouping initiators and targets into zones, which can also prevent a host from seeing certain storage, but masking offers finer-grained control at the LUN level and works independently of fabric configuration. Port masking is less common and focuses on hiding specific ports rather than controlling which LUNs a host can see. VLANs segment network traffic, not specifically storage visibility.