University IT provides shared Fibre Channel storage services. All storage subsystems and fibre channel switches are located in the secure campus datacenter. Each college and department provides their

FCPAP is a security protocol for authenticating entities connecting to the fabric, but it does not directly control granular host-to-storage access or resource segregation within the fabric.

Link encryption protects data confidentiality in transit over the Fibre Channel link but does not provide access control or restrict which hosts can access specific storage resources.

Switch authentication verifies the identity of Fibre Channel switches for fabric integrity and trust, but it does not manage host-level access to storage resources within the fabric.

Port authentication, often implemented through Fibre Channel zoning (e.g., WWN zoning) and LUN masking, is critical in a shared SAN. It ensures that only authorized host ports can access designated storage ports and their associated LUNs, thereby preventing unauthorized access and maintaining data segregation across different departments connected to the same fabric.