| CPC H04L 63/101 (2013.01) [H04L 63/102 (2013.01); H04L 63/20 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |

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1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
responsive to a subsystem receiving a connect command from a host via a connection, sending a response to the host instructing the host to initiate an authentication transaction, in which, as part of the authentication transaction, the host is challenged to prove its identity;
responsive to receiving a host response to a challenge, requesting an authentication verification entity (AVE) to verify the host response; and
responsive to receiving from the AVE an authentication failure response that facilitates enforcement of zoning because the authentication failure response was generated as a result of the AVE determining, based upon zoning-related information, that the host is not authorized or allowed to connect to the subsystem, terminating the connection with the host.
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