Abstract: A multimedia communication system having at least one terminals capable of multimedia communication, a user information storage for storing the information on the users of the terminals, a terminal information storage for storing the information on the terminals and a media information storage for storing the occupied/unoccupied status of one or more communication media capable of being used at the terminals, wherein the occupied/unoccupied status of all the communication media for a designated user are read from the media information storage, the dynamic situation of the user is read from the user information storage, and the occupied/unoccupied status thus read is changed in accordance with one or more rules including the conditions for the dynamic situation and the contents of change in the occupied/unoccupied status.

Abstract: Provided are a storage system and a method of controlling a storage system in which respective real storage areas of a plurality of disk drives contained in the storage system contain management units, and a control device of the storage system assigns a real storage area of a plurality of first disk drives to the virtual storage area, distributedly stores the data in the plurality of management units of the assigned real storage area, distributedly stores, upon receiving a request for adding a second disk drive, the data stored in the plurality of management units of the plurality of first disk drives in the plurality of management units of the plurality of first disk drives and the second disk drive, and assigns the real storage area of the plurality of first disk drives and the second disk drive to an unused virtual storage area.

Abstract: There is provided a storage subsystem having a virtual volume and a page volume which has a page physical area allocated to the virtual volume. The storage subsystem divides an address space of the virtual volume into a plurality of pages, classifies each of the pages into one of a plurality of states including at least a first state and a second state, and further divide a page which is classified into the second state into a plurality of segments to managed the page classified into the second state. The first state is a state in which a page physical area is allocated to the page from the page volume, and the write data is stored in the page physical area. The second state is a state in which the predetermined pattern data and the segment are managed, in the memory, by correlating with each other.

Abstract: To automatically disperse access loads even when the number of client PCs using a storage-centric network changes. A storage controller that controls data write and data read in a disk device in which one or more logical units are set, includes: plural ports connected to client computers via a network; and plural microprocessors that control data input/output through the ports, in which one of the microprocessors serves as a representative microprocessor, and the representative microprocessor refers to, when receiving an access request to access the logical unit from one of the client computers, a connection state of each of the microprocessors and assigns the requested access to one of the microprocessors.

Abstract: A storage system comprises a plurality of storage nodes and a controller coupling unit interconnecting controllers within the storage nodes. A memory in the controller has a plurality of shared memory areas each associated with a combination of one CPU core with one logical unit controller. When a network controller of a first storage node receives a host command addressed to a logical unit of a second storage node, the CPU core of the first storage node stores the host command in the shared memory area associated with the logical unit controller of the second storage node. The logical unit controller of the second storage node acquires the stored host command in the shared memory area via the controller coupling unit.

Abstract: There is provided a storage system providing a storage volume and being coupled via a network to a secondary storage system for storing a backup of data stored in the storage volume, the storage system copies data stored in the storage volume to the secondary storage system, upon receiving an instruction to create a backup; records the size of the data copied; predict the size of data to be copied in the future based on the recorded size of the copied data; records a usable bandwidth of the network at a time when the data is copied to the secondary storage system; predicts a usable bandwidth in the future based on the recorded usable bandwidth of the network; and predicts a time period required for copying data to the secondary storage system based on the predicted size of data to be copied and the predicted usable bandwidth of the network.

Abstract: The usage of communication systems is improved. An IM server 4 manages presence information regarding each of IM clients and usable media and user information such that each of the IM clients can obtain these kinds of information. In order to perform text chatting, the IM server 4 manages a connection between each of the IM clients participating the chat and the IM server 4, merges text from each of the participating IM clients and distributes the result to each of the participating IM clients. In order to perform voice chatting, an AP server 5 manages a connection between each of the IM clients participating the chat and an MD server 6, mixes voice from each of the participating IM clients except for a focused IM client and distributes the result to the focused participating IM clients. This processing is performed for each of the participating IM clients.

Abstract: To enhance capacity expansion property of a storage system for providing a thin provisioning volume, this invention provides a computer system including: a first storage system; and a second storage system for providing a second volume to the first storage system. The first storage system is configured to: define at least one first volumes; define a first storage pool including the defined first volume and the provided second volume; provide to the host computer a first thin provisioning volume that is recognized as a volume having a capacity equal to or larger than that of storage areas assigned from the first storage pool. The first thin provisioning volume is thus assigned with both storage areas of the first volume and storage areas of the second volume, which are included in the first storage pool.

Abstract: A storage unit is provided which is connected to a host computer through a network, having one or more disks in which read and write operations are performed during rotation and a control unit for controlling the rotation of the disks. In the storage unit, when receiving a message which is sent from the host computer and predicts that at least one of the disks will come in use, the control unit causes the at least one of the disks which will come in use, to rotate.

Abstract: The storage system includes a plurality of storage nodes and a control device coupling unit. Each of the storage nodes includes at least one storage device configured to store data and at least one control device configured to control input and output of data for the storage device. The control device coupling unit is configured to connect the control devices without using an access path between the control device and a host computer connected to the storage system. The control devices connected by the control device coupling unit are included in mutually different storage nodes.

Abstract: In a computer system having a storage device, switches and hosts respectively connected by a network, in accordance with an ID of a logical volume of the storage device and an IP address of a host, access control configuration of the logical volume is performed relative to the storage device, the IP address of the host is converted into a MAC address, the MAC address of the host is converted into a port ID of the switch connected to the host, and addition of the port to virtual local area network (VLAN) is performed for the switch. Logical unit number (LUN) masking and VLAN configuration essential for security countermeasure of IP-SAN (Internet protocol-storage area network) can be managed collectively by a system administrator so that the running cost of IP-SAN can be lowered.

Abstract: In a computer system having a storage device switches and hosts respectively connected by a network, in accordance with an ID of a logical volume of the storage device and an IP address of a host, access control configuration of the logical volume is performed relative to the storage device, the IP address of the host is converted into a MAC address, the MAC address of the host is converted into a port ID of the switch connected to the host, and addition of the port to virtual local area network (VLAN) is performed for the switch. Logical unit number (LUN) masking and VLAN configuration essential for security countermeasure of IP-SAN (Internet protocol-storage area network) can be managed collectively by a system administrator so that the running cost of IP-SAN can be lowered.

Abstract: A storage device (1) communicating with a host computer and other storage devices through a network is characterized in that the storage device (1) secures memory buffers for temporarily storing data in a remote copy operation carried out between the storage devices. A network memory (100) in the storage device (1) includes an available buffer comprising a plurality of memory buffers and an in-use buffer also comprising a plurality of memory buffers. A buffer control unit (215) secures memory buffers of the available buffer as a reserved buffer having a reserved-buffer size specified in a buffer reservation request made by a storage management device (8) in response to the request. The buffer control unit (215) then allocates the memory buffers of the reserved buffer as the in-use buffer in response to a request received from the storage management device (8) to start a remote copy operation.

Abstract: In a computer system in which a computer, storage devices, and a storage management device are connected by a network, the computer or a first storage device accesses a second storage device using a plurality of paths in the network, and the computer or the first storage device performs load balancing among the plurality of paths on the basis of a ratio set in advance, it is detected that congestion has occurred on a path, a ratio at the time of congestion of the path is calculated, and a difference between the ratio at the time of congestion and the ratio set in advance is allocated to a ratio of the other paths between the computer or the first storage device and the second storage device.

Abstract: A controller for controlling a logical resource of a storage system comprises a virtual resource preparation section for preparing a virtual resource which is a virtual logical resource, and a real resource assignment section that assigns a real resource which is a logical resource of a real entity to the prepared virtual resource. One or more backup resources which are virtual resources that have not yet been used by a higher-level section that is on a higher level than the controller are prepared by the virtual resource preparation section for one or more of the higher-level section.

Abstract: Either a controller in a storage system, or a management computer monitors a bandwidth used in each I/O port in the storage system, and a bandwidth used by each host computer connected to each I/O port, and redirects a host computer using a bandwidth close to a difference in bandwidth used in the I/O ports, from the I/O port where a maximum bandwidth is used to the I/O port where a minimum bandwidth is used.

Abstract: In a computer system in which a computer, storage devices, and a storage management device are connected by a network, the computer or a first storage device accesses a second storage device using a plurality of paths in the network, and the computer or the first storage device performs load balancing among the plurality of paths on the basis of a ratio set in advance, it is detected that congestion has occurred on a path, a ratio at the time of congestion of the path is calculated, and a difference between the ratio at the time of congestion and the ratio set in advance is allocated to a ratio of the other paths between the computer or the first storage device and the second storage device.

Abstract: In a computer system in which one or more computers on which one or more initiators operate and a storage device on which one or more targets operate are connected with each other through a network, an authentication table for authenticating validity of a user of a computer is associated with an authorization table for authorizing access of an initiator to a certain target, to limit such accesses.

Abstract: The usage of communication systems is improved. An IM server 4 manages presence information regarding each of IM clients and usable media and user information such that each of the IM clients can obtain these kinds of information. In order to perform text chatting, the IM server 4 manages a connection between each of the IM clients participating the chat and the IM server 4, merges text from each of the participating IM clients and distributes the result to each of the participating IM clients. In order to perform voice chatting, an AP server 5 manages a connection between each of the IM clients participating the chat and an MD server 6, mixes voice from each of the participating IM clients except for a focused IM client and distributes the result to the focused participating IM clients. This processing is performed for each of the participating IM clients.

Abstract: A system is provided in which a first storage device for managing a target to which a first physical port and a first logical volume are allocated, a second storage device for managing a second logical volume, and a computer for establishing a first communication path with the first physical port and conducting access to the target by using the communication path. The first storage device creates in the second storage devices a target holding an identifier identical to that of the aforementioned target and allocates the second logical volume and a second physical port to the target, and the computer establishes a second communication path with the second physical port and maintains the access to the target by using the second communication path.