Abstract: A storage apparatus configured to store data received from a host system in a drive unit includes a memory unit partitioned into a cache area configured to temporarily store data read out from the drive unit and data to be written in the drive unit and an information storage area assigned for a memory pool configured to hold information for internal processing of the storage apparatus; an information-storage-area management table in which information-storage-area management information including position information on the memory pool in the memory unit is registered; a cache-area management table in which cache-area management information including usage status of the cache area is registered; and a memory control unit configured to acquire a memory area in the cache area having the least amount of write pending data in a pending state for writing in the drive unit by referring to the cache-area management table.

Abstract: In a storage system, a first reboot controller in a first control apparatus causes a second control apparatus to reboot, when it is detected that a second control apparatus has stopped access operations. The first reboot controller also places a boot event record in a non-volatile storage device of the second control apparatus to indicate that the rebooting of the second control apparatus has been caused by the first control apparatus. After that, a second reboot controller in the second control apparatus causes at least the first control apparatus to reboot while keeping intact the cache data stored in a cache memory of the first control apparatus, when the access controller of the first control apparatus is stopped while the second control apparatus is rebooted, and when a boot event record is found in the non-volatile storage device of the second control apparatus.

Abstract: A storage system includes a storage and control units. In each of the control units: a relay unit relays access to the storage; an access controller accesses the storage through one of the relay unit in the control unit and the relay unit in another of the control units; and an operational-state controller determines whether or not the relay unit in the above-mentioned another control unit is usable when the operational-state controller detects occurrence of an abnormality in the above-mentioned another control unit, and makes the above-mentioned another control unit transition to a partially-operational state when the relay unit in the above-mentioned another control unit is usable. In the partially-operational state, at least the access controller in the above-mentioned another control unit is not in operation and the access controller in the control unit can access the storage through the relay unit in the above-mentioned another control unit.

Abstract: A disk array apparatus has a plurality of the same type of disk array units. Each of the disk array units has a plurality of storage areas in each of which firmware for allowing the disk array unit to operate is stored. When the disk array apparatus recognizes that a first disk array unit has been disposed therein, it compares a version number of firmware stored in each storage area included in the first disk array unit with a version number of firmware stored in each storage area included in a second disk array unit that currently operates in the disk array apparatus. If these version numbers are the same, the disk array apparatus makes a storage area in which firmware executed by the first disk array unit is stored conform to a storage area in which firmware executed by the second disk array unit is stored.

Abstract: A storage system includes first and second expanders for connecting storage units, each of the first and second expanders being connected cascade each other, a first controller connected one of the first and one of the second expanders and a host, a second controller connected the one of the second expanders, the one of the first expanders and the host, the second controller detecting a failure of at least one of the first controller, the first expanders and the second expanders, the second controller selectively controlling a first boot sequence which boots the first controller after the first expanders have been booted and a second boot sequence which boots the first controller before the first expanders have been booted, determining one of the first boot sequence and the second boot sequence on the basis of a place where a failure has occurred in a recovery process.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a control device controls a storage device configured to encrypt data based on an encryption key, store the data in a storage region, and decrypt the data stored in the storage region based on the encryption key. The control device includes an information generator and an encryption key generator. The information generator generates information as change information when the storage device is turned on. The change information is different from information used when the storage device is last turned on. The encryption key generator generates an encryption key based on the change information generated by the information generator.

Abstract: A storage control apparatus that stores backup target in a predetermined storage area of a storage apparatus includes a determination unit for determining whether or not the backup target data has been modified, and a backup processing unit for performing the backup processing for the backup target data when the determination unit determines that the backup target data has been modified.

Abstract: A disk array device having a plurality of hard disk units has a large-capacity memory mounted on a controller module which controls the whole device. The large-capacity memory has a system area managed by an OS and a cache area serving as a cache memory, and in addition, it has a table area which stores management/control information of the device and whose area size is changeable at an arbitrary instance. Therefore, it is possible to change the table area according to the state of the device in an active state without ON/OFF of a power source, so that an area not in use in the table area can be released for use as the cache memory. This makes it possible to appropriately varying the sizes of the table area and the cache area in an active state while the device is in operation, thereby realizing effective use of the large-capacity memory.

Abstract: A disk array device has: a CM separating part that, when abnormality occurs in a CM, separates the CM in which the abnormality has occurred from a storage system after write of CM operation information data to a hard disk is completed; and communication path reconfiguring parts that reconfigure communication paths between the CM in which the abnormality has occurred and DAs. When abnormality occurs in the CM, the communication paths between the CM and the DAs are reconfigured, and after the CM operation information data of the CM is written to the hard disk, the CM is separated. Therefore, the write processing is not interrupted halfway, so that the useful operation information data regarding the cause of the problem occurrence can be written to the hard disk having a sufficient storage area.

Abstract: A code conversion apparatus, a disk drive, a code buffer, and an encryption buffer are included in a storage. The code buffer stores therein first encrypted data present in the disk drive, and the encryption buffer stores therein first unencrypted data present in the disk drive. An encrypting unit encrypts the first unencrypted data present in the encryption buffer to predetermined encrypted data, and a decrypting unit decrypts the first encrypted data present in the code buffer to second unencrypted data. Moreover, a re-encrypting unit decrypts the first encrypted data present in the code buffer to third unencrypted data and encrypts the third unencrypted data to second encrypted data different from the first encrypted data.

Abstract: A code conversion apparatus, a disk drive, a code buffer, and an encryption buffer are included in a storage. The code buffer stores therein first encrypted data present in the disk drive, and the encryption buffer stores therein first unencrypted data present in the disk drive. An encrypting unit encrypts the first unencrypted data present in the encryption buffer to predetermined encrypted data, and a decrypting unit decrypts the first encrypted data present in the code buffer to second unencrypted data. Moreover, a re-encrypting unit decrypts the first encrypted data present in the code buffer to third unencrypted data and encrypts the third unencrypted data to second encrypted data different from the first encrypted data.

Abstract: A storage system has a controller and a plurality of storage devices connected to a pair of loops, the controller diagnoses storage devices and performs automatic high-speed restoration of the loops. A storage system has a controller, a plurality of storage devices, and switch circuits having a plurality of switches to connect each of the plurality of storage devices to loops. When a loop anomaly is detected, a restoration instruction is issued to a switch circuit, the plurality of switches are operated in parallel, storage devices are diagnosed, and according to the diagnosis results, a storage device judged to be anomalous are bypassed from the loop by operating the switches. When a loop anomaly is detected, diagnosis of the disk drives connected to the loop can be performed in parallel, so that the time until automatic restoration of the loop can be greatly reduced.

Abstract: A disk array apparatus has a plurality of the same type of disk array units. Each of the disk array units has a plurality of storage areas in each of which firmware for allowing the disk array unit to operate is stored. When the disk array apparatus recognizes that a first disk array unit has been disposed therein, it compares a version number of firmware stored in each storage area included in the first disk array unit with a version number of firmware stored in each storage area included in a second disk array unit that currently operates in the disk array apparatus. If these version numbers are the same, the disk array apparatus makes a storage area in which firmware executed by the first disk array unit is stored conform to a storage area in which firmware executed by the second disk array unit is stored.

Abstract: A management module for a storage apparatus includes a device attribute managing part to manage attribute information and security function of at least two storage parts of different kinds and/or with different performances that are virtually used as a single virtual storage apparatus, and to provide at least a portion of the attribute information with respect to a host unit. The attribute information includes storage region information indicating a storage region occupied by each storage part in the virtual storage apparatus, and performance information of each storage part, in correspondence with each other.

Abstract: A disk array device has: a CM separating part that, when abnormality occurs in a CM, separates the CM in which the abnormality has occurred from a storage system after write of CM operation information data to a hard disk is completed; and communication path reconfiguring parts that reconfigure communication paths between the CM in which the abnormality has occurred and DAs. When abnormality occurs in the CM, the communication paths between the CM and the DAs are reconfigured, and after the CM operation information data of the CM is written to the hard disk, the CM is separated. Therefore, the write processing is not interrupted halfway, so that the useful operation information data regarding the cause of the problem occurrence can be written to the hard disk having a sufficient storage area.

Abstract: A disk array device having a plurality of hard disk units has a large-capacity memory mounted on a controller module which controls the whole device. The large-capacity memory has a system area managed by an OS and a cache area serving as a cache memory, and in addition, it has a table area which stores management/control information of the device and whose area size is changeable at an arbitrary instance. Therefore, it is possible to change the table area according to the state of the device in an active state without ON/OFF of a power source, so that an area not in use in the table area can be released for use as the cache memory. This makes it possible to appropriately varying the sizes of the table area and the cache area in an active state while the device is in operation, thereby realizing effective use of the large-capacity memory.

Abstract: An information access control method is presented by which access to certain specified information on an information system is restricted by means of the authentication of external recording media. The information access control method that accesses information data on an information system by using an external recording medium includes the steps of, wherein system user information is recorded onto the external recording medium, and the corresponding user information is also registered in advance on the information system, comparing the system user information sent by the connection request with the registered system user information, when the system user information is sent to the information system as a connection request from the external recording medium, and allowing the external recording medium access to the information data on the system within the limits specified by the aforementioned system user information, if the results of the comparison match.

Abstract: A vendor ID is written to a system area of a write-once optical disk. When the write-once optical disk is loaded onto a write-once disk drive, a control CPU reads the vendor ID. The vendor ID is written into the header of software received through an interface unit. When the software is input to an SD circuit, the control CPU reads the vendor ID. The control CPU compares the vendor ID in the system area of the write-once optical disk with the vendor ID of the header of the software and checks whether or not the two IDs are identical. If the two IDs correspond to each other, the control CPU writes the software to the write-once optical disk.

Abstract: A method of managing files of an interchangeable storage medium having a RAM area defining an independent RAM section and a ROM area defining an independent ROM section, each section having a file management area for storing file management data and a file area for storing files. The method includes reading file management information out of a file management area of the ROM section in response to a request for establishing a section in which the RAM area and the ROM area are mixed, converting the file management information of the ROM section to file management information of the mixed RAM-ROM section, writing the file management information of the mixed RAM-ROM section in a file management area of the mixed section, and managing ROM files and RAM files as files of the mixed section.

Abstract: In a method for preventing unauthorized use of a recording medium having a user accessible area and a user inaccessible area, first information is read from the user inaccessible area of the recording medium. The first information is compared with second information concerning a true recording medium (lawfully produced copy). It is then concluded that the recording medium is the true recording medium when the first information corresponds to the second information.