Abstract: In a storage network including at least a computer system, at least an external storage and at least a network system for communication of input/output data between the computer system and the external storage, a method of collecting the performance data on the network system and the software operated on the network system, in which the range or degree of data collection is automatically adjusted as required based on the performance data collected.

Abstract: A performance information display method using a computer, includes the steps, in the computer, of reading out information data of a storage device previously stored in a storage device and information data of a plurality of devices utilizing the storage device, displaying an identifier of the storage device and identifiers of a plurality of devices utilizing the storage device on a screen on the basis of the information data read out, accepting a command to select the displayed identifier of the storage device, and displaying performance information data of the devices utilizing the selected storage device in association on the basis of the accepted command and the information data read out.

Abstract: In a file system in which data is distributively stored on a plurality of volumes in compliance with file storage requests from business applications, the present invention calculates reliability requirements or performance requirements which represent storage requirements for the storage of individual files requested for storage, selects an actual file storage destination volume in accordance with the reliability characteristics or performance characteristics of each volume, and stores file data on the selected storage destination volume. Since the storage requirements are calculated to select a storage destination volume for each file, data storage destination optimization can be achieved on an individual file basis.

Abstract: In a file system in which data is distributively stored on a plurality of volumes in compliance with file storage requests from business applications, the present invention calculates reliability requirements or performance requirements which represent storage requirements for the storage of individual files requested for storage, selects an actual file storage destination volume in accordance with the reliability characteristics or performance characteristics of each volume, and storage file data on the selected storage destination volume. Since the storage requirements are calculated to select a storage destination volume for each file, data storage destination optimization can be achieved on an individual file basis.

Abstract: To provide a method of collecting and storing storage network performance information that allows tracking of the cause of application performance deterioration. It is automatically judged whether or not performance information collected, to be stored, from components of a storage network including a host server and a storage system has a possibility of ever being used in a search for the cause of application performance deterioration, and the degree of importance of performance information is determined based on the result of the judgment. The preservation period of performance information that is high in degree of importance is set long, while a short preservation period is set to performance information of low degree of importance. After the preservation period set to the respective performance information expires, the corresponding performance information is deleted.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to display the amount of storage subsystem use by a specified computer or file system in accordance with the information acquired from computers and storage subsystems. An information collection engine provided for each computer acquires file system configurations from computers and volume configurations from storage subsystems. Further, a special computer is provided with a polling engine that gathers the data acquired by each information collection engine and stores it in an internal database, and with a data display engine that acquires the information about the amount of storage subsystem use by a specified computer or file system from said internal database and displays it on screen.

Abstract: A performance information display method using a computer, includes the steps, in the computer, of reading out information data of a storage device previously stored in a storage device and information data of a plurality of devices utilizing the storage device, displaying an identifier of the storage device and identifiers of a plurality of devices utilizing the storage device on a screen on the basis of the information data read out, accepting a command to select the displayed identifier of the storage device, and displaying performance information data of the devices utilizing the selected storage device in association on the basis of the accepted command and the information data read out.

Abstract: A Method for rearranging logical volume includes arranging a logical volume rearranging program on a particular server and acquiring server/storage mapping information from each server and performance information from each storage subsystem by the logical volume rearranging program, moreover, the logical volume rearranging program acquiring request I/O performance and a rearranging rule for each application set by a user, furthermore, the logical volume rearranging program deciding it by using the logical volume rearranging destination parity group specified by the user according to the aforementioned information, rearranging the logical volume according to the storage subsystem performance and the request I/O performance of each application.

Abstract: In a storage network including at least a computer system, at least an external storage and at least a network system for communication of input/output data between the computer system and the external storage, a method of collecting the performance data on the network system and the software operated on the network system is disclosed, in which the range or degree of data collection is automatically adjusted as required based on the performance data collected.

Abstract: A performance information display method using a computer, includes the steps, in the computer, of reading out information data of a storage device previously stored in a storage device and information data of a plurality of devices utilizing the storage device, displaying an identifier of the storage device and identifiers of a plurality of devices utilizing the storage device on a screen on the basis of the information data read out, accepting a command to select the displayed identifier of the storage device, and displaying performance information data of the devices utilizing the selected storage device in association on the basis of the accepted command and the information data read out.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to allow the user to effect and manage, by using a user-friendly GUI provided on a client, various operations on volume pairs, including the mounting of a volume to a host in a system provided with volume pair features and the splitting of a volume pair. When, on a window showing a list of available hosts, the user selects a host, specifies that a volume pair be created, and designates the backup host to which the secondary volume is to be mounted, the information on the backup host entered by the user is stored in a storage together with the information on the volume pair. When, on a window showing primary or secondary volumes mounted on a host, the user selects a volume and specifies that the volume pair be split, an appropriate function in the storage system retrieves out of the storage the information on the secondary volume and the information on the backup host, and the operating system resident on the backup host mounts the secondary volume.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to display the amount of storage subsystem use by a specified computer or file system in accordance with the information acquired from computers and storage subsystems. An information collection engine provided for each computer acquires file system configurations from computers and volume configurations from storage subsystems. Further, a special computer is provided with a polling engine that gathers the data acquired by each information collection engine and stores it in an internal database, and with a data display engine that acquires the information about the amount of storage subsystem use by a specified computer or file system from said internal database and displays it on screen.

Abstract: In a file system in which data is distributively stored on a plurality of volumes in compliance with file storage requests from business applications, the present invention calculates reliability requirements or performance requirements which represent storage requirements for the storage of individual files requested for storage, selects an actual file storage destination volume in accordance with the reliability characteristics or performance characteristics of each volume, and storage file data on the selected storage destination volume. Since the storage requirements are calculated to select a storage destination volume for each file, data storage destination optimization can be achieved on an individual file basis.

Abstract: Use situations of storage devices utilizing a storage area network (SAN) are predicted and the devices are automatically managed on the basis of the predicted results. To manage the devices utilizing the SAN, there is established the policy prescribing actions each executed when some object to be judged satisfies some condition with regard to storage devices. Information concerning use situations of the devices is collected and a value of an object to be judged of the policy is calculated based on collected information to judge whether the value of the object to be judged satisfies a condition of the policy. When the condition is satisfied, the action of the policy is executed. The objects to be judged of the policy may be actual result values in the past, current values or prediction values in the future relative to use capacity of storages, the number of I/O operations of disk or fragmentation.

Abstract: Prior to authentication, a business system generates a password list and sends the password list to a commercial service system. A request for use of the commercial service system is sent from a terminal that a user is using to the business system. In response to this, the business system that received the request for use checks the request for use of a commercial service use authority of the user. A password is selected from the password list and returned to the terminal. The terminal sends the returned password to the commercial service system. The commercial service system compares the password with a password in accounting information including the password list. If they match, login is permitted and the used password is nullified.

Abstract: Prior to authentication, a business system generates a password list and sends the password list to a commercial service system. A request for use of the commercial service system is sent from a terminal that a user is using to the business system. In response to this, the business system that received the request for use checks the request for use of a commercial service use authority of the user. A password is selected from the password list and returned to the terminal. The terminal sends the returned password to the commercial service system. The commercial service system compares the password with a password in accounting information including the password list. If they match, login is permitted and the used password is nullified.

Abstract: A personal information controlling method and apparatus for controlling pieces of personal information and for outputting a specific piece of personal information on a personal information registrant to a personal information referencer in response to a request by the personal information registrant. The invention provides that an inquiry code is issued by generating and outputting an inquiry code in accordance with an instruction from the personal information registrant. The inquiry code is to be used by the personal information referencer to acquire the specific piece of personal information as an identification of the specific piece of personal information. The invention also provides that personal information is acquired by requesting the personal information referencer to enter the inquiry code and outputting the specific piece of personal information identified by the inquiry code if the inquiry code entered by the personal information referencer matches the issued inquiry code.

Abstract: A personal information controlling method and apparatus for controlling pieces of personal information and for outputting a specific piece of personal information on a personal information registrant to a personal information referencer in response to a request by the personal information registrant. The invention provides that an inquiry code is issued by generating and outputting an inquiry code in accordance with an instruction from the personal information registrant. The inquiry code is to be used by the personal information referencer to acquire the specific piece of personal information as an identification of the specific piece of personal information. The invention also provides that personal information is acquired by requesting the personal information referencer to enter the inquiry code and outputting the specific piece of personal information identified by the inquiry code if the inquiry code entered by the personal information referencer matches the issued inquiry code.

Abstract: A yarn, cloth, woven fabric, knitted fabric or nonwoven fabric composed of natural cellulose fibers, each fiber having incorporated therein a water-insoluble inorganic metal compound, and each fiber having at least one cured polycarboxylic acid combined therewith, said polycarboxylic acid being one selected from the group consisting of polycarboxylic acids and partial salts thereof, and a process for preparing the same.