Abstract: A request routing system for offering high-quality, low-priced data delivery services to a large number of users is disclosed. Request router RR1 for redirecting data requests to delivery servers manages the data storage in each delivery server, the MPU load on each delivery server, the delay time involved between delivery servers and terminals, and the bandwidths of data delivery paths between delivery servers and terminals. If a bandwidth required for data delivery cannot be acquired, request router RR1 can perform a calculation to check whether an alternative path can be set between a delivery server and terminal. If the result of the calculation indicates that an alternative path can be set, request router RR1 can explicitly set such a path.

Abstract: A secure storage system for securely accessing a storage device on a network and improving volume management scalability, consisting of a client having a VPN capability; a storage device in an SAN; a management apparatus having a means for managing a storage capacity and a logical volume allocated to the storage device; a converter for converting a protocol used in the SAN to a protocol used in a LAN/MAN/WAN and vice versa; and a conversion apparatus having the VPN capability. A VPN is provided between the client and the conversion apparatus. The conversion apparatus is provided with a mapping between the VPN and an access range of the storage device. A VPN-ID is used for identifying the VPN. An address in the logical volume is used for the access range of the storage device.