Abstract: A management device selects a storage device having a plenty of unallocated storage regions, selects a target using a port having a small allocation quantity from the storage device targets, and allocates the target, an initiator, and a storage region. When the number of targets and the allocated storage regions prepared by the storage device is within a predetermined number, the storage device manages the storage device as an allocation candidate. When the predetermined number is exceeded, the exceeding one is excluded from the allocation candidate. When the number of storage devices excluded from the allocation candidate has reached a certain number, the management device manages a new storage device and a new storage region as an allocation candidate.

Abstract: A storage system, including: a client that issues a file write request or a file read request; an archive server that is connected to the client via a network, and processes the request issued from the client; a storage device that is connected to the archive server, and records files; and a disk drive connected to the client. The arrangement utilizes an archived date management table and archive dates to conduct operations.

Abstract: Presence information is shared between a plurality of applications, to grasp a change of presence information of a different kind of application. An IM(X) server 3 receives a notification of a change of presence information from a client A1 (S902), and sends a change notification message for notifying the change of the presence information to a presence server 5 (S906). Then, the presence server 5 sends the change notification message received from the IM(X) server 3 to the IM(Y) server 4 (S908). The IM(Y) server 4 sends the change notification message received from the presence server 5 to a client B2 (S910).

Abstract: A wide area distributed storage system checks for erasure of WORM (Write-Once Read-Many) files. A first management server acquires a storage location of a second file on a second disk apparatus which corresponds to a first file stored on a first disk apparatus, of which a retention period has expired, and queries a second management server about a retention period of the second file whose storage location has been acquired. The queried second management server refers to a file table and indicates existence or non-existence of the second file on the second disk apparatus and whether the retention period of the second file has expired or not. The system avoids unintended deletion of files by querying a plurality of file management servers about whether a file with an expired retention period should be set as a deletable object.

Abstract: The amount of data of presence information delivered from a presence server to a terminal is reduced by letting the presence server discard part of the presence information depending on communication measures and data type available to the terminal, by which the amount of data processed by the terminal is reduced. The presence server fetches terminal information stored therein based on terminal information contained in a presence inquiry request message from a user and thereby learns the type of data that can be processed by the terminal of the user. The presence server reconstructs the presence information of a referred user into information that can be processed by the terminal, and sends the information to the application of the terminal. By reducing the amount of presence data transmitted from the presence server to the terminal, the amount of data to be processed by the terminal can be cut down.

Abstract: A storage management system for managing, in a computer system, access to a storage area for storing data, the computer system includes: a storage system that provides the storage area; a host computer system that mounts the storage area of the storage system via a network; and a maintenance system that performs maintenance for the storage area of the storage system, the storage management system includes: a mounting decision module that decides, according to a preestablished maintenance schedule, whether the host computer system is currently mounting the storage area of the storage system; a maintenance instruction module that instructs the maintenance system to execute the scheduled maintenance when the mounting decision module decides that the host computer system is not currently mounting the storage area; a host-on detecting module that detects a boot of the host computer system; a maintenance decision module that decides whether the maintenance system is currently performing the maintenance for the stor

Abstract: In an environment where there is a possibility that the user connects from a plurality of blade PCs to the storage, the present invention prevents the data destruction by realizing the exclusive control of the storage device. The storage connection from a blade PC which was possible to connect until now is made to be impossible by that the management server newly generates and sets to the storage device the connection information between the storage device which the blade PC keeps. Further, by sending the newly generated connection information to the other blade PC the connection from that blade PC becomes possible.

Abstract: A management device selects a storage device having a plenty of unallocated storage regions, selects a target using a port having a small allocation quantity from the storage device targets, and allocates the target, an initiator, and a storage region. When the number of targets and the allocated storage regions prepared by the storage device is within a predetermined number, the storage device manages the storage device as an allocation candidate. When the predetermined number is exceeded, the exceeding one is excluded from the allocation candidate. When the number of storage devices excluded from the allocation candidate has reached a certain number, the management device manages a new storage device and a new storage region as an allocation candidate.

Abstract: The invention is intended to provide a backup control technique for protecting the safety of data stored in a storage system while minimizing the processing load in the storage system. A storage system 10 receives a command from a host computer 50 to write data control limitation data stipulating backup limitations, the data control limitation data is written to an expanded VTOC part where a storage area protected as the VTOC among the storage areas in the volume has been expanded, and backup is controlled based on the data control limitation data written to the expanded VTOC part.

Abstract: A storage management system for managing, in a computer system, access to a storage area for storing data, the computer system includes: a storage system that provides the storage area; a host computer system that mounts the storage area of the storage system via a network; and a maintenance system that performs maintenance for the storage area of the storage system, the storage management system includes: a mounting decision module that decides, according to a preestablished maintenance schedule, whether the host computer system is currently mounting the storage area of the storage system; a maintenance instruction module that instructs the maintenance system to execute the scheduled maintenance when the mounting decision module decides that the host computer system is not currently mounting the storage area; a host-on detecting module that detects a boot of the host computer system; a maintenance decision module that decides whether the maintenance system is currently performing the maintenance for the stor

Abstract: A storage system, including: a client that issues a file write request or a file read request; an archive server that is connected to the client via a network, and processes the request issued from the client; a storage device that is connected to the archive server, and records files; and a disk drive connected to the client. The arrangement utilizes an archived date management table and archive dates to conduct operations.

Abstract: When configuring volume allocation on a storage device, it is confirmed that design information on the volume allocation is in compliance with an operational policy of a system and there is no mistake in design so as to configure the volume allocation on the storage device in the case where there is no problem. A computer system including: a host computer 2; a storage device 3 for providing a volume to the host computer 2 via a one network 5; and a management computer 1 connected to the storage device 3 via a network 6, wherein when a storage manager configures volume allocation of the storage device 3, the management computer 1 gathers configuration information on the volume allocation from the storage device 3 and makes a comparison between design information on the volume allocation to be configured on the storage device 3 inputted by the storage manager and the gathered configuration information on the volume allocation so as to identify changes.

Abstract: There is proposed a backup apparatus and a backup method capable of improving the cost performance of a storage apparatus. A backup volume having a capacity corresponding to at least the summation of the capacities of online volumes is created. The storage area of the created backup volume is divided into at least the same number of partitions as the online volumes. Backup data for each of the online volumes is stored in a corresponding one of the partitions.

Abstract: To provide a storage system and a file management device which enable obtaining a file, without designating detailed information. A client is provided with a read request module that sends a file read request containing information corresponding to a file name and an archived date of the file. A WORM archive server is provided with a file identifying module that extracts information corresponding to the file archived date and the file name from the file read request that was received from the client, and identifies the latest archived file with the file name registered before the archived date corresponding to the extracted information from among files recorded in a storage device, and a file sending module that sends the identified data to the client that sent the request.

Abstract: A method of characterizing a video includes the steps of extracting frame images from an input video, calculating a time length between each of the frame images and a next one of the frame images, assigning index information determined by the calculated time length to each of the frame images, stringing together the index information assigned to the frame images, and characterizing the input video by the strung-together index information. The index information is a character code, and the strung-together index information is a character code string. The frame images include head frame images located at scene changes of the input video. The input video is being broadcasted or is included in a data base.

Abstract: The invention is intended to provide a backup control technique for protecting the safety of data stored in a storage system while minimizing the processing load in the storage system. A storage system 10 receives a command from a host computer 50 to write data control limitation data stipulating backup limitations, the data control imitation data is written to an expanded VTOC part where a storage area protected as the VTOC among the storage areas in the volume has been expanded, and backup is controlled based on the data control limitation data written to the expanded VTOC part.

Abstract: In a data archive system, a time necessary for to processing a search task is shortened. A data archive system according to this invention includes: a storage apparatus including plural volumes in which data is stored; plural search servers which process a search task which requests a search for desired data; and a management server that includes a CPU, an interface, and a memory and manages the search servers, in which the management server has a table adapted to manage the data stored in the volumes, obtains load information concerning the search servers, selects each of the search servers, which is to process the search task based on the load information, identifies each of the volumes, in which the data requested with the search task is stored, based on the table, and notifies the selected search server of the volume, and the search server processes the search task with respect to the volume.

Abstract: A port assignment device capable of properly distributing loads on each of a plurality of ports is provided. The device assigning a plurality of ports, storing data from external devices via a network in a plurality of storage modules and managing the data in the storage modules by a plurality of targets processing initiator commands from the external devices, to the targets includes a load information storage module which stores load information indicating a load on each port assigned to each of the targets and a processing module which alters the port assignment to each target so as to disperse the load on each port based on the load information stored in the load information storage module. It then becomes possible to control amounts of data to be transmitted or received, that is, to properly distribute such amounts of data.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a list of information resources that are classified by the construction conditions requested by a user from the information resources stored in the storage device as the list of the information resources reflects the current information. A control server 100 which is connected to one or more of storage devices 500 through a network 2 comprises: means which accepts a construction condition for file data stored in the storage device 500; means which creates and stores information (virtual view information)that is associated with a file name and a stored location of the file data satisfying the construction condition; means which accepts a presentation request for the virtual view information from a user, and represents the stored virtual view information; means which updates the stored virtual view information when the file associated with the virtual view information is accessed.

Abstract: When one-video program data (layer-coded data) of a plurality of layers is transmitted in a single channel, a video signal is layer-coded in an MPEG system, the layer-coded ES (Elementary Stream) data is converted to a PES (Packetized Elementary Stream) for each layer, and the PES is then converted to a RTP (Real-Time Protocol) packet, which is then converted to a UDP (User Datagram Protocol). An identifier is then annexed to a UDP packet data for each layer to form an IP (Internet Protocol) packet.