Abstract: Device component information (physical information, logical information) on each device such as a host computer, a switch, and storage on the SAN is acquired via an LAN 9. Element information is created from the acquired device component information. According to the element information, a link between element information is created. Furthermore, when a plurality of links are established for an element, information is stored in advance so as to be used for selecting one of the links. Thus, each element stored the minimum information for routing and it becomes possible to search an associated element more effectively.

Abstract: When information on a device such as a server, storage, and an FC switch constituting a SNA system is input, these devices are displayed and arranged properly on a screen (S1, S2). When information on a physical path is input by a designer by using this display screen, a virtual SAN system in which the devices are connected by a fiber channel is displayed on the screen (S3). Furthermore, when information on an access path is input by the designer by using the construction image, the access path is additionally displayed on the construction image of the virtual SAN system (S5). Since the construction image of the virtual SAN system is displayed on the screen, the designer can easily create a design drawing while visually checking the SAN system. This can reduce the work load and time required for construction of the SAN system.

Abstract: Device component information (physical information, logical information) on each device such as a host computer, a switch, and storage on the SAN is acquired via an LAN 9. Element information is created from the acquired device component information. According to the element information, a link between element information is created. Furthermore, when a plurality of links are established for an element, information is stored in advance so as to be used for selecting one of the links. Thus, each element stored the minimum information for routing and it becomes possible to search an associated element more effectively.

Abstract: When information on a device such as a server, storage, and an FC switch constituting a SNA system is input, these devices are displayed and arranged properly on a screen (S1, S2). When information on a physical path is input by a designer by using this display screen, a virtual SAN system in which the devices are connected by a fiber channel is displayed on the screen (S3). Furthermore, when information on an access path is input by the designer by using the construction image, the access path is additionally displayed on the construction image of the virtual SAN system (S5). Since the construction image of the virtual SAN system is displayed on the screen, the designer can easily create a design drawing while visually checking the SAN system. This can reduce the work load and time required for construction of the SAN system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a storage service method adopted in a storage apparatus managing storage devices that a server accesses to store information, a storage service program thereof and a storage apparatus thereof. When a server accesses a device file that is related to a storage device in advance, access to the storage device corresponding to the device file is detected, and then a storage service fee to be charged against the server is calculated based on the detection of the access to the storage device. Thus, a storage capacity that a client wants can be easily secured, and simultaneously a rental fee can be charged in accordance with the actually used storage capacity.

Abstract: The present invention provides a storage service method to be adopted in a storage apparatus managing storage devices, that a server accesses to store information, a storage service program thereof and a storage apparatus thereof. First, access volume information indicating the volume of accesses to a storage apparatus of the server is obtained, and then, a storage service fee to be charged to the server is calculated based on the obtained access volume information. Thus, a rental fee can be charged in accordance with actually used storage capacity.

Abstract: The logic blocks which were swept out from a non-compression cache memory are compressed by a compressing circuit and are combined to a compression group (logic sector size) of a fixed length in which a plurality of compression data are collected by a compression group forming unit. The compression group is stored into a logic sector of a disk drive through a compression cache memory. A correspondence relation with a plurality of logic blocks included in the logic sectors of a disk is registered in a mapping table. In response to a request by the logic block number from the host computer, the logic sector (compression group) of the disk drive is read and written with reference to the mapping table.