Abstract: A storage device includes a storage for storing data to be accessed by a computer and an access processing module that controls data access between the storage and the computer. The storage device is equipped with a management interface, a storage region allocation module and a performance allocation module. The management interface receives from a management computer a storage region allocation request to allocate a storage region to the computer. The storage region allocation module allocates to the computer, according to the storage region allocation request, an unallocated storage region in the storage in a manner accessible by the computer. The performance allocation module allocates to the computer, according to the storage region allocation request, performance of at least one target module in the storage device that affects data access between the computer and the storage region allocated.

Abstract: In a computer system having hierarchically-arranged data storage apparatuses, a management computer provides information required for performing operation on the data storage apparatuses. Through a network for collecting management information, storage area information and hierarchy information are collected from each data storage apparatus. Management relation information is created using the collected storage area information and the collected hierarchy information together with programs for respectively managing the data storage apparatuses, and, the created management relation information is held. Based on the created management relation information, a display screen expressing the hierarchy of the data storage apparatuses is created. Further, responding to operation by a user, a return considering the hierarchy is displayed.

Abstract: In a computer system having a storage system in which storage units are hierarchically configured, a management method for accurately grasping the capacity available to the computer is disclosed.

Abstract: When an active data copy process relative to a logical storage device is performed without involving a computer, an access permission/rejection of the computer to the logical storage device is checked by referring to a correspondence between WWN of the computer and a logical storage device identifier LUN to thereby determine whether an access to a copy source logical storage device and a copy destination logical storage device is permitted or not. It is therefore possible to prevent an outflow of illegal data from a storage subsystem to be caused by an active copy instruction command.

Abstract: A storage system includes plural storage apparatuses storing data, and a storage controller which transmits and receives data between an external computer and the plural storage apparatuses, and further controls the plural storage apparatuses. Logical devices each representing a logical storage area are defined on the storage apparatuses. When one logical device is in a state of allocation to the external computer and stores data used by the external computer, and the logical device is deallocated from the external computer, the storage controller performs a processing such as erasing data from the logical device to be deallocated. The processing is performed according to the logical device being deallocated.

Abstract: In a system where a management application sends commands to a remotely-located agent over a network, the agent maintains a security specification table defining the security level for each combination of the cipher and authentication algorithms of the communication path to/from the management application and a required security level table defining the minimum security level required for the execution of each command. Upon receiving a command from the management application, the agent obtains, by referencing these tables, the operational security level of the communication path and the required security level for the command, and executes the command only if the former is greater than or equal to the latter. This mechanism ensures high security in system management by preventing a malicious intruder from executing potent commands that can cause a down of a computer system, without unreasonably limiting the use of the management application by the system administrator.

Abstract: In a computer system having a storage system in which storage units are hierarchically configured, a management method for accurately grasping the capacity available to the computer is disclosed.

Abstract: The management computer 600 copies data in the volume 111 within the storage device 100A to the volume 115 within the storage device 100B. Upon completion of copy processing, the volume 115 is set to write protect. Then, the data in the volume 111 is read from the storage device 100A, and the data in the volume 115 is also read from the storage device 100B, to compare the two data items. Only when the data items agree with each other, setting of FC switch 400 is changed, and a target of the host computer 500 is switched from the storage device 100A to the storage device 100B. Therefore, it is possible to detect or prevent an illegal data modification in the course of data copying from the source volume to the destination volume.

Abstract: In a computer system having a storage system in which storage units are hierarchically configured, a management method for accurately grasping the capacity available to the computer is disclosed.

Abstract: The disk is connected to the server appliance via the network. The server appliance accessing the disk for storing the data is changed to change the server appliance processing the data. Here, the change of the server appliance for processing the data is simultaneously reflected to the setting of the service provided by the computer system.

Abstract: The management computer 600 copies data in the volume 111 within the storage device 100A to the volume 115 within the storage device 100B. Upon completion of copy processing, the volume 115 is set to write protect. Then, the data in the volume 111 is read from the storage device 100A, and the data in the volume 115 is also read from the storage device 100B, to compare the two data items. Only when the data items agree with each other, setting of FC switch 400 is changed, and a target of the host computer 500 is switched from the storage device 100A to the storage device 100B. Therefore, it is possible to detect or prevent an illegal data modification in the course of data copying from the source volume to the destination volume.

Abstract: The management computer 600 copies data in the volume 111 within the storage device 100A to the volume 115 within the storage device 100B. Upon completion of copy processing, the volume 115 is set to write protect. Then, the data in the volume 111 is read from the storage device 100A, and the data in the volume 115 is also read from the storage device 100B, to compare the two data items. Only when the data items agree with each other, setting of FC switch 400 is changed, and a target of the host computer 500 is switched from the storage device 100A to the storage device 100B. Therefore, it is possible to detect or prevent an illegal data modification in the course of data copying from the source volume to the destination volume.

Abstract: In order to store data in disk drives securely in an environment with a mixture of disk drives having write protection mechanisms and disk drives without write protection mechanisms, a different write protection mechanism must be checked for each of the disk drives, and write protection must be defined for each of the disk drives storing data to be saved, which may impose a large load on system administrators. There is provided a storage controller for performing data input/output processing from a computer by managing volumes of multiple storage subsystems as external volumes and by using these external volumes as virtual volumes. In the data input/output processing, write protection is achieved based on an access attribute set for each of the virtual volumes. When an access attribute is set for a virtual volume, the same access attribute is set for an external volume corresponding to the virtual volume. Thus, the write protection is achieved for the external volume corresponding to the virtual volume.

Abstract: A case capable of airtightly closing an opening of a mouth of a case body by screwing a lid on the case body; and rotating the lid smoothly in the circumferential direction when the lid is screwed on or unscrewed from the case body. The case including a case body having a mouth, and a lid detachably screwed on the mouth so as to close an opening of the mouth and connected to the case body via an opening and closing hinge so as to pivot in directions of opening and closing the mouth is provided with a rotary ring fitted and held around the mouth so as to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof and connected to the lid via the opening and closing hinge so that the lid rotates together with the rotary ring.

Abstract: In a computer system having hierarchically-arranged data storage apparatuses, a management computer provides information required for performing operation on the data storage apparatuses. Through a network for collecting management information, storage area information and hierarchy information are collected from each data storage apparatus. Management relation information is created using the collected storage area information and the collected hierarchy information together with programs for respectively managing the data storage apparatuses, and, the created management relation information is held. Based on the created management relation information, a display screen expressing the hierarchy of the data storage apparatuses is created. Further, responding to operation by a user, a return considering the hierarchy is displayed.

Abstract: In a computer system having a storage system in which storage units are hierarchically configured, a management method for accurately grasping the capacity available to the computer is disclosed.

Abstract: A storage device includes a storage for storing data to be accessed by a computer and an access processing module that controls data access between the storage and the computer. The storage device is equipped with a management interface, a storage region allocation module and a performance allocation module. The management interface receives from a management computer a storage region allocation request to allocate a storage region to the computer. The storage region allocation module allocates to the computer, according to the storage region allocation request, an unallocated storage region in the storage in a manner accessible by the computer. The performance allocation module allocates to the computer, according to the storage region allocation request, performance of at least one target module in the storage device that affects data access between the computer and the storage region allocated.

Abstract: In an environment in which storages are intensively collected, many unused areas are generated and no storage resources can be efficiently used as a storage pool. The capacity utilization (data capacity) of a storage device (volume) allocated to a computer is obtained and future capacity utilization is estimated from a change in the data capacity. Upper limit securing capacity and lower limit securing capacity showing the upper and lower limits of appropriate allocating capacity calculated from this estimated capacity utilization, and the capacity of the storage device are compared with each other. When the capacity of the storage device (old device) is greater than the upper limit securing capacity, the storage device (new device) of the lower limit securing capacity or more and the upper limit securing capacity or less is allocated from the storage pool, and the old device is collected in the storage pool.

Abstract: In a system where a management application sends commands to a remotely-located agent over a network, the agent maintains a security specification table defining the security level for each combination of the cipher and authentication algorithms of the communication path to/from the management application and a required security level table defining the minimum security level required for the execution of each command. Upon receiving a command from the management application, the agent obtains, by referencing these tables, the operational security level of the communication path and the required security level for the command, and executes the command only if the former is greater than or equal to the latter. This mechanism ensures high security in system management by preventing a malicious intruder from executing potent commands that can cause a down of a computer system, without unreasonably limiting the use of the management application by the system administrator.

Abstract: Data states of storage apparatuses are managed. When a storage apparatus is allocated from a storage pool to a computer, management information written in the storage apparatus is erased if the data state of the storage apparatus is unknown. When the storage apparatus becomes unnecessary and is restored to the storage pool, the management information is also erased. Further, when the storage apparatus is allocated to the computer, a level of confidentiality is set. When the storage apparatus is restored to the storage pool, data in the storage apparatus is automatically erased according to the set level of confidentiality.