Patent ID: 7886121
Filing Date: 2011-02-08
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer system, coupled to a computer, the computer system comprising: a first storage system having a plurality of first storage areas for storing data; a second storage system coupled to the computer and the first storage system to provide one of the first storage areas in the first storage system to the computer as a virtual storage area; a first management computer coupled to the first storage system and controlling the first storage system and the data stored in the first storage area; and a second management computer coupled to the second storage system and controlling the second storage system and the data stored in the first storage area corresponding to the virtual storage area, wherein the first storage system includes first hierarchy information which indicates a correspondence between the plurality of first storage areas in the first storage system and the virtual storage areas in the second storage system and the second storage system includes second hierarchy information which indicates a correspondence between the plurality of first storage areas in the first storage system and the virtual storage areas in the second storage system, wherein the first management computer transmits identification information of a first manager managing the first storage system and a control request for a given first storage area of the first storage areas; wherein the first storage system receives the identification information of the first manager and the control request from the first management computer, and determines, based on the first hierarchy information managed by the first storage system, whether the given first storage area constituting an object of the control request corresponds to the virtual storage area, and when the given first storage area corresponds to the virtual storage area, the first storage system transmits an approval request to the second storage system to approve the control request for the given first storage areas; wherein the second storage system receives the approval request from the first storage system, transfers the approval request to the second management computer, and based on information, which indicates approval or denial of the approval control request from the second management computer used by a second manager managing the virtual storage area associated with the approval request, transmits contents of a response to the approval request; and wherein the first storage system receives the contents of the response from the second storage system, when the contents of a response is approval, the first storage system processes the control request, and when the contents of a response is denial, the first storage system rejects the control request, wherein the second storage system, upon receipt of a setting request from the second management computer to set the correspondence of another first storage area of the plurality of first storage areas in the first storage system to a lower level than another virtual storage area in the second storage system, updates the second hierarchy information based on the setting request and transmits a setting instruction which indicates the correspondence of another first storage area of the plurality of first storage areas in the first storage system to the first storage system to set the correspondence of the another first storage area to a lower level than the another virtual storage area in the second storage system, and wherein the first storage system updates the first hierarchy information based on the setting instruction.