Patent ID: 7117331
Filing Date: 2006-10-03
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A storage control system, connected to an external storage control system and a host device, for controlling access by the host device to the storage resources in the external storage control system, comprising: a plurality of logical storage devices that store data exchanged with the host device; one or a plurality of physical storage devices comprising the plurality of logical storage devices; a cache memory that stores data exchanged between the host device and the physical storage devices; a shared memory in which control information relating to the data is stored; a channel control unit, having a control processor, that receives control system information from the external storage control system and controls data communications between the cache memory and at least one of the host device and the external storage control system; a disk control unit that controls data communications between the cache memory and the physical storage devices; and a key information item storage area that stores one or a plurality of key information items with a fixed constitution, wherein the control system information includes a plurality of information items; each of the one or the plurality of key information items corresponds with each of the type or types of the external storage control system and includes, in a predetermined location in the each key information item, an information element that indicates the location of a particular information item among the plurality of information items in the control system information; and the control processor of the channel control unit selects a key information item from among the one or the plurality of key information items, judges whether, in the location in the control system information received from the external storage control system and indicated by the information element in the selected key information item, there exists an information item conforming with the particular information item indicated by the information element in the selected key information item, and forms a logical path between the host device and the storage resources in the external storage control system when an affirmative judgment result is obtained but does not form the logical path when a negative judgment result is obtained.