Patent ID: 8423822
Filing Date: 2013-04-16
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A storage system comprising: a first storage apparatus communicatively coupled to a host computer and capable of providing a first storage volume; a second storage apparatus communicatively coupled to the host computer and the first storage apparatus and capable of providing a second storage volume and a third storage volume; and a third storage apparatus communicatively coupled to the host computer and the second storage apparatus and capable of providing a fourth storage volume, wherein the first storage apparatus provides the host computer with a first virtual apparatus ID set for the first storage apparatus, a first virtual volume ID set for the first storage volume, and a first virtual port ID set for a network port in the first storage apparatus, as information for identifying a first path the host computer uses when sending a first data I/O request to the first storage volume, the second storage apparatus provides the host computer with a second virtual apparatus ID set for the second storage apparatus, a second virtual volume ID set for the second storage volume, and a second virtual port ID set for a network port in the second storage apparatus, as information for identifying a second path the host computer uses when sending a second data I/O request to the second storage volume, the second storage apparatus provides the host computer with the second virtual apparatus ID set for the second storage apparatus, a third virtual volume ID set for the third storage volume, and a third virtual port ID set for a network port in the second storage apparatus, as information for identifying a third path the host computer uses when sending a third data I/O request to the third storage volume, the third storage apparatus provides the host computer with a third virtual apparatus ID set for the third storage apparatus, a fourth virtual volume ID set for the fourth storage volume, and a fourth virtual port ID set for a network port in the third storage apparatus, as information for identifying a fourth path the host computer uses when sending a fourth data I/O request to the fourth storage volume, the first storage apparatus, the second storage apparatus, and the third storage apparatus provide the host computer with a common virtual apparatus ID as the first virtual apparatus ID, the second virtual apparatus ID, and the third virtual apparatus ID, the first storage apparatus, the second storage apparatus, and the third storage apparatus provide the host computer with a common virtual volume ID as the first virtual volume ID, the second virtual volume ID, the third virtual volume ID, and the fourth virtual volume ID, when the first storage apparatus is normally operating, the first storage apparatus receives the first data I/O request from the host computer via the first path to perform data I/O to and from the first storage volume and performs management using a remote copy function for a pair of the first storage volume and the second storage volume, and when an error occurs in the first storage apparatus: