Patent ID: 7346599
Filing Date: 2008-03-18
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A storage system comprising: at least one disk drive that stores data to which an update prohibitive attribute with an expiration term is assigned; and a memory managing a correspondence relation between a management server, that is separate from the storage system, and an authentication information of the management server, the management server managing current time and information regarding the expiration term of the update prohibitive attribute; wherein the storage system is configured to request the management server to verify based on current time and the information regarding the expiration term of the update prohibitive attribute whether the expiration term of the update prohibitive attribute has passed or not, and to receive from the management server authentication information along with permission to change the update prohibitive attribute when the expiration term of the update prohibitive attribute has passed; wherein when the storage system receives the authentication information from the management server, based on the corresponding relation between the management server and the authentication information of the management server, the storage system checks the authenticity of the management server from which the permission is received, and wherein when the management server is authenticated, the storage system determines that the permission to change the update prohibitive attribute is sent from the authenticated management server and changes the update prohibitive attribute according to the permission.