Abstract:
A system renting out file servers to many companies in a data center has a security problem so that the user cannot perform operation needing manager authorization in the file servers. An OS provides execution administrative area information of an application program designated by process information which can specify the range of an accessible device to operate the server system of the customer in the administrative area information.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a network connection type storage, a server system and an operating system. 
   When providing a service using the Internet, companies may use a service provided by a data center to reduce Internet connecting equipment and the cost of building a computer system. 
   The data center has Internet connecting equipment and rents out server installation space and servers of companies (customers) which desire to provide a service using the Internet. Generally, independent storages rented out to the customers are often allocated to hold security between the customers. 
   However, in the method for allocating independent storages to customers, it is difficult to change the storage volume flexibly rented out according to change in demand of the customers. All storages must be monitored for failure. The managing cost is higher due to increase in the number of storages. 
   Logically divided bulk storages are logical volumes. Customer servers and the bulk storages are connected by the SAN (Storage Area Network). Managing the storages can be concentrated to reduce the managing cost. However, a fiber channel interface which is currently dominant in the SAN is expensive. Customers make an agreement by a money amount according to installation space. There is no enough space for adding the interface to the customer servers. 
   The NAS (Network Attached Storage) uses the NFS service and the CIFS service so that a file system incorporated into the NAS or generated on a storage connected via a storage interface such as SCSI and a fiber channel can store a file into other information processors and share it via a network. The NAS can release a file system below the specified directory and can be set to release plural directories. 
   For Internet connection, in the data center, almost all customer servers have a network interface. The NAS can provide a storage service to plural customers without adding hardware to the customer servers. The NAS often uses a general-purpose OS (operating system) and may suffer from damages caused by hacking of a malicious user and file tampering and file deletion due to virus. When the plural customers share the NAS, these damages may affect all the customers sharing the same NAS. 
   The NAS of Network Appliance has MultiStore (“Data ONTAP 6.2 MultiStore Administration Guide”). This can provide plural virtual servers called vfiler such as the CIFS service and the NFS service having one or more IP addresses and volumes on one system. The vfiler is allocated to each customer, permitting user management and independent setting for each customer. 
   The vfiler allows the customer to execute a command using the rsh protocol. The setting of the NFS service can be changed. A back-up device connected to the NAS cannot be used. To use the back-up device connected to the NAS, a system managing the entire system must be used. 
   A system using virtual computers to allocate an independent OS to each customer for providing a service is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-024192. In the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-024192, plural OSes are operated on one computer to allocate an independent resource, that is, a main storage and a network adapter to each of the OSes. Since the resource is not shared between the OSes, user management and independent setting for each customer can be made easily. Further, the system can be used for back-up by allocating the resource of a back-up device. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In order that the data center can ensure security to companies (customers) who desire to provide a service using the Internet and can change the storage volume rented out according to change in demand, the prior art system has both merits and demerits. For example, in the method for sharing the NAS using a general-purpose OS by plural customers, when the NAS is hacked by access through a breach of the security of one customer, the resource for each customer is not isolated on the NAS. The damage may affect all the customers sharing the NAS. When the NAS uses a back-up device connected to the NAS for back-up, an application such as a database using the file sharing service of the NAS is brought into a back-up mode. The operation of the customer server holding matching of data on the disk and the back-up operation transferring data to the back-up device must be engaged. The operation is troublesome. 
   In the MultiStore method, the customer side does not have the management authorization of a tape device. So, the operation of the customer side cannot sample back-up. The vfiler cannot flexibly change the range of the management authorization given to the customer. When the management authorization is given to the customer to restore data from the tape device, data is developed to the disk area of other customers by an operation error of the customer side, giving damage to the other customers. The security problem among the customers such as achieving access to data of the other customers arises. 
   In the method using virtual computers, all resources are allocated to the virtual computers. The resource allocation may not be uniform depending on the operation state of the virtual computers. A cache area caching data on the disk on the main storage to make file access faster is independent for each of the virtual computers. The low-load virtual computer has an extra cache area, which cannot be the cache area of the high-load virtual computer. This is because the allocation change of the main storage is not easy, for example, the virtual computer must be restarted. 
   The present invention can realize a data center which independently permits or limits not only an IP address and a volume but also the access right of a physical device and a logical device and can function as a virtual server increasing the free degree of operating management. The physical device or the logical device which can be accessed from the virtual server is limited. The influence by illegal access from a customer can be eliminated. The management authorization necessary for the operating management can be given flexibly to the customer. 
   Specifically, an OS incorporates a function that sets in detail the management authorization given to the customer side and a function limiting customer operation so as not to exceed the range of the management authorization given to the customer side. Specifically, to process information managed by the OS, administrative area information is added for executing an application program designated by the process information. Newly generated process information takes over the administrative area information. This adds the administrative area information to all process information of the application program executed by the customer. The administrative area information includes accessible physical devices or logical devices, accessible network I/F (interface), a network routing table, a protocol table, a mount table of a file system, and a process information list belonging to the administrative area information. 
   For the data center manager, a function generating process information having specified administrative area information and a function changing the administrative area information are provided. 
   For the problem that back-up cannot be sampled into the tape only by operation of the customer side can be solved as follows. The management authorization of the tape device is given to the customer on the OS, as one administrative area information. The data center manager uses the function changing the administrative area information to give the management authorization of the tape device to the customer when necessary. 
   The present invention can realize a virtual server function for each customer on a single OS managing the shared resources together. The resources managed together by the OS are equivalently used to a request of any application program designated by the process information. The resources can be used effectively according to a load, so the load in the virtual computers will be uniform. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram showing an example of a system of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram showing main software and data operated on in an information processor  101  and their relation; 
       FIG. 3  is a diagram showing the detail of a specific example of administrative area information by taking administrative area information for company A  232  as an example; 
       FIG. 4  is a diagram showing the processing flow of a process information generating program  211 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a diagram showing the processing flow of a process information control processing program  217 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a diagram showing the processing flow of an administrative area information change processing program  212 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a diagram showing the processing flow of a permitted device decision program  213 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a diagram showing processing functions and data structures of a file system processing program  214 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a diagram showing the processing flow of a mount processing program  808  including device allocation of the processing functions of the file system processing program  214 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a diagram showing processing functions and data structures of a storage I/O processing program  215 ; 
       FIG. 11  is a diagram showing the processing flow of an open processing program  1001  deciding device access permission of the storage I/O processing program  215 ; 
       FIG. 12  is a diagram showing the processing flow of a program for apparatus management  201  operated on the information processor  101 ; 
       FIG. 13  is a diagram showing the processing flow of a program for company A management  202  operated on the information processor  101 ; and 
       FIG. 14  is a diagram showing the processing flow of a process information generating program  211 ′ having a function mounting a root file system when administrative area information is generated in the process information generating program. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Embodiment I 
   Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below in detail using  FIGS. 1 to 13 . First, the overview of components according to the present invention will be described. Next, processing procedures and data structures will be described in detail. 
     FIG. 1  is a diagram showing an example of an effective system by applying the present invention. The numeral  101  denotes a data center. The data center  100  is provided with an information processor  101  which is connected to a PC for data center manager  147 , a Web server for company A  148  and a Web server for company B  149  via LAN for management  141 , LAN for company A  142  and LAN for company B  143 , respectively. The LAN for company A  142  and the LAN for company B  143  are connected to Internet  146  via a firewall A  144  and a firewall B  145 . The information processor  101  is provided with a bus  113  which is connected to a CPU  111 , a memory  112 , network I/F for management  121 , network I/F for company A  122 , network I/F for company B  123  and storage I/F  131 . The CPU  111  executes an application program designated by process information. As described later, the CPU  111  executes the processing programs of various processing parts of an OS to generate and manage administrative area information. 
   The network I/F for management  121  is connected to the LAN for management  141 . The network I/F for company A  122  is connected to the LAN for company A  142 . The network I/F for company B  123  is connected to the LAN for company B  143 . The LAN for management  141  is LAN for data center management. The manager manages the information processor  101  by the PC for data center manager  147  connected thereto. The LAN for company A  142  is LAN for company A using a storage service of the data center and is connected to the Web server for company A  148  and the firewall A  144 . The LAN for company B  143  is LAN for company B using a storage service of the data center and is connected to the Web server for company B  149  and the firewall B  145 . 
   The storage I/F  131  is connected to a 1st hard disk  151 , a 2nd hard disk  152 , a 3rd hard disk  153  (Hereinafter, the hard disk is called a disk.) and a tape device  154 . The 1st disk  151  stores data and necessary programs used for managing the information processor  101 . 
   The 2nd disk  152  and the 3rd disk  153  of a suitable logical volume structure are used for storing data for providing the Web services for the company A and the company B. The company A and the company B use the tape device  154  for data back-up. The 2nd disk  152  and the 3rd disk  153  of a suitable logical volume structure are allocated to the company A and the company B, which is advantageous in operation. In the following description, for simplifying the description, the 2nd disk  152  and the 3rd disk  153  are allocated to the company A and the company B. 
   The data center  100  is accessed from outside via the Internet  146 . The numeral  161  denotes a PC for company A manager and the numeral  162 , a PC for company B manager. When the company A manager and the company B manager must correct the contents of the Web service or store data of the use state of the Web service as back-up into the tape, they use the PC for company A manager  161  and the PC for company B manager  162  to access the Web server for company A  148  and the Web server for company B  149 . Further, general users  163 - 165  connected to the Internet  146  access the Web server for company A  148  and the Web server for company B  149  to use the Web service. 
   It is important that the data center  100  can increase the free degree of the operating management of the customer and eliminate the influence of illegal access from the customer or the general users. 
     FIG. 2  is a diagram showing main programs and information operated on the information processor  101  and their relation. 
   On the memory  112  of the information processor  101 , there are installed, as application programs, a program for apparatus management  201 , a program for company A management  202 , a file server program for company A  203 , a program for company B management  204  and a file server program for company B  205 . These are stored into the 1st disk  151  to be developed by the memory  112  when necessary. 
   The program for apparatus management  201  is an application program operated on the information processor  101  and is communicated with the PC for data center manager  147 . The program for apparatus management  201  starts the program for company A management  202  and the program for company B management  204  and changes the access permission of the tape device  154  to administrative area information for company A  232  and administrative area information for company B  233 . 
   The program for company A management  202  sets operation of the file server program for company A  203  to start the file server program for company A  203 . The program for company A management  202  is communicated with the Web server for company A  148  to which the company A manager accesses from the PC for company A manager  161  for login to stop and restart the file server program for company A  203  for making back-up of data to the tape device  154 . 
   The file server program for company A  203  receives a file access request requested by the Web server for company A  148 . The file server program for company A  203  uses the file system processing program  214  provided by an OS (operating system)  210  to write and read a file to/from the 2nd disk  152 , and returns the result to the Web server for company A  148 . 
   The operation of the program for company B management  204  and the file server program for company B  205  is similar to that of the program for company A management  202  and the file server program for company A  203 . 
   The OS  210  stores various information. Based on the information, the OS  210  is operated on the information processor  101  to provide various interfaces to the application programs  201  to  205 . The OS  210  performs control of process information and I/O processing and provides a file system service. 
   As information stored, there are 1st process information  221 , 2nd process information  222 , - - - , 5th process information  225  necessary for allocation of the CPU  111  which is an executing substance to the above application programs; administrative area information for management  231 , administrative area information for company A  232  and administrative area information for company B  233  which are permitting and limiting information of an accessible device when various application programs are executed based on the information; and network I/F information  241  for management, network I/F information for company A  242  and network I/F information for company B  243  which are managing information for the network I/F for management  121 , the network I/F for company A  122  and the network I/F for company B  123 . 
   The OS  210  stores various processing parts. The processing part refers to a program for performing the function of the OS. These are as follows: a process information generating program  211  called when generating process information; a process information control processing program  217  controlling stop, termination and restart of the application program designated by the process information; an administrative area information change processing program  212  called when changing information permitting and limiting a device accessible to the application program designated by the process information; a permitted device decision program  213  checking its validity at access to the device; a file system processing program  214  providing a file system service; and a storage I/O processing program  215  performing input and output from/to the 1st disk  151 , the 2nd disk  152 , the 3rd disk  153  and the tape device  154  connected to the storage I/F  131 ; and a network I/F processing program  216  performing communication via the network I/F  121 , the network I/F  122  and the network I/F  123 . 
   The 1st process information  221  is process information designating the program for apparatus management  201  and is information for managing the operation of the program for apparatus management  201 . The 1st process information  221  belongs to the administrative area information for management  231  and is given a limit for an accessible device based on the information. 
   The 2nd process information  222  is process information designating the program for company A management  202  and is information for managing the operation of the program for company A management  202 . The 3rd process information  223  is process information designating the file server program for company A  203  and is information for managing the operation of the file server program for company A  203 . The 2nd process information  222  and the 3rd process information  223  belong to the administrative area information for company A  232  and are given a limit for an accessible device based on the information. 
   The 4th process information  224  is process information designating the program for company B management  204  and is information for managing the operation of the program for company B management  204 . The 5th process information  225  is process information designating the file server program for company B  205  and is information for managing the operation of the file server program for company B  205 . The 4th process information  224  and the 5th process information  225  belong to the administrative area information for company B  233  and are given a limit for an accessible device based on the information. 
   The administrative area information for management  231  is separated in  FIG. 2  and is assumed to integrate the 1st process information  221  and the network I/F information for management  241  corresponding to the network I/F for management  121 . The administrative area information for management  231  performs apparatus management. The administrative area information for management  231  can be accessed only by the data center manager from the PC for data center manager  147  via the LAN for management  141  and is managed to hold information for managing the access right to all the devices. 
   The administrative area information for company A  232  is separated in  FIG. 2  and is assumed to integrate the 2nd process information  222 , the 3rd process information  223  and the network I/F information for company A  242  storing the managing information corresponding to the network I/F for company A  122 . The administrative area information for company A  232  provides operation administrative area information of the file server program for company A  203  and is managed by the PC for data center manager  147  so as to hold information for managing the access right to the 2nd disk  152  and the device of the network I/F for company A  122  permitted to the company A by the agreement of the data center  100  and the company A. The access right from the PC for company A manager  161  of the company A manager via the LAN for company A  142  to the tape device  154  is given only by a predetermined time by the agreement. 
   The administrative area information for company B  233  is separated in  FIG. 2  and is assumed to integrate the 4th process information  224 , the 5th process information  225  and the network I/F information for company B  243  storing the managing information corresponding to the network I/F for company B  123 . The administrative area information for company B  233  provides operation administrative area information of the file server program for company B  205  and is managed by the PC for data center manager  147  so as to hold information for managing the access right to the 3rd disk  153  and the device of the network I/F for company B  123  permitted to the company B by the agreement of the data center  100  and the company B. The access right from the PC for company B manager  162  of the company B manager via the LAN for company B  143  to the tape device  154  is given only by a predetermined time by the agreement. 
   The network I/F information for management  241 , the network I/F information for company A  242  and the network I/F information for company B  243  correspond to the network for management  121 , the network for company A  122  and the network for company B  123 , respectively, and are managing information of the network interfaces. They store the pointer of administrative area information to which the network I/F belongs and can uniquely decide administrative area information storing received data. The network I/F information for management  241 , the network I/F information for company A  242  and the network I/F information for company B  243  are independent information. As described above, they are handled to be integral with the administrative area information for management  231 , the administrative area information for company A  232  and the administrative area information for company B  233 . 
   The process information generating program  211  is a program called by the program for apparatus management  201 , the program for company A management  202  and the program for company B management  204 . The process information generating program  211  has a function generating process information belonging to the same administrative area information as the application program calling the same. In addition to this, the process information generating program  211  has a function specifying administrative area information to generate new administrative area information and generating process information belonging to the administrative area information. The function generating new administrative area information is enabled only in execution of the program for apparatus management  201  belonging to the administrative area information for management  231 . That is, the manager authorization is given only to the data center manager. 
   The process information control processing program  217  can control stop, termination and restart of the application program designated by the process information. In this function, the program for apparatus management  201  designated by the 1st process information  221  belonging to the administrative area information for management  231  can control all the application programs. The application programs designated by the process information not belonging to the administrative area information for management  231  (the programs designated by the 2nd process information  222  to the 5th process information  225  belonging to the administrative area information for company A  232  and the administrative area information for company B  233 ) can control only the application program belonging to the same administrative area information. 
   The administrative area information change processing program  212  can set and change permission and prohibition of device access to specified administrative area information. This function can be executed only by the program for apparatus management  201  designated by the 1st process information  221  belonging to the administrative area information for management  231 . That is, the manager authorization is given only to the data center manager. 
   When access from the application program to the device is requested, the permitted device decision program  213  refers to the administrative area information, to which belongs the process information designating the application program which has required the access. When the device to be accessed is not access permitted by the application program, the access to the device is failed. 
   The file system processing program  214  manages data arrangement on the disk and can provide the name space of a tree structure using a disk area and store a file. In the name space, the root of a tree called a root directory is expressed as “/” which is a start point for searching a file name. It also has the knot of a tree called a directory having a name and the leaf of a tree called a file having a name. The directory stores a subordinate directory and a file name and uses “/” as the separator between directories. The name of the tree structure generated on plural disks can connect one of the roots to the knot by mount operation. The administrative area information  231  to  233  has a mount table of the file system and can change part of the tree for each administrative area information. When generating administrative area information, the root directory of administrative area information generated can be changed to the specified directory. Files other than the specified directory cannot be accessed from the application program designated by the process information belonging to the administrative area information. 
   The storage I/O processing program  215  performs input/output from/to the 1st disk  151  to the 3rd disk  153  and the tape device  154  connected to the storage I/F  131 . The application program designated by the process information which requests input and output performs an open processing program of the storage device in the storage I/O processing program to obtain a handle used in the later processing. The open processing program calls the permitted device decision program  213  to check that the specified device is access permitted. When it is not access permitted, the open processing program cannot be done so that the access to the device is failed. 
   The network I/O processing program  216  performs communication between the information processor  101  and the LANs  141  to  143  via the network I/F  121  to  123 . The network I/F  121  to  123  must receive data when there is no request of the application program designated by the process information. It describes to the network I/F information  241  to  243  which administrative area information is handed the data. In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the network I/F  121  to  123  different for each administrative area information are provided. A tagged VLAN function defined by IEEE802.  1 Q is used to employ logical network I/F for each tag number, and then, the network I/F information  241  to  243  for each of the logical network I/F are prepared to share physical network I/F. The logical network I/F duplicating received data is used to prepare the network I/F information  241  to  243  for each of the logical network I/F to provide plural of administrative area information on the same segment. 
     FIG. 3  is a diagram showing the detail of a specific example of administrative area information by taking the administrative area information for company A  232  as an example. The administrative area information for company A  232  has a device access permission table  300 , a network I/F list  320 , file system setting information  330 , network setting information  340  and a process information list  360 . 
   The device access permission table  300  shows the correspondence between a field  301  storing a device ID and a field  302  storing a permission flag. For example, from rows  311 ,  313 , access to the 1st disk and the 3rd disk is not permitted. From a row  312 , access to the 2nd disk is permitted. From a row  314 , access to the tape device is not permitted. The information is set when the process information generating program  211  generates administrative area information and is changed by the administrative area information change processing program  212 . 
   The network I/F list  320  registers the network I/F information for company A  242  storing information for communication between the information processor  101  and the network I/F  122  under the administrative area information for company A  232 . The information is set when the process information generating program  211  generates administrative area information and is changed by the administrative area information change processing program  212 . 
   The file system setting information  330  stores a mount table  331  defining a name space used by the administrative area information for company A  232 . The mount table  331  has fields storing a mount point  332 , a file system ID  333 , inode #  334 , a previous file system ID  335  to which a directory before mounting belongs and a previous inode #  336  showing a directory before mounting. “/” shown in a row  361  is a root directory of the administrative area information for company A  232  which is # 100  inode of root FS so as to express the absence of the previous file system ID and the previous inode # as “-”. The root FS is a file system generated on the 1st disk  151  and the # 100  inode is a directory of “/env1”. A row  362  shows that the application program designated by the process information belonging to the administrative area information for company A  232  connects (mounts) # 2  inode of the file system ID of FS1 to the “/exports/fs1” directory. The FS1 is a file system generated on the 2nd disk  152  and the # 2  inode is a “/” root directory. Of the information, the “/” shown in the row  361  is set when the process information generating program  211  generates administrative area information. Others are set by mount operation performed by the application program designated by the process information belonging to the administrative area information for company A  232 . 
   The network setting information  340  has a routing table  341  and a protocol table  342 . The routing table  341  has a field storing destination, a field  347  storing information showing which interface is used, and a field  346  storing information showing where to send data, and shows, for each of the destinations  345 , which interface  347  is used and where (GW)  346  to send data. The entry shown in a row  371  shows that when data is sent to the party on the other end on the LAN for company A  142 , the network I/F for company A  122  may be used to send it directly to a destination address. The entry shown in a row  372  shows that when data is sent to other parties on the other end, the network I/F for company A  122  may be used to sent it to the firewall A  144 . The protocol table  342  has a socket list  344  for each protocol  343  and is used for waiting for received data. The entry shown in a row  351  shows that sockets  381 ,  382  corresponding to ports provided by the program designated by the process information are connected by the TCP protocol. Similarly, The entry shown in a row  352  shows that sockets  391 ,  392  corresponding to ports provided by the program designated by the process information are connected by the UDP protocol. The information is empty when generating administrative area information. All of the information are set by the application program designated by the 2nd process information  222  or the 3rd process information  223  belonging to the administrative area information for company A  232 . 
   The process information list  360  registers a list of the process information belonging to the administrative area information for company A  232 . It shows that the 2nd process information  222  and the 3rd process information  223  belong to the administrative area information for company A  232 . As the information, registered is the process information generated by the process information generating program  211  when generating administrative area information. When the application program designated by the process information belonging to the administrative area information for company A  232  generates new process information, the administrative area information is added. 
     FIG. 4  is a diagram showing the processing flow of the process information generating program  211 . In step  401 , the process information generating program  211  decides whether the application program to operate the process information generating program  211  includes a request for generating of administrative area information. In the case of the call including the request for generating of administrative area information, the routine is advanced to step  402 . In the case of the call not including the request for generating of administrative area information, the routine is advanced to step  411 . In step  411 , the pointer designating the administrative area information, to which belongs the process information which designates the application program to operate the process information generating program  211  is substituted into a parameter p and the routine is advanced to step  404 . In step  402 , decided is whether the process information which designates the application program to operate the process information generating program  211  belongs to the administrative area information for management  231 . When it belongs to the administrative area information for management  231 , the routine is advanced to step  403 . When it does not belong to the administrative area information for management  231 , the routine is advanced to step  421 . In step  421 , error retune is performed. In step  403 , new administrative area information is generated to reflect access permission to the specified device and information of the network I/F and the root directory onto the administrative area information for management  231 . Then, the pointer to the generated administrative area information is substituted into the parameter p and the routine is advanced to step  404 . In step  404 , process information is generated. In step  405 , the generated process information is registered to the process information list  360  of administrative area information designated by the parameter p. In step  406 , normal return is performed. 
   The process information generating program  211  provides the following interface. 
   [Function] create process (cmd, dir, netif, dev), 
   [Argument] cmd: Start command 
   dir: Specifying the root directory of administrative area information generated 
   netif: A list of network interfaces registered to administrative area information 
   dev: A list of access permitted devices 
   [Explanation] At calling without dir, netif and dev, the application program designated by the process information specified to cmd in the same administrative area information as the calling process information is started. When specifying any one of dir, netif and dev, administrative area information specified by dir, netif or dev is generated to start the application program designated by the process information specified to cmd in the generated administrative area information. 
   The user can use a command having the following interface to operate the process information generating program  211 . 
   [Command form] newenv command name root directory network interface name device name 
   [Argument] Command name: Start command 
   Root directory: Specifying the root directory of administrative area information generated 
   Network interface name: Plural network interface names registered to administrative area information can be specified. 
   Device name: Plural access permitted device names can be specified. 
   [Explanation] Administrative area information specified by the root directory, network interface name and device name is generated to start the application program designated by the process information specified by the command name operated in the administrative area information. 
   In place of the permitted device, an interface having, as an argument, an access prohibited device can be provided. 
     FIG. 5  is a diagram showing the processing flow of the process information control processing program  217 . In step  501 , the process information control processing program  217  decides whether the process information which designates the application program to operate the process information control processing program  217  belongs to the administrative area information for management  231 . When it belongs to the administrative area information for management  231 , the routine is advanced to step  503 . When it does not belong to the administrative area information for management  231 , the routine is advanced to step  502 . In step  502 , decided is whether the process information which designates the application program to operate the process information control processing program  217  belongs to the same administrative area information which designates the application program to be controlled. When it belongs to the same administrative area information, the routine is advanced to step  503 . When it does not belong to the same administrative area information, the routine is advanced to step  511 . In step  511 , error return is performed. In step  503 , the control of stop, termination and restart is issued to the application program to be controlled and the routine is advanced to step  504 . In step  504 , normal return is performed. 
     FIG. 6  is a diagram showing the processing flow of the administrative area information change processing program  212 . In step  601 , the administrative area information change processing program  212  decides whether the process information which designates the application program to operate the administrative area information change processing program  212  belongs to the administrative area information for management  231 . When it belongs to the administrative area information for management  231 , the routine is advanced to step  602 . When it does not belong to the administrative area information for management  231 , the routine is advanced to step  611 . In step  611 , error return is performed. In step  602 , change to the designated administrative area information is executed and the routine is advanced to step  603 . In step  603 , normal return is performed. That is, the processing changing the administrative area information can be executed only from the PC for data center manager  147  via the program for apparatus management  201  designated by the process information belonging to the administrative area information for management  231 . 
     FIG. 7  is a diagram showing the processing flow of the permitted device decision program  213 . In step  701 , the permitted device decision program  213  refers to the entry designating the specified device of the device access permission table  300  in the administrative area information, to which belongs the process information designating the application program to operate the permitted device decision program  213  so as to decide the value of the permission fag  302 . In the case of “o”, the routine is advanced to step  702 . In step  702 , normal return is performed. In the case of “x”, the routine is advanced to step  711 . In step  711 , error return is performed. 
     FIG. 8  is a diagram showing processing programs and data structures of the file system processing program  214 . The file system processing program  214  has an open processing program  801 , a close processing program  802 , a read processing program  803 , a write processing program  804 , a seek processing program  805 , an mkdir processing program  806 , an rmdir processing program  807 , a mount processing program  808 , a umount processing program  809 , a remove processing program  800  and a file system table  810 . 
   The open processing program  801  performs processing to obtain the access right of the specified file. The close processing program  802  performs processing to abandon the access right. The read processing program  803  performs processing to read data from the file which obtains the access right in the open processing program. The write processing program  804  performs processing to write data into the file which obtains the access right in the open processing program. The seek processing program  805  performs processing to change the position on the file for the next read and write to the file which obtains the access right in the open processing program. The mkdir processing program  806  performs processing to create a new directory. The rmdir processing program  807  perform processing to delete the specified directory. The mount processing program  808  performs processing to connect the file system on the specified disk onto a name space. The umount processing program  809  performs processing to release the mount of the file system. The remove processing program  800  performs processing to delete the specified file. 
   The file system table  810  shows the mounted file system. The numeral  811  denotes a field of a file system ID. The numeral  812  denotes a field of a device ID, The numeral  813  denotes a field of a handle. The entry shown in a row  821  indicates that a file system having an ID of root FS is generated on the 1st disk  151  to hold a handle h 1  for accessing the 1st disk  151  via the storage I/O processing program  215 . The entry shown in a row  822  indicates that a file system having an ID of FS1 is generated on the 2nd disk  152  to hold a handle h 2  for accessing the 2nd disk  152  via the storage I/O processing program  215 . The entry shown in a row  823  indicates that a file system having an ID of FS2 is generated on the 3rd disk  153  to hold a handle h 3  for accessing the 3rd disk  153  via the storage I/O processing program  215 . 
     FIG. 9  is a diagram showing the processing flow of the mount processing program  808  including device allocation of the processing programs of the file system processing program  214 . In step  901 , the mount processing program  808  calls the permitted device decision program  213  to check the access right of the device specified to mount. In step  902 , as the result of checking of the access right of step  901 , when the requested device access is permitted, the routine is advanced to step  903 . When the requested device access is not permitted, the routine is advanced to step  911 . In step  911 , error return is performed. In step  903 , the storage I/O processing program  215  is called to open the requested device. That is, a handle for accessing the device is obtained. In step  904 , an entry of the handle obtained in step  903  is added to the file system table  810 . In step  905 , an entry is added to the mount table  331  of the administrative area information, to which belongs the process information which designates the application program to operate the file system processing program  214 . In step  906 , normal return is performed. 
     FIG. 10  is a diagram showing processing programs and data structures of the storage I/O processing program  215 . The storage I/O processing program  215  has an open processing program  1001 , a close processing program 1002 , a read processing program  1003 , a write processing program  1004 , an ioctl processing program  1005  and a handle list  1010 . 
   The open processing program  1001  decides whether access to the specified device is permitted and gives a handle used in the later processing when the access is permitted. The close processing program  1002  makes an unnecessary handle invalid. The read processing program  1003  reads data from the specified device when the handle is obtained by the open processing program  1001 . The write processing program  1004  writes data into the specified device when the handle is obtained by the open processing program  1001 . The ioctl processing program  1005  performs device inherent operation to the specified device when the handle is obtained by the open processing program  1001 . 
   The handle list  1010  shows a list of the handles given by the storage I/O processing program  215 . The handle list  1010  has a field  1011  of a handle, a field  1012  of a device ID, and a field  1013  of operating I/O. The entry shown in a row  1021  indicates that a handle h 1  is used to perform access to the 1st disk  151  and the operating I/O is absent (“-”). A row  1022  indicates that a handle h 2  is used to perform access to the 2nd disk  152  and the operating I/O is absent (“-”). A row  1023  indicates that a handle h 3  is used to perform access to the 3rd disk  153  and the operating I/O is absent. A row  1024  indicates that a handle h 4  is used to perform access to the 2nd disk  152  and the operating I/O is absent. A row  1025  indicates that a handle h 5  is used to perform access to the tape device  154 , the operating I/O is I/O to the tape device  154 , and the program for company A management  202  designated by the 2nd process information  222  waits for completion of the I/O operation. 
     FIG. 11  is a diagram showing the processing flow of the open processing program  1001  deciding the access permission of the device of the storage I/O processing program  215 . In step  1101 , the open processing program  1001  calls the permitted device decision program  213  to check the access right of the specified device. In step  1102 , as the result of checking of the access right of step  1101 , when the requested access is permitted, the routine is advanced to step  1103  and, when the requested access is not permitted, the routine is advanced to step  1111 . In step  1111 , error return is performed. In step  1103 , a new handle to the specified device is generated to register a new entry to the handle list  1010 . In step  1104 , getting the handle, normal return is performed. 
     FIG. 12  is a diagram showing the processing flow of the program  201  for apparatus management operated on the information processor  101 . The program for apparatus management  201  waits for a request of the PC for data center manager  147  in step  1201 . When the request of the PC for data center manager  147  reaches, the routine is advanced to step  1202  to decide the contents of the process request. When the request is “generating for administrative area information for company A”, the routine is advanced to step  1211 . When the request is “generating for administrative area information for company B”, the routine is advanced to step  1212 . When the request is “making to effect of tape device for company A”, the routine is advanced to step  1231 . When the request is “making to effect of tape device for company B”, the routine is advanced to step  1241 . 
   In step  1211 , to generate administrative area information of the file server program for company A  203 , called is the process information generating program  211  for operating the program for company A management  202  under designating of generation of administrative area information having root directory of “/env1” to separate the accessible directory and permitting access to the 2nd disk  152  and the network I/F for company A  122  provided to the company A. This generates the administrative area information for company A  232  executing the file server program for company A  203  to start the application program designated by the first process information operated under the administrative area information for company A  232 . 
   In step  1221 , to generate administrative area information of the file server program for company B  205 , called is the process information generating program  211  for operating the program for company B management  204  under designating of generation of administrative area information having root directory of “/env2” to separate the accessible directory and permitting access to the 3rd disk  153  and the network I/F  123  for company B provided to the company B. This generates the administrative area information for company B  233  executing the file server program for company B  205  to start the application program designated by the first process information operated under the administrative area information for company B  233 . 
   In step  1231 , the permission of the tape device  154  is instructed to be cancelled from the administrative area information for company B  233 , calling the administrative area information change processing program  212 . In step  1232 , the administrative area information for company A  232  is specified to permit access of the tape device  154 , calling the administrative area information change processing program  212 . This can use the tape device  154  from the 3rd process information  223  under the administrative area information for company A  232 . 
   In step  1241 , the permission of the tape device  154  is instructed to be cancelled from the administrative area information for company A  232 , calling the administrative area information change processing program  212 . In step  1242 , the administrative area information for company B  233  is specified to permit access of the tape device  154 , calling the administrative area information change processing program  212 . This can use the tape device  154  from the 5th process information  225  under the administrative area information for company B  233 . 
   The permission of the tape device  154  to the administrative area information for company A  232  and the administrative area information for company B  233  in steps  1231  and  1241  is performed in different time based on the respective agreements. 
   When the processing of steps  1211 ,  1221 ,  1232  and  1242  is completed, the routine is returned to step  1201  to wait for the next processing request. 
     FIG. 13  is a diagram showing the processing flow of the program for company A management  202  operated on the information processor  101 . To start generating of server administrative area information for company A in step  1211  of the program for apparatus management  201 , the process information generating program  211  is called to start the program for company A management  202 . According to this, the program for company A management  202  is started. In step  1301 , setting to the address of the network I/F for company A  122  and routing table is performed. In step  1302 , the mount processing program  808  of the file system processing program  214  is called for mounting the 2nd disk to “/exports/fs1”. In step  1303 , called is the process information generating program  211  designating the file server program for company A  203 . This starts execution of the file server program for company A  203  under the administrative area information for company A  232 . The file server program for company A  203  releases “/exports/fs1” to provide the file sharing service to the Web server for company A  148 . 
   In step  1304 , a request of the Web server for company A  148  is waited. When the request of the Web server for company A  148  reaches, the routine is advanced to step  1305  to perform processing according to the request. When the request is “Close the file server program”, the routine is advanced to step  1311 . When the request is “Restart the file server program”, the routine is advanced to step  1321 . When the request is “Making the back-up data”, the routine is advanced to step  1331 . 
   In step  1311 , there is called the process information control processing program  217  designating the 3rd process information  223  to be stopped, which designates the file server program for company A  203 . This stops the activity of the file server program for company A  203 . In step  1321 , there is called the process information control processing program  217  designating the 3rd process information  223  to be restarted, which designates the file server program for company A  203 . This restarts the stopped activity of the file server program for company A  203 . In step  1331 , there is called the process information generating program  211  designating the command to back-up the file below “/exports/fs1” to the tape device  154 . Under the administrative area information for company A  232 , the backup command is started to send the file below the specified directory to the tape device  154  for back-up. 
   The processing of steps  1301  to  1303  is executed each time new administrative area information is generated in step  1211  of the program for apparatus management  201  shown in  FIG. 12  to call the process information generating program for starting the program for company A management  202 . 
   The processing flow of the program for company A management  202  shown in  FIG. 13  and the processing of the file server program for company A  203  are the same in the program for company B management  204  and the file server program for company B  205 . 
   The virtual server function operated under the administrative area information of the described Embodiment 1 can be used in, other than the file server shown here, the NIS server, the DNS server, the LDAP server, the Web server, the Proxy server, a combination of the servers. Addition of the process according to the request performed in step  1305  will not affect the present invention. For example, addition of processing to change the file server sharing setting is easy. 
   In Embodiment 1, the 1st disk  151  to the 3rd disk  153  are handled as physical devices. Using a partition function partitioning a single disk, the partitions can be handled as logically other disks (logical volumes). As the RAID device, when plural physical devices are isolated logically to be virtualized as logical devices, the logical devices can be handled other disks. This is the same for the case of partitioning the logical device. Corresponding to such processing, the expression method of the device ID  301  of the device access permission table  300  of the administrative area information for company A  232  shown in  FIG. 3  is changed. 
   Embodiment II 
   In Embodiment 1, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the directory is specified as information of the root directory of the administrative area information generated in the interface of the process information generating program  211 . This may be replaced with one which specifies the device name storing a file system mounted. 
     FIG. 14  is a diagram showing the processing flow of a process information generating program  211 ′ having a function mounting a root file system when generating administrative area information in the process information generating program. Steps having the same function as that of the steps shown in  FIG. 4  are indicated by the same numerals. 
   In step  401 , whether the application program calling the process information generating program  211 ′ includes a request for generating of administrative area information is decided. In the case of the call including the request for generating of administrative area information, the routine is advanced to step  402 . In the case of the call not including the request for generating of administrative area information, the routine is advanced to step  411 . In step  411 , the pointer designating the administrative area information, to which belongs the process information which designates the application program to operate the process information generating program  211 ′ is substituted into a parameter p and the routine is advanced to step  404 . In step  402 , decided is whether the process information which designates the application program to operate the process information generating program  211 ′ belongs to the administrative area information for management  231 . When it belongs to the administrative area information for management  231 , the routine is advanced to step  403 . When it does not belong to the administrative area information for management  231 , the routine is advanced to step  421 . In step  421 , error retune is performed. In step  403 , new administrative area information is generated to reflect access permission to the specified device and information of the network I/F and the root directory onto the administrative area information for management  231 . Then, the pointer to the generated administrative area information is substituted into the parameter p and the routine is advanced to step  1431 . In step  1431 , the storage I/O processing program  215  is called to obtain a handle. In step  1432 , an entry is added to the file system table  810 . In step  1433 , an entry is added to the mount table  331  of the administrative area information generated in step  1403 . The routine is advanced to step  404 . In step  404 , process information is generated. In step  405 , the generated process information is registered to the process information list  360  of the administrative area information designated by the parameter p. In step  406 , normal return is performed. 
   The process information generating program  211 ′ provides the following interface. 
   [Function] create process with mount (cmd, rdev, netif, dev), 
   [Argument] cmd: Start command 
   rdev: Specifying the device storing the file system mounted to the root directory of the administrative area information generated 
   netif: A list of network interfaces registered to administrative area information 
   dev: A list of access permitted devices 
   [Explanation] At calling without rdev, netif and dev, the application program designated by the process information specified to cmd in the same administrative area information as the calling process information is started. When specifying any one of rdev, netif and dev, administrative area information specified by rdev, netif or dev is generated to start the application program designated by the process information specified to cmd in the generated administrative area information. 
   The user uses a command having the following interface to call the process information generating program  211 ′. 
   [Command form] newenv_mount command name root device name network interface name device name 
   [Argument] Command name: Start command 
   Root device name: Specifying the device name storing the file system mounted to the root directory of the administrative area information generated 
   Network interface name: Plural network interface names registered to administrative area information can be specified. 
   Device name: Plural access permitted device names can be specified. 
   [Explanation] Administrative area information specified by the root device name, network interface name and device name is generated to start the application program designated by the process information specified by the command name operated in the administrative area information. 
   In place of the permitted device, an interface having, as an argument, a device prohibiting access can be provided. 
   In the administrative area information generated by mounting the root directory by the process information generating program  211 ′, the root directory can be independent from other administrative area information including the administrative area information for management  231 . 
   In the present invention, the manager authentication cannot access other devices and file systems exceeding the range specified by the administrative area information operating the application program designated by process information limited by administrative area information. The manager authentication is thus given to each administrative area information. The manager for each administrative area information can freely perform mount/unmount of the file system, back-up and change of the sharing setting of the network file system in a given range.