Patent ID: 7519001

Claim:
An information processing apparatus in an information processing system that comprises an information processing apparatus having a plurality of first communication ports, a switch having a plurality of second communication ports, and a storage device having a plurality of third communication ports and a plurality of storage volumes, wherein said first communication ports and said third communication ports are connected to said second communication ports on a one-to-one basis so that they can communicate with each other, said information processing apparatus comprising: a first data input/output request transmitting unit which transmits a first data input/output request over a first communication channel, that extends from one of said first communication ports to one of said third communication ports and is specified by a first path which is specified by an identifier of said first communication port and an identifier of one of said second communication ports connected to said first communication port, and a second path which is specified by an identifier of one of said third communication ports and an identifier of another one of said second communication ports connected to said third communication port; a second data input/output request transmitting unit which transmits a second data input/output request over a second communication channel extending to said one of the third communication ports, in which said first path is the same as that of said first communication channel, and said second path is different from that of said first communication channel, when a response to said first data input/output request is not received from said storage device within a predetermined time period; an inspection request transmitting unit which transmits from another one of said first communication ports, which is different from said first communication port on said first communication channel, to said switch a first inspection request to inspect said second communication port connected to said first communication port on said first communication channel, and a second inspection request to inspect said second communication port connected to said third communication port on said first communication channel; and a fault investigating unit which determines that there is a fault in said first communication port on said first communication channel when a response from said storage device to said second data input/output request which was transmitted over said second communication channel is not received within a predetermined time period, and a response to said first inspection request is received from said switch within a predetermined time period.