Patent ID: 7334058

Claim:
A file input/output control device for controlling input/output of a file to and from a plurality of storage devices, the file input/output control device comprising: an information transmission unit that connects said storage devices; a fragment unit for constructing a plurality of fragments from said file according to a predetermined number of divisions n (n is an integer ≧2) such that the fragments are derived by dividing said file into n fragments having a predetermined redundancy r (r is an integer ≧2), said n fragments including fragments of different types; a fragment output unit for outputting the constructed fragments to m (m is an integer ≧2) of said storage devices, in such a way as to store at least one group having a plurality of fragments of any type in one storage device, while not storing fragments of the same type on any one storage device, and while not storing fragments of all types on any one storage device; and a notifying unit for, if said fragment output unit is unable to output the constructed fragments, sending a client computer a notification that said fragment output unit is unable to store said file with the constructed fragments, wherein each fragment is assigned a unique fragment identifier which is different from the fragment identifiers of the other fragments, said unique fragment identifier uniquely identifies said fragment to which it is assigned relative to the other fragments based on a type of said fragment.