Patent ID: 7191303

Claim:
A system for storing data comprising: a plurality of first storage systems each of which includes a first controller and a first disk unit; a plurality of a second storage systems each including a second cache memory, a second controller, and a second disk unit; and a third controller coupled to said second storage systems, wherein each of said first storage systems receives write data and a write time from a processing unit, and transmits received write data and write time to one of said second storage systems, wherein second controller of each second storage system stores a plurality of write data received from said first storage systems to said second cache memory, receives a destageable time from said third controller, and stores write data from said second cache memory to said second disk unit if a write time corresponding to said write data is earlier than said destageable time, wherein each of said plurality of second storage systems receives a plurality of first reference times from said plurality of first storage systems, determines a second reference time based on the received plurality of first reference times, and transmits said second reference time to said third controller, and wherein said third controller determines said destageable time based on a plurality of second reference times received from said plurality of second storage systems.