Patent ID: 7146368

Claim:
A first file server used in a system where identical files are stored according to a predetermined redundancy in a distributed manner into a plurality of file servers connected with each other via a network, said first file server comprising: a decreased redundancy detection unit for detecting a decrease in the redundancy of a file stored in said system; a determination unit for determining whether or not the first file server has responsibility for recovering the redundancy when said decreased redundancy detection unit has detected a decrease in the redundancy; and a redundancy recovery processing unit for selecting, based on a predetermined condition, a second file server that does not store an identical file identical to said file having the decrease in redundancy, setting said selected second file server as a copy destination server, setting a third file server that does store the identical file as a copy source server, and copying the identical file from said copy source server to said copy destination server when said determination unit has determined the responsibility of the first file server, wherein said decreased redundancy detection unit detects a decrease in redundancy of the file based on information contained in a configuration table, and wherein said configuration table stores in corresponding relation information regarding a state of each file server used in the system including information of a location of each file server and status of each file server.