Patent ID: 7188213

Claim:
A management computer connected through a second network to data storage apparatuses that are connected to computers through a first network, said management computer comprising: a storage area information collecting module which collects respective pieces of storage area information from said data storage apparatuses connected through the second network, wherein each piece of storage area information relates to storage areas provided by a data storage apparatus concerned; a hierarchy information collecting module which collects respective pieces of hierarchy information from said data storage apparatuses connected through said second network, wherein each piece of hierarchy information indicates a data storage apparatus hierarchy of a multistage connection of said data storage apparatuses, including those data storage apparatuses that have storage areas for storing data used by said computers through a storage area of a higher one of said data storage apparatuses according to said hierarchy; and a management relation information creation module which sets said hierarchies among said data storage apparatuses to create management relation information, based on said pieces of storage area information and said pieces of hierarchy information collected in said storage area information collecting module and said hierarchy information collecting module.