Patent ID: 7231465

Claim:
A method for controlling a storage system including a host computer; a first storage controller, connected communicably to said host computer, for receiving a data frame transmitted from said host computer and executing data input to and data output from a first storage device in response to a data input/output request described in said data frame; and a second storage controller connected communicably to said first storage controller, the method comprising: relaying by said first storage controller, upon receipt of said data frame transmitted from said host computer, said data frame to said second storage controller in response to information described in said data frame; wherein said data frame is a data frame conforming to Fiber Channel Protocol, and wherein said relaying is conducted by a Fiber Channel switch included in said first storage controller; wherein said data frame includes therein described as said information, at least one of: information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the source of said data frame; information for specifying a Fiber Channel port of the destination of said data frame; and information for specifying said storage devices, and wherein said first storage controller stores access limit information indicating permission/rejection of an access of a Fiber Channel port of the source to said Fiber Channel port of the destination or to said storage device of the destination, comprising: by said first storage controller, when receiving said data frame from said host computer, referring to said access limit information to check whether said Fiber Channel port of the source of said data frame is permitted to make access to said Fiber Channel port of the destination or to said storage device of the destination; and relaying by said first storage controller said data frame to said second storage controller only when said access is permitted, wherein said access limit information indicates permission/rejection of an access to said storage device of the destination by relating said Fiber Channel port of the source and said Fiber Channel port of the destination to a Logical Unit Number of said storage device of the destination.