Patent ID: 7197606

Claim:
An information storing method for a storage device in a computer system that comprises a plurality of computers and a shared information storage device shared by the plurality of computers, said method comprising the steps of: determining whether a boot information storage area has been formatted in said storage device using disk-image management information that indicates storage status of information in said storage device, wherein the boot information storage area stores boot information used when booting a computer, wherein said boot information is stored on one computer among said plurality of computers; determining whether an application information storage area has been formatted in said storage device using said disk-image management information, wherein the application information storage area stores application information used for execution of an application by the computer, wherein the application information is stored on said one computer; formatting a personal storage area for storing personal information in said storage device, wherein the personal information is unique to an operating environment of each computer and is stored on said one computer; storing information that is stored in each said computer and is not currently stored in said boot information storage area in said personal storage area, if said boot information storage area has been formatted; storing information that is stored in each said computer and is not currently stored in said application information storage area in said personal storage area, if said application information storage area has been formatted; storing said personal information in said formatted personal storage area; and reflecting in said disk-image management information the storage status of information in said storage areas.