Patent ID: 7469327

Claim:
A storage system coupled to a computer via a network, comprising: a logical volume in which data is stored; and a control device which controls access to the data stored in the logical volume, wherein a first area of a desired size is set in the logical volume, the first area having first access control attributes, said area being defined by an address, wherein a second area of a predetermined size is set in the logical volume, the second area including second access control attributes based on the first access control attributes, wherein, upon receiving an access request made by the computer to perform access to the logical volume, the control device: performs the access in the case where the second area, which contains the area designated by the access request, does not contain any part of the first area whose first access control attributes inhibit the type of access requested by reference to the second access control attributes, determines the first access control attributes in the case where the second area, which contains the area designated by the access request, contains any part of the first area whose first access control attributes inhibit the type of access requested by reference to the second access control attributes, notifies the computer that the control device does not perform the access in the case where the first area, whose first access control attributes inhibit the type of the requested access, solely takes up the entirety of the second area which contains the area designated by the access request by reference to second access control attributes, and wherein, upon receiving an access request made by the computer to perform shredding to an area included in the logical volume, the control device notifies the computer that the control device does not perform the shredding when the area designated by the access request includes at least a part of the first area and the first access control attributes set to the first area either inhibit write access or inhibit shredding, wherein the request to perform shredding includes an identifier of the first area, and wherein the request to perform shredding includes a shredding pattern to be used during shredding.