Patent ID: 7130909

Claim:
A storage path control method for use in a storage network system including a plurality of storage network configurations, comprising: receiving a volume allocation requirement including parameters regarding availability of paths; reading out device configuration control information beforehand stored; determining a volume to be used, according to the volume allocation requirement and the device configuration control information; extracting device information from the device configuration control information to satisfy conditions of parameters regarding the availability of paths according to the volume determined by the volume determining step, the device configuration control information, and the volume allocation requirement; creating path control information according to the device information extracted from the device configuration control information; extracting, in the extraction of device information from the device configuration control information, a host port identifier, a storage port identifier, and a storage identifier from the device configuration control information to satisfy conditions of parameters regarding the availability of paths; setting, as a path, information including the host port identifier, the storage port identifier, and the storage identifier with a correspondence established therebetween; storing the path in the path control information; treating, as one path in the path control information, information including a host port identifier, a storage port identifier, and a storage identifier with a correspondence established therebetween; registering, when the path control information includes a plurality of paths, state information of one of the paths as a current path in the path control information and registering state information of each remaining one thereof as a standby path in the path control information; registering, when failure occurs in the path registered as a current path, the state information of the current path as “failed” in the path control information and registering the state information of one of the standby paths as “current” in the path control information; and conducting a switching operation by substituting the path set to “current” for the path in the failed state.