Patent ID: 8078904

Claim:
A computer system, comprising: a plurality of storage systems and a plurality of management apparatuses for managing the plurality of storage systems, wherein the plurality of management apparatuses includes a first management apparatus, a second management apparatus, and a third management apparatus, and wherein each of the storage systems including a storage device for storing data and a controller for controlling storage of data in the storage device, each of the management apparatuses including a first interface for receiving data obtained from the storage system, a processor coupled to the first interface, and a memory coupled to the processor, the first interface being coupled to a first network for interconnecting the plurality of management apparatuses to communicate with one another; wherein: the storage systems include a first storage system; the first management apparatus and the second management apparatus are configured to hold an identifier of the first storage system and management data obtained from the first storage system; the first management apparatus is configured to operate as an active management apparatus; the second management apparatus is configured to operate as an as a stand-by management apparatus to manage the first storage system; the second management apparatus is configured to select the third management apparatus from the plurality of management apparatuses when a failure occurs in the first management apparatus; the second management apparatus is configured to transmit the identifier of the first storage system held in the second management apparatus to the selected third management apparatus; the selected third management apparatus is configured to hold the identifier of the first storage system received from the second management apparatus; and the second management apparatus is configured to operate as an active management apparatus and the third management apparatus is configured to operate as a stand-by management apparatus to manage the first storage system after occurrence of the failure.