Patent ID: 7885283

Claim:
An apparatus for connecting storage devices with unique device identification information for each storage device in a network, the apparatus comprising: a storage unit that stores therein connected-device-management information in which first device identification information of a first storage device is associated with second device identification information of a second storage device, the first storage device being connected to the apparatus when the network was constructed, the second storage device being currently connected to the apparatus instead of the first storage device; a receiving unit that, when having received data from the storage device currently connected, converts the second device identification information set in received data to the first device identification information based on the connected-device-management information stored in the storage unit; and a transmitting unit that, when transmitting data to the storage device currently connected, transmits the data after converting the first device identification information set in the data to the second device identification information based on the connected-device-management information stored in the storage unit.