Patent ID: 7685362

Claim:
A disk array system connectable to a host computer via an external network which is external of said disk array system, said disk array comprising: a controller receiving data from said host computer via an external network and controlling read/write of data; a plurality of communication paths coupled to the controller and being used to relay data within said disk array system by control of the controller via a Fibre Channel (FC) interface, wherein said communication paths are different from said external network; two or more first disk drives coupled to a first communication path of the communication paths and receiving/transferring data via the FC interface on said first communication path and being controlled to read/write said data received via the FC interface under control by said controller, wherein said first communication path conducts receiving/transferring of data at a first communication speed; and two or more second disk drives coupled to a second communication path of the communication paths and receiving/transferring data via the FC interface on said second communication path and being controlled to read/write said data received via the FC interface under control by said controller, wherein said second communication path conducts receiving/transferring of data at a second communication speed, wherein the first communication speed is different from the second communication speed, and wherein said controller switches the communication paths from the first communication path to the second communication path when said controller detects error of a FC signal.