Patent ID: 7502902

Claim:
A storage system having: at least one or more host devices for executing applications, at least one or more storage devices for providing to the host device a volume disposed in a prescribed storage area selected from a plurality of types of storage areas, and a management device connected to the host device and the storage device, for managing the movement of the volume between the storage areas, wherein the management device determines whether to permit or deny the movement of the volume on the basis of the host device directions related to the movement of the volume, and on the basis of the scheduled movement of the volume by the storage device, wherein the storage device can move the volume between storage areas on the basis of at least one or more first sets of movement policy information in which an allowable condition for the movement of the volume is set based on intentions and goals determined by the host administrator, and the management device determines whether to permit the movement of the volume by comparing the first set of movement policy information with at least one or more second sets of movement policy information, different than the first set of movement policy information, related to an access rate of data stored in the volume specified by the host device, when the volume is to be moved between the storage areas, the first set of movement policy information being managed by a first administrator of the host device, the second set of movement policy information being managed by a second administrator of the storage device, different from the first administrator, wherein the first set of movement policy information denies movement of a volume which is accessed at a rate of access which the second set of movement policy information would permit to be moved, based on intentions and goals determined by the host administrator which indicate that the volume should not be moved in spite of infrequent access to the volume to prevent movement of a volume designated as important not to move by the first set of movement policy information from its present storage area to a storage area having a lower access speed, wherein the intentions and goals determined by the host administrator include at least one of the following rules regarding movement of the volume designated as important by the first set of movement policy information; (1) prohibit movement that will render the volume designated as important more inconvenient; (2) accept some inconvenience regarding access to the volume designated as important in terms of a balance with volumes designated as important by other host devices; and (3) accept reduced access performance for the volume designated as important if a predetermined level of redundancy is assured.