Patent ID: 8584244

Claim:
A computer system comprising: a first computer; a second computer coupled to the first computer via a network; and a storage system coupled to the first computer and the second computer, wherein the first computer comprises a first interface coupled to the network, a first processor coupled to the first interface, and a first memory coupled to the first processor, wherein the second computer comprises a second interface coupled to the network, a second processor coupled to the second interface, and a second memory coupled to the second processor, wherein the storage system comprises a storage medium for providing a data storage area, and a controller coupled to the first computer and the second computer, for controlling data write and data read in the storage area, wherein the second computer stores a plurality of virus patterns to be used for a virus scan of data in the data storage area, and wherein the first computer is configured to: upon reception of a request from a client to write first data via the network, write the first data to the storage system, and send a virus scan request regarding the first data to the second computer, wherein the second computer is configured to: upon reception of the virus scan request from the first computer, read the first data from the storage system, and execute a first partial virus scan of the first data by checking the first data against a first plurality of virus patterns included in the plurality of virus patterns stored in the second computer, wherein the first computer is further configured to: send, after the first partial virus scan of the first data is finished, a response to the request received from the client, and upon reception of a request from the client to read the first data via the network, send a virus scan request regarding the first data to the second computer, wherein the second computer is further configured to: upon reception of the virus scan request from the first computer, read the first data from the storage system, and execute a second partial virus scan of the first data by checking the first data against a second plurality of virus patterns included in the plurality of virus patterns stored in the second computer, the second plurality of virus patterns being remaining virus patterns included in the plurality of virus a patterns excluding the first plurality of virus patterns, and wherein the first computer is further configured to send, after the second partial virus scan of the first data is finished, a response to the read request received from the client.