Patent ID: 7469281

Claim:
A network topology management system comprising: a first network system including one or more first computers, one or more first storage system and one or more first connection units that control connection switching between the first computers and the first storage systems; a second network system including one or more second computers, one or more second storage systems and one or more second connection units that control connection switching between the second computers and the second storage systems; an emulator that is coupled to the second network system; and a management unit that is coupled to the first network system and the emulator via a management network; wherein the emulator comprises a conversion section that converts a first equipment identification information that identifies the second computer or the second storage system in the second network system into a MAC address that is recognizable by the management unit to identify the second computer or the second storage system, wherein the management unit manages a network topology, configuring both a first network topology corresponding to the first network system and a second network topology corresponding to the second network system, the network topology consisting of the computers, the storage systems and the connection units, wherein the emulator also comprises a transmitting section that sends a second equipment identification information to the management unit, and wherein at least one of the first computers and the first storage systems has a transmitting section that sends a MAC address of each of the corresponding first computers and the first storage systems in the first network to the management unit, wherein the management unit comprises a network interface unit that receives the MAC address from the emulator and the MAC address from the first network, for identifying the first computer or the first storage system, wherein the MAC address from the first network is recognizable by the management unit equivalently to the MAC address from the emulator as a same format, and the management unit has a control section that outputs to a providing section a topology map that correlates, based on the MAC addresses, positions in the network of the computers, the storage systems and the connection units to the MAC addresses of the computers, the storage systems and the connection units, wherein the network topology uses both the MAC addresses and the first equipment identification information.