Patent ID: 7836333

Claim:
A method of controlling a computer system having a plurality of storage systems and a plurality of management apparatuses for managing the plurality of storage systems, each of the storage systems including a storage device for storing data and a controller for controlling storage of data in the storage device, each of the management apparatuses including a first interface for receiving data obtained from the storage system, a processor coupled to the first interface, and a memory coupled to the processor, the first interface being coupled to a first network for interconnecting the plurality of management apparatuses to communicate with one another, the plurality of management apparatuses including a first management apparatus, a second management apparatus, and a third management apparatus, the storage systems including a first storage system, the first management apparatus and the second management apparatus holding an identifier of the first storage system and management data obtained from the first storage system, the method comprising the steps of: operating the first management apparatus as an active and the second management apparatus as a stand-by to manage the first storage system; selecting the third management apparatus from the plurality of management apparatuses when a failure occurs in the first management apparatus; transmitting the identifier of the first storage system held in the second management apparatus from the second management apparatus to the selected third management apparatus; holding the identifier of the first storage system transmitted from the second management apparatus in the selected third management apparatus; and operating the second management apparatus as an active and the third management apparatus as a stand-by to manage the first storage system after occurring the failure.