Patent ID: 7908447

Claim:
A storage apparatus comprising: a first logical volume for storing data sent from a host system; a second logical volume for backing up the data stored in the first logical volume; a third logical volume for storing the data stored in the first logical volume for protection only within a predetermined protection period; a first storage unit for storing protection period information indicating the predetermined protection period; a second storage unit for storing no-protection period information indicating a no-protection period, during which backup to the second logical volume is suspended, in the predetermined protection period; and a control unit, wherein during the protection period, the control unit performs data protection by storing, in the third logical volume, the data stored in the first logical volume by using backup data stored in the second logical volume, wherein during the no-protection period, which is ordered within the protection period, the control unit suspends the data protection, and wherein upon receiving an external command for restoring the first logical volume to a state of the first logical volume as of a time not in the no-protection period, restoring the first logical volume to the state of the first logical volume as of a time at which the no-protection period was ordered by using the backup data stored in the second logical volume and the data stored in the third logical volume.