Patent ID: 7424607

Claim:
A computer system comprising: a plurality of storage devices; and an authentication device, wherein each of the storage devices comprises: a certificate retaining module that retains a certificate, which has been issued by a certification authority and contains address information of the storage device; and a receiving module that receives a packet including the certificate and the address information of the storage device, wherein the authentication device comprises: a receiving module configured to receive a packet including address information of a source of the packet and a certificate of the source of the packet; and a certification processing module configured to validate the source of the packet based on a comparison of the address information of the source of the packet, which is included in the packet, and the address information that is recorded on the certificate in the packet, wherein when the comparison results in a match between the address information of the source of the packet and the address information recorded on the certificate in the packet, then the certification processing module validates the source of the packet, wherein upon receipt of a notification from a first storage device of an output of data from the first storage device to a second storage device, the receiving module of the authentication device receives the packet from each of the first storage device and the second storage device, and wherein the certification processing module of the authentication device validates each of the received packets, and if the validation is successful, notifies the first storage device of permission of the output of data.