Patent ID: 7058772

Claim:
A storage control apparatus for reading/writing data with respect to a storage device in response to a data input/output request transmitted from an information processing apparatus, which is used in a storage system containing a plurality of storage control apparatus communicably connected via an IP (Internet Protocol) network to each other, comprising: a necessary storage expiration managing unit for storing thereinto a necessary storage expiration equal to a predetermined period during which data is required to be stored under a safe condition, said data being stored in a first storage area corresponding to a storage area of said storage device to which said storage control apparatus reads/writes the data; a first guarantee expiration managing unit for storing thereinto a first guarantee expiration equal to a physical life time during which said first storage area can store the data a under normal condition; a second guarantee expiration managing unit for storing thereinto a second guarantee expiration equal to a physical life time during which a second storage area can store the data under a normal condition, said second storage area being equal to a storage area of said storage device to which another storage control apparatus contained in said storage system reads/writes the data; and a data move managing unit operated in such a manner that when said necessary storage expiration of said first storage area is expires after said first guarantee expiration of said first storage area, said data move managing unit selects said second storage area having said second guarantee expiration expires after said first guarantee expiration within said second storage area of said another storage control apparatus, and transfers said data stored in said first storage area to said selected second storage area, wherein said first storage expiration managing unit stores thereinto a necessary storage term corresponding to a term during which the data stored in said first storage area is required to be stored under a safe condition, and said necessary storage expiration managing unit stores thereinto a day/time as said necessary storage expiration, said day/time is calculated by adding said necessary storage term to a day/time when data was firstly written into said first storage area.