Method and apparatus for rental storage system

A method for renting and charging a storage system, in which an owner of a storage system rents and charges the storage system to a user of the storage system, comprising the steps of:

• sending a user identification ID, an initial introduction volume introduced by the user, and an added volume used by the user in excess of said initial introduction volume from said storage system to a charging system;
• and
• adding by said charging system a charged fee of said user from said initial introduction volume and said added volume based on said user identification ID.

A storage controller connected to a plurality of divided storage devices for controlling data transfer from a host computer to said storage device,

• wherein said storage controller includes a management part for managing information that said plurality of divided storage devices can be used or not, and
• wherein when said information that the storage devices can be used or not is changed, said management part transmits said changed information that the storage devices can be used or not and time for said change to another information processor via a network.

A storage controller connected to a plurality of divided storage devices for controlling data transfer from a host computer to said storage device,

• wherein said storage controller includes a management part for managing information that said plurality of divided storage devices can be used or not, and
• wherein when said information that the storage devices can be used or not is changed, said management part transmits said changed information that the storage devices can be used or not and time for said change to another information processor connected to said storage controller via a network.

A network system comprising a storage controller connected to a plurality of divided storage devices for controlling data transfer from a host computer to said storage device and another information processor connected to said storage controller via a network,

• wherein said storage controller includes a management part for managing information that said plurality of divided storage devices can be used or not and transmits said changed information that the storage devices can be used or not, together with time for said change, to another information processor via said network, and
• wherein based on the information transmitted from said management part, said another information processor calculates charging for use of said storage controller.

A network system comprising a storage controller connected to a plurality of divided storage devices for controlling data transfer from a host computer to said storage device and another information processor connected to said storage controller via a network,

• wherein said storage controller includes a management part for managing information that said plurality of divided storagedevices can be used ornot andtransmitssaidinformation that the storage devices can be used or not, to another information processor via said network, and
• wherein based on the information transmitted from said management part, said another information processor displays charging information for use of said storage controller.