Connecting device of storage device and computer system including the same connecting device

A network switch connected to one or more host computers and one or more external storage devices, comprising;

• means for receiving an instruction that controls a function regarding an external storage device from a host computer;
• means for identifying the external storage device to be controlled, from a received instruction;
• means for selecting contents that are instructed to the external storage device, from the received instruction;
• means for selecting a method to send an instruction to the external storage device in accordance with an identified object to which the function is applied and selected instruction contents;
• and
• means for sending the instruction to the external storage device, by a selected method.

A connection control method in a connection device of a storage device connected to one or more host computers and two or more storage devices having different interfaces, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a control block that is an instruction of function control of said storage device to a common interface from said host computer and includes information about a function to be controlled and a virtual volume that is a object to which the function is applied;
• determining the function control to be specific function control;
• identifying the virtual volume to which the function is applied;
• identifying disk volumes that constitute the virtual volume;
• creating a control block including an API that becomes an argument when a control API unique to the disk volume of said storage device is called;
• and
• calling an API that controls a function using said control block and an interface unique to said storage device to order the function control.

A connection control program for making a connecting device for connection control in said connecting device of a storage device connected to a storage device group that includes one or more host computers and two or more storage devices having different interfaces function as:

• means for receiving a control block that is an instruction of function control of said storage device to a common interface from said host computer and includes information about a function to be controlled and a virtual volume that is a object to which the function is applied;
• means for determining the function control to be specific function control;
• means for identifying the virtual volume to which the function is applied;
• means for identifying disk volumes that constitutes the virtual volume;
• means for creating a control block including an API that becomes an argument when a control API unique to the disk volume of said storage device is called;
• and
• means for calling an API that controls a function using said control block and an interface unique to said storage device to order the function control.