Switch device, storage control system and trace data obtaining method

A storage control system connected to a host device via at least one of a plurality of communications ports of a switch device, the storage control system comprising:

• a plurality of storage devices for storing data;
• and
• a storage control system processor for writing data received from the host device into one of the storage devices,
• wherein the plurality of storage devices include a trace data storage device for storing trace data, and
• when a write command and trace data obtained by the switch device are received from the switch device, the storage control system processor writes the trace data into the trace data storage device.

A trace data obtaining method, comprising the steps of:

• temporarily storing by a switch device into a buffer area of the switch device data received via each of a plurality of communications ports from a plurality of communications devices including a storage device;
• storing by the switch device information relating to the data received via each of the plurality of communications ports as trace data, into a trace data storage area of the switch device provided separately from the buffer area;
• sending by the switch device data accumulated in the buffer area to a communications device connected to a communications port selected from among the plurality of communications ports;
• issuing by the switch device a write command to the storage device when it is detected that a trace data transfer condition is satisfied;
• reading out by the switch device the trace data stored in the trace data storage area;
• sending by the switch device to the storage device the trace data that was read out;
• and
• writing by the switch device the trace data into the storage device in response to the write command.