Storage system and method for generating encryption key in the storage system

A method for generating an encryption key for a storage system that includes a plurality of recording medium drives, the recording medium drives encrypting and recoding data on and reproducing and decrypting the encrypted data from recording media mounted in the recording medium drives with drive IDs unique to the recording medium drives and a copy of a system ID unique to the storage system, the method comprising:

• a recording medium drive determination step of determining whether the plurality of recording medium drives include a newly-mounted recording medium drive;
• a first drive-ID acquisition step of, if it is determined that a newly-mounted recording medium drive is present as a result of the determination in the recording medium drive determination step, instructing each of the recording medium drives to acquire copies of the drive IDs of the other recording medium drives;
• a recording-media presence determination step of determining whether the recording media are mounted in the recording medium drives;
• a reproduction instruction determination step of, if it is determined that the recording media are mounted in the recording medium drives as a result of the determination in the recording-media presence determination step, determining whether a user instructs the storage system to reproduce data recorded on the recording media;
• a decryption feasibility determination step of, if it is determined that the user has instructed the storage system to reproduce data stored in one of the recording media as a result of the determination in the reproduction instruction determination step, determining whether the recording medium drive related to the recording medium can decrypt the encrypted data reproduced from the recording media;
• and
• a second drive-ID acquisition step of, if it is determined that the recording medium drives cannot decrypt the encrypted data reproduced from the recording medium as a result of the determination in the decryption feasibility determination step, instructing the recording medium drive to acquire copies of the drive IDs of the other recording medium drives, wherein
• the copies of the drive IDs of the other recording medium drives, which are acquired in the step of firstly instructing the recording medium drives to acquire copies of the drive IDs of the other recording medium drives, are added to generate an encryption key to encrypt the data, and
• if it is determined that the recording medium drive cannot decrypt the encrypted data reproduced from the recording medium as a result of the determination in the decryption feasibility determination step, the copies of the drive IDs of the other recording medium drives, which are acquired in the second drive-ID acquisition step, are added to generate an encryption key to decrypt the data.