Apparatus for and method of accessing a storage region across a network

A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of host computers via fibre channel, comprising:

• at least one storage device for storing data, said storage device having a plurality of storage regions;
• a storage controller for controlling access from said host computers to said storage device comprising:
• a channel controller adapted to be coupled to said host computers via fibre channel for controlling data transfer from and to said host computers;
• a device interface controller for controlling data transfer from and to said storage devices;
• a cache for temporarily buffering write-data from said host computers, and read-data from said storage devices;
• and
• a table for managing correspondence between said host computers and said plurality of storage regions in response to distinct identification information and associated identification information for respective ones of said plurality of storage regions stored in said table, said table authorizing access from one of said host computers to a respective one of said plurality of storage regions in said storage device by using said distinct identification information and said associated identification information.

A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of host computers via fibre channel, comprising:

• at least one storage device for storing data, said storage device having a plurality of storage regions;
• a storage controller for controlling access between said host computers and said storage device comprising:
• a channel controller adapted to be coupled to said host computers by fibre channel for controlling data transfer from and to said host computers;
• a device interface controller for controlling data transfer from and to said storage device;
• a cache for temporarily buffering write-data from said host computers, and for temporarily buffering read-data from said storage devices;
• and
• a table for managing correspondence between said host computers and said plurality of storage regions in response to distinct identification information and associated identification information for respective ones of said plurality of storage regions stored in said table, said table authorizing access from one of said host computers to one of said storage regions in said storage device by using said distinct identification information and said associated identification information.

A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of host computers via fibre channel, comprising:

• at least one storage device for storing data, said storage device having a plurality of volumes;
• a storage controller for controlling access from said host computers to said storage device comprising:
• a channel controller adapted to be coupled to said host computers by fibre channel for controlling data transfer from and to said host computers;
• a device interface controller for controlling data transfer from and to said storage device;
• a cache for temporarily buffering write data from said host computers, and for temporarily buffering read data from said storage devices;
• and
• a table for managing correspondence between said host computers and said plurality of volumes in response to Name information for said host computers and associated identification information for respective ones of said plurality of volumes stored in said table, said table authorizing access from one of said host computers to one of said volumes in said storage device by using said Name information and said associated identification information, wherein said storage controller prevents unauthorized access from one of said host computers to one of said volumes.

A method of accessing a storage system comprising a storage controller for transferring data between a plurality of host computers, and at least one storage device for storing data from said host computers, comprising the steps of:

• dividing said storage device into logical regions;
• providing a table indicating which of said host computers can access to which of said logical regions of said storage device by using Name information which identifies said host computers and associated identification information for respective ones of said logical regions;
• and
• authorizing access to a logical region only from said identified host computers in response to said Name information and said associated identification information in said table.

A method of accessing a storage system connected to a plurality of computers via a fibre channel network, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a first relation between a first computer and one of a plurality of volumes in said storage system;
• receiving a second relation between a second computer and one of said plurality of volumes in said storage system;
• receiving a first message containing distinct identification information for said first computer and associated identification information for one of said plurality of volumes to access a first associated one of said plurality of volumes from said first computer;
• sending a response message to said first computer from said storage system according to said first relation, said response message to said first computer allowing said first computer to access said first associated one of said plurality of volumes;
• receiving a second message containing distinct identification information for said second computer and associated identification information for one of said plurality of volumes to access said second associated one of said plurality of volumes from the second computer;
• and
• sending a response message to said second computer from said storage system according to said second relation, said response message to said second computer not allowing said second computer to access said second associated one of said plurality of volumes.

A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of computers via fibre channel, comprising:

• a storage device having a plurality of storage regions;
• a storage controller comprising:
• a channel controller adapted to be coupled to said computers via fibre channel;
• a device interface controller coupled to said storage device;
• a cache interposed between said storage device and said interface controller;
• and
• a memory adapted to store distinct identification information and associated identification information for respective ones of said plurality of storage regions indicating authorized access by said plurality of computers to respective ones of said plurality of storage regions.

A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of computers via fibre channel, comprising:

• a storage device having a plurality of volumes;
• a storage controller comprising:
• a channel controller adapted to be coupled to said computers via fibre channel;
• a device interface controller coupled to said storage device;
• a cache interposed between said storage device and said interface controller;
• and
• a memory containing a table adapted to store Name information and associated identification information for respective ones of said plurality of volumes indicating authorized access by said plurality of computers to respective ones of said plurality of volumes.

A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of computers, comprising:

• a storage device having a plurality of storage regions;
• a storage controller comprising:
• a channel controller coupled to said computers;
• a device interface controller coupled to said storage device;
• a cache interposed between said storage device and said interface controller;
• and
• a memory adapted to store distinct identification information and associated identification information for respective ones of said plurality of storage regions indicating authorized access by said plurality of computers to respective ones of said plurality of storage regions.

A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of computers, comprising:

• a storage device having a plurality of volumes;
• a storage controller comprising:
• a channel controller coupled to said computers;
• a device interface controller coupled to said storage device;
• a cache interposed between said storage device and said interface controller;
• and
• a memory adapted to store Name information and associated identification information for respective ones of said plurality of volumes indicating authorized access by said plurality of computers to respective ones of said plurality of volumes.