Network management system having access manager for managing access to recording medium apparatus

A network management system comprising:

• a plurality of nodes;
• a recording medium apparatus operable to store data, said recording medium apparatus being connected to said nodes through a network;
• a data manager operable to manage physical information of the data of said recording medium apparatus, distinctive information and security information concerning the data, and system configuration information of the network;
• an access manager operable to manage access to the data of said recording medium apparatus, said access manager being operable to judge whether or not to approve the access from the information of said data manager, a kind of access, a band state of the network and a band state of an interface of said recording medium apparatus, and to secure a transmission band for accessing the data, when the access is approved;
• and
• an access channel manager operable to establish an access channel by control of said access manager, when access to the data cannot be done by an ordinary channel,
• wherein said nodes are operable to query said access manager, in accessing said recording medium apparatus, whether or not the access can be approved, and to act in accordance with the response of said access manager,
• wherein said access manager is operable to investigate an access state of said recording medium apparatus and to send access approval to a querying node, if:
• (a) a preceding access is a write access, and a present access request is a read access, (b) the preceding access is a read access, or (c) no preceding access exists;
• if a first access band is secured in an I/O band of said recording medium apparatus;
• and if a second access band is secured in a band of the network, and
• wherein the querying node that has received access approval from said access manager is operable to commence access to the data.

A node for network connection to a recording medium apparatus operable to store data, said node comprising:

• a data manager operable to manage physical information of the data of the recording medium apparatus, distinctive information and security information concerning the data, and system configuration information of the network;
• and
• an access manager operable to manage access to the data of the recording medium apparatus, said access manager being operable to judge whether or not to approve the access from the information of said data manager, a kind of access, a band state of the network and a band state of an interface of the recording medium apparatus, and to secure a transmission band for accessing the data, when the access is approved,
• wherein said node is operable to query said access manager, in accessing the recording medium apparatus, whether or not the access can be approved, and to act in accordance with the response of said access manager,
• wherein said access manager is operable to investigate an access state of the recording medium apparatus and to send access approval to said node, if:
• (a) a preceding access is a write access, and a present access request is a read access, (b) the preceding access is a read access, or (c) no preceding access exists;
• if a first access band is secured in an I/O band of the recording medium apparatus;
• and if a second access band is secured in a band of the network, and
• wherein said node is operable to commence access to the data.

A recording medium apparatus for storing data and for network connection to a node, said recording medium apparatus comprising:

• a data manager operable to manage physical information of the data of said recording medium apparatus, distinctive information and security information concerning the data, and system configuration information of the network;
• and
• an access manager operable to manage access to the data of said recording medium apparatus, said access manager being operable to judge whether or not to approve the access from the information of said data manager, a kind of access, a band state of the network and a band state of an interface of said recording medium apparatus, and to secure a transmission band for accessing the data, when the access is approved,
• wherein said access manager is operable to receive queries from the node, in accessing said recording medium apparatus, whether or not the access can be approved, and the node is operable to act in accordance with the response of said access manager,
• wherein said access manager is operable to investigate an access state of said recording medium apparatus and to send access approval to the node, if:
• (a) a preceding access is a write access, and a present access request is a read access, (b) the preceding access is a read access, or (c) no preceding access exists;
• if a first access band is secured in an I/O band of said recording medium apparatus;
• and if a second access band is secured in a band of the network, and
• wherein the node is operable to commence access to the data.