(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7,228,380 B2 Yamamoto et al. (45) Date of Patent: Jun. 5, 2007 (54) STORAGE SYSTEM THAT IS CONNECTED 5,964,886 A 10/1999 Slaughter et al. TO EXTERNAL STORAGE 6,098,129 A * 8/2000 Fukuzawa et al. .......... .. 710/65 6,256,740 B1 7/2001 Muller et al. (75) Inventors: Yasutomo Yamamoto, Sagamihara (JP); gflik et 31' ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ 711/112 Kaiuhisa F“jim°t°’ Kohlbunji (JP); 635423961 B1 4/2003 M1a[]S1fi1a1‘;]Ii1eé[aéil. Akm‘ Yamam°t°’ Sagamlhara (JP) 6 785 715 B2 * 8/2004 IVIIZUDO 709/213 . , , 7,120,757 B2* 10/2006 T ......... .. 711/147 (73) Asslgneei H‘“‘°h‘1 Ltd-= T°kY° (JP) 2002/0062429 A1* 5/2002 T238816 et 211. ........... .. 711/154 ( * ) Notice" Sub'ect to an disclaimer the tenn of this 2003/0204683 Al 10/2003 Okumoto et ali ~ J _ y >_ 2003/0221077 A1 11/2003 Ohno et al. patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U_$_C_ 154(1)) by 259 days_ FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS (21) Appl. NO.Z 10/683,688 115;’ A2 on Filed: on 91 2003 $8 0022/093298 11/5335 (65) PFIOI‘ PllI)1IC3tIOIl Data * cited by examiner US 2004/0257857 A1 Dec. 23, 2004 primary Examinerfganjiv Shah _ _ _ _ _ Assistant Examiner—Yaima Campos (30) Forelgn Apphcatlon Pnonty Data (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Mattingly, Stanger, Malur & Jun. 23, 2003 (JP) ........................... .. 2003-177451 Bnlndidgoe PC(51) Int. Cl. (57) ABSTRACT G06F 12/00 (2006.01) _ (52) U.s. Cl. ..................... .. 711/113,711/154, 711/161; A first “rage System 15 °°n_n‘°~°““~‘_1 PO 2‘ Se°°nd S‘°"‘ge 711/162; 711/165 system,, and extemal device within the first storage (58) Field of Classification S€3l‘C1l .............. .. 711/113, System‘§fg‘°V‘ded§°fh°s“‘s *‘,deV‘.°e1°*e‘he Se°°gds‘°rfg‘“i 711/154, 161, 162; 709/200253, 715/500-978; Systfmh ‘?Se°°n 1s,°”;f,e,sySem11‘:°“ fSfi.°*‘° ‘“e.°°kn we 710/P269 sec ion aving a cac e a p ors, eac , con ro ing a is an See application file for Complete Search history, a cache, a protocol conversion section including protocol adaptors that switch requests from the host to appropnate (56) References Cited ones of the cache adaptors, a management adaptor, and an