An archive system that is one of the storage systems generally includes: a host computer on which applications to perform various operations run; and an archive apparatus coupled to the host computer and configured to read and write data in accordance with an instruction from the host computer.
The archive apparatus includes a computer (information processor) called an archive node and a storage apparatus configured to read and write data in accordance with an instruction from the archive node. The archive apparatus provides the host computer with a storage area as a data storing area for each application.
Upon receipt of an instruction to read and write data from the host computer, the archive node instructs the storage apparatus to read and write data associated with the instruction.
The storage apparatus manages a logical storage area provided by a physical disk while dividing the logical storage area into multiple unit logical storage areas. The storage apparatus provides the archive node with the unit logical storage areas as logical volumes. The logical volume is composed of multiple segments. Data reading and writing in accordance with an instruction from the host computer is enabled by allocating a storage area of a predetermined size on the physical disk to each of the segments.
As to such an archive system, Patent Document 1 discloses a distributed archive technique of allowing a host computer to access archive data even when a failure occurs in some of the multiple archive nodes. Specifically, in the distributed archive technique, the archive apparatus forms clusters by using the multiple archive nodes, and writes the archive data into two or more archive nodes according to redundancy specified by the host computer.
A predetermined retention period is set for each of the data (archive data) stored in the archive system. In the case of deleting the stored archive data, upon receipt of a data delete instruction from the host computer, the archive node executes the data delete process when detecting that the retention period set for the archive data has expired, and rejects the data delete instruction when detecting that the retention period for the delete target data has not yet expired.
The retention period of the data stored in such an archive system can usually be extended but cannot be shortened. However, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique of providing a configuration of allowing deletion of the archive data of which the retention period set has not yet expired or shortening of the data retention period only when a request is received from an authorized archive system manager. Such an archive data delete process based on a special authority given to the archive manager will be hereinafter referred to as a “privileged delete” (hereinafter abbreviated as “PD”).
Upon receipt of a PD instruction from the archive system manager, the archive node executes the PD process according to the instruction and records a history of the PD process in an audit log stored in a memory.