System and method for managing supply of digital content

Abstract

Digital content is stored in a logical volume provided in a storage system connected to a communications network. A sub-management computer selects a destination computer forming a supply destination for digital content from a plurality of business computers or virtual computers, further selects the address information corresponding to the selected destination computer from a plurality of address information components, and allocates the selected address information to the digital content itself or to the storage device.

1 . A supply management system for managing supply of digital content; 
 wherein digital content is stored in a storage device provided in a storage system connected to a communications network;    the supply management system further comprising:    a supply destination information storing region for storing a plurality of supply destination IDs corresponding respectively to a plurality of destination candidate computers;    a supply destination selecting section for selecting a supply destination ID of a destination computer forming the supply destination for said digital content, from said plurality of supply destination IDs; and    a supply destination ID allocating section for allocating said selected supply destination ID to said digital content or said storage device, via said communications network.    
   
   
       2 . The supply management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a supply destination information updating section for receiving, if a virtual computer is generated dynamically on said communications network, a virtual ID of the newly generated virtual computer, and writing that virtual ID as a supply destination ID to said supply destination information storing region;    wherein, said supply destination ID allocating section allocates, upon receiving said virtual ID, said received virtual ID to said digital content or said storage device.    
   
   
       3 . The supply management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: an access path reporting section for reporting an access path to the digital content or storage device to which said selected supply destination ID has been allocated, to the destination computer corresponding to said selected supply destination ID.  
   
   
       4 . The supply management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a push supply section for commanding said storage system to supply said digital content to the destination computer corresponding to said selected supply destination ID.  
   
   
       5 . The supply management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an environmental setting data generating section for generating environmental setting data for the exclusive use of the destination computer corresponding to said selected supply destination ID,    wherein said supply destination ID allocating section allocates said selected supply destination ID to the environmental setting data thus generated.    
   
   
       6 . The supply management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a supply completion detecting section for detecting that said digital content has been supplied to the destination computer corresponding to said selected supply destination ID; and    an allocation terminating section for terminating the allocation of said selected supply destination ID, when it has been detected that said digital content has been supplied.    
   
   
       7 . A supply management method for managing supply of information, comprising the steps whereby: 
 a supplying computer stores a plurality of supply destination IDs corresponding respectively to a plurality of destination computers;    said supplying computer selects a supply destination ID of a destination computer forming a supply destination for the digital content in a storage device provided in a storage system connected to a communications network, from a supply destination information storing region for storing a plurality of supply destination IDs corresponding respectively to a plurality of destination candidate computers;    said supplying computer allocates said selected supply destination ID to said digital content or said storage device, via said communications network;    said destination computer or said storage system manages access to said digital content from said destination computer, on the basis of the supply destination ID allocated to said digital content or said storage device; and    said destination computer reads out said digital content from said storage device, on the basis of the results of said step of managing access.    
   
   
       8 . The supply managing method according to  claim 7 , 
 wherein said destination computer is a server or a virtual computer generated by said server; and    said digital content is a computer program;    the supply managing method further comprising the steps whereby:    said supplying computer sends a program generation request containing said selected supply destination ID, to said server; and    said server installs said computer program in said server in response to said program generation request if the supply destination ID contained in said program generation request indicates said server, whereas said server installs said computer program in said virtual computer in response to said program generation request if the supply destination ID contained in said program generation request indicates said virtual computer.    
   
   
       9 . A storage system comprising: 
 a storage device for storing digital content, connected to a communications network to which a supply management system for managing supply of digital content is connected; and    a storage management device;    wherein said storage management device:    receives the allocation of a supply destination ID of a destination computer forming a supply destination for said digital content, from among a plurality of supply destination IDs corresponding respectively to a plurality of destination candidate computers connected to the communications network, from said supply management system via said communications network, said supply destination ID being allocated to said digital content or said storage device; and    supplies the digital content to which said supply destination ID is allocated, or the digital content in the storage device to which said supply destination ID is allocated, to said destination computer, in response to a request from said supply management system or said destination computer.    
   
   
       10 . The supply storage system according to  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 a supply destination information updating section for receiving, if a virtual computer is generated dynamically on said communications network, a virtual ID of the newly generated virtual computer, and writing that virtual ID as a supply destination ID to said supply destination information storing region;    wherein said supply destination ID allocating section allocates, upon receiving said virtual ID, said received virtual ID to said digital content or said storage device.    
   
   
       11 . The storage system according to  claim 9 , further comprising an access path reporting section for reporting an access path to the digital content or storage device to which said selected supply destination ID has been allocated, to the destination computer corresponding to said selected supply destination ID.  
   
   
       12 . The storage system according to  claim 9 , further comprising a push supply section for commanding said storage system to supply said digital content to the destination computer corresponding to said selected supply destination ID.  
   
   
       13 . The storage system according to  claim 9 , further comprising an environmental setting data generating section for generating environmental setting data for the exclusive use of the destination computer corresponding to said selected supply destination ID; 
 wherein said supply destination ID allocating section allocates said selected supply destination ID to the environmental setting data thus generated.    
   
   
       14 . The storage system according to  claim 9 , further comprising a supply completion detecting section for detecting that said digital content-has been supplied to the destination computer corresponding to said selected supply destination ID; and 
 an allocation terminating section for terminating the allocation of said selected supply destination ID, when it has been detected that said digital content has been supplied.