The present invention achieves data relocation in accordance with a user's
policies, in an environment where a plurality of storage devices are
combined. The volumes belonging to storage devices A D are managed
virtually integrally. A host recognizes a plurality of storage devices A
D as a single virtual storage device. The user is able to group the
volumes belonging to the storage system, as a plurality of storage layers
1 3. For example, storage layer 1 can be defined as a high-reliability
layer, storage layer 2, as a low-cost layer, and storage layer 3, as an
archive layer. Each storage layer is constituted by a group of volumes
corresponding to respective policies (high reliability, low cost,
archiving). The user designates volumes to be moved V1 and V2, in group
units, and indicates a storage layer forming a movement destination,
whereby the data is relocated.