In order to enable an area of each logical volume to be expanded while
continuously using the logical volume and to integrate separate logical
volumes in a single continuous area, a storage has logical volume control
means for controlling the construction of a logical volume, a logical
volume number map in which logical volume construction information is
described, and copy means for copying the logical volume. By allowing two
or more inner logical numbers to be described per external logical number
in the logical volume number map, improved flexibility in combining the
logical volumes in the storage is achieved. By copying a plurality of
separate logical volumes into a physical continuous area by the copy
means, the logical volumes are integrated.