1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to access control methods, storage apparatuses and storage mediums, and more particularly to an access control method, a storage apparatus and a storage medium for providing security with respect to data stored in the storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, portable storage mediums typified by optical disks are designed to achieve high compatibility among storage apparatuses such as optical disk units. Hence, no special mechanism is provided with respect to the security of data and programs stored in the optical disk. For this reason, if an optical disk of an authorized user falls in the hands of an unauthorized user, the unauthorized user can make access to the data and the programs stored in this optical disk. As a result, the unauthorized user may without authorization read the data and the programs from the optical disk or, even rewrite the data and the programs stored in the optical disk.
Accordingly, the conventional optical disk is not provided with a special mechanism with respect to the security of the data and the programs stored in the optical disk, and there were problems in that an unauthorized user may without authorization read the data and the programs from the optical disk or, even rewrite the data and the programs stored in the optical disk.
On the other hand, in the case of portable magnetic disks such as floppy disks, it is known to provide a protection function by storing a password with respect to a document which is stored in the floppy disk, so that an access to the document cannot be made unless the password is input. However, this protection function had the following problems in a case where the floppy disk is used by a plurality of users who use a common computer system, for example. In other words, all of the plurality of users must be informed of the password necessary to make access to the floppy disk, and there were problems in that it is difficult to manage the password, and that the management of the password becomes extremely troublesome and complex when the number or the number of kinds of floppy disks becomes large.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and useful access control method, storage apparatus and storage medium, in which the problems described above are eliminated.
Another and more specific object of the present invention to provide an access control method, a storage apparatus and a storage medium which can positively prevent unauthorized access to data and programs stored in a portable storage medium such as optical disks, and to enable a relatively simple management of a password, by providing a simple mechanism with respect to the security of the data and the programs stored in the portable storage medium.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an access control method for a storage apparatus which writes information on a portable storage medium in response to a request from at least one host unit, comprising the steps of writing on the detachable storage medium a user password and a master password which limit access to the portable storage medium, wherein a modification of the user password is permitted by specifying the master password, and said user password is provided in common with respect to a plurality of users and permits access to a data region on the portable storage medium by specifying the user password, and prohibits at least one of write and read with respect to each of the plurality of users. According to the access control method of the present invention, it is possible to positively prevent unauthorized access to data and programs stored in a portable storage medium such as optical disks, and to enable a relatively simple management of a password, by providing a simple mechanism with respect to the security of the data and the programs stored in the portable storage medium.
In the access control method the storage apparatus may be coupled to a plurality of host units via a plurality of paths, path information related to the paths may be added to the user password, and access to the data region on the portable storage medium may be permitted by specifying the user password and the path information.
In the access control method, prohibiting at least one of the write and read may be set independently with respect to each of the plurality of users.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an access control method for a storage apparatus which reads information from a portable storage medium in response to a request from at least one host unit, comprising the steps of reading from the portable storage medium a master password and a user password which limit access to the portable storage medium, wherein a modification of the user password is permitted by specifying the master password, and said user password is provided in common with respect to a plurality of users and permits access to a data region on the portable storage medium by specifying the user password, and prohibits at least one of write and read with respect to each of the plurality of users. According to the access control method of the present invention, it is possible to positively prevent unauthorized access to data and programs stored in a portable storage medium such as optical disks, and to enable a relatively simple management of a password, by providing a simple mechanism with respect to the security of the data and the programs stored in the portable storage medium.
In the access control method, the storage apparatus may be coupled to a plurality of host units via a plurality of paths, path information related to the paths may be added to the user password, and access to the data region on the portable storage medium may be permitted by specifying the user password and the path information.
In the access control method, prohibiting at least one of the write and read may be set independently with respect to each of the plurality of users.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a storage apparatus which writes information on a portable storage medium in response to a request from at least one host unit, comprising a writing unit for writing on the detachable storage medium a user password and a master password which limit access to the portable storage medium; and an access control part which permits a modification of the user password by specifying the master password, permits access to a data region on the portable storage medium by specifying the user password which is provided in common with respect to a plurality of users, and prohibits at least one of write and read with respect to each of the plurality of users. According to the storage apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to positively prevent unauthorized access to data and programs stored in a portable storage medium such as optical disks, and to enable a relatively simple management of a password, by providing a simple mechanism with respect to the security of the data and the programs stored in the portable storage medium.
In the storage apparatus, the storage apparatus may be coupled to a plurality of host units via a plurality of paths, path information related to the paths may be added to the user password, and access to the data region on the portable storage medium may be permitted by specifying the user password and the path information.
In the storage apparatus, prohibiting at least one of the write and read may be set independently with respect to each of the plurality of users.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a storage apparatus which reads information from a portable storage medium in response to a request from at least one host unit, comprising a reading unit for reading from the portable storage medium a master password and a user password which limit access to the portable storage medium; and an access control part which permits a modification of the user password by specifying the master password, permits access to a data region on the portable storage medium by specifying the user password which is provided in common with respect to a plurality of users, and prohibits at least one of write and read with respect to each of the plurality of users. According to the storage apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to positively prevent unauthorized access to data and programs stored in a portable storage medium such as optical disks, and to enable a relatively simple management of a password, by providing a simple mechanism with respect to the security of the data and the programs stored in the portable storage medium.
In the storage apparatus, the storage apparatus may be coupled to a plurality of host units via a plurality of paths, path information related to the paths may be added to the user password, and access to the data region on the portable storage medium may be permitted by specifying the user password and the path information.
In the storage apparatus, prohibiting at least one of the write and read may be set independently with respect to each of the plurality of users.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a storage medium comprising a data region storing data; and a region other than said data region, storing a master password and a user password which limit access to the storage medium, wherein the master password is provided to permit a modification of the user password by specifying the master password, and the user password is provided in common with respect to a plurality of users and permits access to a data region on the storage medium by specifying the user password, and prohibits at least one of write and read with respect to each of the plurality of users. According to the storage medium of the present invention, it is possible to positively prevent unauthorized access to data and programs stored in a portable storage medium such as optical disks, and to enable a relatively simple management of a password, by providing a simple mechanism with respect to the security of the data and the programs stored in the portable storage medium.
In the storage medium, path information related to a path may be added to the user password, and the user password and the path information may be provided to permit access to said data region by specifying the user password and the path information.
In the storage medium, prohibiting at least one of the write and read may be set independently with respect to each of the plurality of users.