A method, apparatus and computer program for implementing a storage management system for limiting management operation of a storage network element by determining whether the storage network element is related to a host computer and determining whether the management operation is restricted based on the host computer and the time at which the management operation is to be conducted. The invention is set forth in a system including a network, a plurality of storage network elements connected to the network, and the storage management system, connected to the network, for controlling storage management operation of the storage network elements in response to operation requests from users of the storage management system. Each of the storage network elements is related to at least one of a plurality of host computers and information of these relations is used to determine whether a management operation can be conducted on the storage network element.