A storage system includes a plurality of nodes, each of the nodes including a nonvolatile storage device, and a connection unit directly connected to at least one of the nodes. The connection unit is configured to determine a target node responsive to a write request generated by a host, determine whether or not the target node is busy, output a write command directed to a non-busy node such that data requested by the write request are written in the non-busy node, responsive to determining that the target node is busy, and output a copy command directed to the non-busy node such that the data written in the non-busy node are copied to the target node, after a reference time period has passed since determining that the target node is busy.