A storage system includes a plurality of nodes, each of the nodes including one or more node modules each of which includes a nonvolatile storage, and a connection unit directly connectable to at least one of the nodes. The connection unit is configured to transmit an access request or an inquiry directed to a target node module, determine a length of an interval before re-transmitting the access request or the inquiry, based on a response indicating an operation status of the target node module, which is returned by the target node module in response to the access request or the inquiry, and re-transmits the access request or the inquiry after the interval of the determined length has passed.