A management device stores configuration history information indicating a history of system configuration changes, from this information, specifies a system configuration of a recovery time, which is a certain point in time in the past, specifies a system configuration of the current time, and compares the system configuration of the recovery time with the system configuration of the current time, and based on the results of this comparison, specifies whether or not there is a system configuration part in the system configuration of the current time for which, if data of the recovery time is recovered, a setting change is required in order to access this recovered data. When this system configuration part is specified, the management device constructs a system configuration for enabling a data utilization unit to access the recovered data by issuing an indication related to a required setting change to an element capable of carrying out the setting change for this system configuration part.