Abstract: Proposed are a storage apparatus and its control method capable of restoring data of a virtual page to an appropriate device hierarchy according to its data value. This storage apparatus stores, in a backup-destination storage medium, data stored in the respective physical pages allocated with the virtual volume and management information of the virtual volume including information concerning the device hierarchy to which the respective physical pages belong according to a backup command of the virtual volume, and allocates a physical page of the same device hierarchy as the device hierarchy of the physical page that was allocated before the backup to each of the restoration-target virtual pages of the virtual volume, respectively, and writes corresponding data, which was read from the storage medium, into each of the allocated physical pages according to a restoration command of the virtual volume and based on the management information of the virtual volume stored in the storage medium.

Abstract: Upon receipt of an I/O request instructing storage of data in a storage device 106 from a host apparatus, a storage apparatus 100 selects a de-duplication process method to be applied to the received data, based on at least any of influence on processing performance of the storage apparatus 100 to be performed by execution of a first de-duplication process method (inline method) in which the de-duplication process is performed on the data immediately after the receipt of the I/O request, influence on the processing performance of the storage apparatus 100 to be performed by execution of a second de-duplication process method (post-process method) in which the de-duplication process is performed on the data at later timing, and the size of a temporary storage device 106b to be required for the processing of the data by the second de-duplication process method.

Abstract: Deduplicated backup data of a plurality of generations are aggregated and stored. A storage apparatus is connected via a network to a host system making a content write request and includes a storage unit providing one or more containers composed of a specified storage area, and a back up unit storing the content in the container in accordance with a backup request from the host system; and wherein the backup unit cuts out the content into one or more chunks, detects a duplicate chunk, which is a duplicate of a chunk stored in the container, from the cutout chunks, and additionally writes the chunk, other than the duplicate chunk, to the container where the duplicate chunk is stored.

Abstract: A user no longer needs to restore key information upon restoring data. Proposed is a storage system having a storage apparatus, a tape library apparatus for backing up data stored in the storage apparatus, and a management terminal for managing the storage apparatus and the tape library apparatus. The management terminal identifies a key of a tape to be restored and restores a management Information file based an a tape management file, a tape group information file and a key information file upon restoring data stored in the tape in the tape library apparatus, and commands the restoration of the tape based on the restored management information file.

Abstract: A data management system and data management method capable of inhibiting an increase of I/Os caused by deduplication are provided. Data blocks are managed by grouping them; a plurality of chunks belonging to the same group after deduplication are collectively managed as a chunk data set; and if a host system issues a data block deletion request, garbage collection of the relevant chunk data set is performed based on the number of times of references of the chunk data set and the chunk data set after the garbage collection is managed by overwriting the existing chunk data set with a new chunk data set composed of only chunks of data blocks which are not deleted.

Abstract: The present invention not only reduces the load but also enhances the accuracy of de-duplication in a storage apparatus which performs in-line de-duplication processing and post-process de-duplication processing. A storage apparatus comprises a storage device and a controller. The controller receives multiple files, and by performing in-line de-duplication processing under a prescribed condition, detects from among the multiple files a file which is duplicated with a file received in the past, stores in the temporary storage area a file other than the detected file of the multiple files, and partitions the stored file into multiple chunks, and by performing post-process de-duplication processing, detects from among the multiple chunks a chunk which is duplicated with a chunk received in the past, and stores in the transfer-destination storage area a chunk other than the detected chunk of the multiple chunks.

Abstract: Chunks that commonly occur in each content type are aggregated in a first container. To be more specific, a storage device used for content backup is configured with: (1) a memory device that provides a memory region for one or a plurality of first containers used to store first chunks that commonly occur in each content type among chunks extracted from the contents of writing targets, and for one or a plurality of second containers used to store other chunks than the first chunks; and (2) a backup unit that decides whether each of the chunks extracted from the contents of the writing targets is a first duplication chunk duplicating a chunk stored in the first container, and further decides, for only a chunk that is decided not to be the first duplication chunk, whether each of the chunks is a second duplication chunk duplicating a chunk stored in the second container, and then stores only a chunk that is decided not to be the second duplication chunk in the second container.

Abstract: A storage apparatus executes a duplication determination, which is a determination as to whether or not a second data, which is identical to a first data stored in a first file system, exists in a second file system, in a case where a migration process for migrating the first data to the second file system is to be performed, executes the migration process in a case where the result of the duplication determination is negative, and does not execute the migration process in a case where the result of the duplication determination is affirmative.

Abstract: Provided is a storage system which provides a data storage area to an external apparatus. The storage system includes at least a first information apparatus including a first logical storage area constituting the data storage area, and a first data processing part for performing a processing for reducing a storage capacity of the first logical storage area used by backup target data, and a second information apparatus including a second logical storage area constituting the data storage area, and a second data processing part for performing a processing for reducing a storage capacity of the second logical storage area used by backup target data. The second information apparatus is communicatively coupled with the first information apparatus.

Abstract: An optimum chunk cutout method is selected according to the type of content. A storage apparatus is a storage apparatus for storing content in a backup volume in response to a content storage request from a host system connected to the storage apparatus via a network and includes a chunk cutout unit for cutting out the content into one or more chunks and a duplication judgment unit for managing a duplicate state of the chunk or chunks which have been cut out by the chunk cutout unit; wherein the chunk cutout unit selects a method for cutting out the chunk based on content type identification information indicating a type of the content.

Abstract: Deduplicated backup data of a plurality of generations are aggregated and stored. A storage apparatus is connected via a network to a host system making a content write request and includes a storage unit providing one or more containers composed of a specified storage area, and a back up unit storing the content in the container in accordance with a backup request from the host system; and wherein the backup unit cuts out the content into one or more chunks, detects a duplicate chunk, which is a duplicate of a chunk stored in the container, from the cutout chunks, and additionally writes the chunk, other than the duplicate chunk, to the container where the duplicate chunk is stored.

Abstract: A secondary subsystem reads first differential data recorded in a magnetic tape device into a magnetic disk device, and manages such data based on second differential data that was created based on the read first differential data and differential management information. Then, whether differential data exists in partial data is determined based on the differential management information, and, if such differential data exists, the partial data is read into a cache memory, and differential data is applied to the partial data. Meanwhile, if differential data does not exist, the partial data is read into the buffer. Moreover, new full data is recorded by writing the partial data, which was read into the cache memory or the buffer, onto the magnetic tape device in parallel with other read processing.

Abstract: Disclosed is a small-size, high-efficiency, isolated, bidirectional DC-DC converter. The bidirectional DC-DC converter includes a transformer in which windings are magnetically coupled, switching circuits, a diode which is connected in parallel with a switch, smoothing capacitors, and a control section. First and second DC power supplies, which are connected in parallel with the smoothing capacitors, respectively, provide bidirectional electrical power transfer. When electrical power is to be transferred from the first DC power supply to the second DC power supply, the switch is maintained in the ON state. When, on the other hand, electrical power is to be transferred from the second DC power supply to the first DC power supply, the switch is maintained in the OFF state to prevent a reverse electrical power flow from the first DC power supply.

Abstract: It is possible to compatibly set multiple “dropout” color ranges and “non-dropout” color ranges and uniquely determine a dropout boundary. An object of the present invention is to greatly conserve maintenance cost of adding a new dropout form after apparatus operations. A conventional technology aims at assuring relation to a predetermined color region, determining the presence or absence of contention, or uniquely settling a dropout boundary. The present invention provides a means for supplying levels to a “dropout” color range and a “non-dropout” color range. A registered color range histogram can be quasi-three-dimensionally visualized so that an operator can make adjustment by viewing a contention determination result and an image.

Abstract: A cache memory is utilized effectively because data redundancy elimination is executed. A controller manages the cache memory by dividing it into a first area and a second area. When receiving a write access request from an access requestor, the controller divides a data block, which is an access target, into a plurality of chunks and searches the first area first and then the storage apparatus based on each chunk. If chunk storage information, indicating that each chunk is stored in the storage apparatus, does not exist in the first area or the storage apparatus, the controller executes chunk storage processing and creates and stores the chunk storage information. If the chunk storage information exists, the controller eliminates the chunk storage processing for storing the chunks. If the chunk storage information does not exist in the first area, the controller stages the chunk storage information from the storage apparatus to the first area on condition that the first area has an unused area.

Abstract: A storage control device uses write management information that manages locations of the occurrence of writing in one or more first storage devices in order to specify one or more locations where writing has occurred, and backs up one or more data elements stored in one or more specified locations to a second storage device. In order to perform a restore operation, write management information at the time of a backup is stored, and data elements stored in the second storage device are restored to one or more locations specified from the write management information at that time of backup, or to one or more new locations specified from new write management information indicating one or more new locations corresponding to the one or more locations.

Abstract: Conventionally, an encryption key for encrypting data to be backed up in a tape cannot be allocated for each logical data management unit. To solve the problem, provided is a storage system including: a disk storage device; a tape storage device in which a tape storage medium is loaded; and a controller for controlling the disk storage device and the tape storage device, in which the controller is configured to: generate, upon reception of a request for setting a tape group including one or more tape storage media, a first encryption key used for encrypting data stored in the tape group set by the request; and hold information for correlating the generated first encryption key with the tape group.

Abstract: A storage system including: a virtualization apparatus having a control unit, said control unit setting an actual volume for storing data sent from a host apparatus, formed in a storage area provided by a physical disk; and a virtual volume paired with the actual volume, for storing replicated data for the data; and an external storage apparatus having a logical volume that functions as an actual storage area for the virtual volume; and a tape associated with the logical volume, for storing the replicated data; wherein the external storage apparatus has a copy unit for copying the replicated data stored in the logical volume to the tape.

Abstract: Pools of a plurality of types of storage devices are configured and are included in different layers. Based on at least one storage device of the same type, the pools of types corresponding to the type are configured. The controller in the storage system carries out storage location change processing in which the storage location of targeted data that has been stored into the targeted first real page allocated to a virtual page in a virtual volume is changed to the second real page that has not been allocated in a pool of the second type different from a pool of the first type including the targeted first real page in the case in which the controller conforms to the prescribed storage location change conditions. A size of a real page is different depending on a type of a pool.

Abstract: A complex inductor according to the present invention changes its magnetic coupling polarity according to currents flowing its two inductors. The complex inductor includes a first magnetic member, around which first and third windings are formed, and a second magnetic member, around which second and fourth windings are formed. A first inductor is formed by connecting the first winding to the second winding, and a second inductor is formed by connecting the third winding to the fourth winding. The two magnetic members are made of a magnetic material having a magnetic permeability that gradually decreases as its magnetic flux density is increased. When the two windings are interconnected in a direction in which induced voltages generated in these windings by the current flowing in the second inductor weaken each other, the magnetic coupling polarity between the first and second inductors changes according to the current flowing in the inductors.