Patents by Inventor Masayasu Asano

Masayasu Asano has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9026751
    Abstract: According to the present invention, it is possible to construct a backup configuration of a particular application data, without influencing data of another application. A management computer is coupled to a host computer on which an application operates, and to a storage apparatus that includes a plurality of volume groups each having one or more logical volumes. At least one of the logical volumes is allocated to the application. The management computer includes a volume group overlapping use determination part and a backup policy determination part. When the backup of the volume group to which one logical volume belongs is configured, the volume group overlapping use determination part determines whether there is another application that uses the volume group. The backup policy determination part determines whether there is set, for another volume group, backup policy information same as that set for the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Misako Irisawa, Nobuhiro Maki, Masayasu Asano, Wataru Okada
  • Patent number: 9015412
    Abstract: A storage system is configured to manage a pool to which multiple virtual volumes (VVOLs) are associated, assign a real area (RA) from any tier in an available tier pattern associated with a write-destination VVOL to a write-destination virtual area (VA), and carry out a reassignment process for migrating data inside the RA to an RA of a different tier, based on an access status of the RA. A management system is configured to assume a specified tier has been removed from the available tier pattern of a target VVOL, predict performance of all VVOLs associated with the pool to which the target VVOL is associated, determine whether there is a VVOL for which predicted performance is lower than a required performance, and when such a VVOL does not exist, instruct the storage system to remove the specified tier from the available tier pattern of the target VVOL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyoko Miwa, Tsukasa Shibayama, Masayasu Asano
  • Patent number: 9015435
    Abstract: An embodiment of this invention is a storage management system including a processor and a storage device to manage a storage system having one or more copy functions. The processor locates data designated to determine a backup method. The storage device stores copy function management information on the one or more copy functions of the storage system. The processor refers to the copy function management information to ascertain the unit of copy operation of each of the one or more copy functions. The processor determines a candidate for a copy function of the storage system to be used to back up the designated data depending on the data configuration in a volume holding the designated data and the unit of copy operation of the candidate for the copy function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Misako Kono, Nobuhiro Maki, Masayasu Asano, Junichi Hara
  • Patent number: 9003414
    Abstract: A storage apparatus includes a storage unit for storing data read/written by a host computer and provides the host computer with a storage area of the storage unit as one or more volumes. The storage management computer includes a first memory for storing task information including contents of an operation process performed on the storage apparatus, as well as a scheduled starting time and scheduled termination time of a process, and, in the case where first task information is stored in the first memory, when resources used in the process of second task information stored in the first memory are the same as resources used in the process of the first task information, the storage management computer computes times required for executing the first task information and the second task information, based on a time during which the processes of the first and second task information conflict with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsukasa Shibayama, Yukinori Sakashita, Masayasu Asano
  • Publication number: 20150081965
    Abstract: A storage system assigns a real area from a pool to a virtual area in a virtual volume, and stores data into the real area. The pool comprises a plurality of real areas based on a plurality of types of storage devices with different characteristics, and the plurality of real areas are managed as a plurality of tiers depending on the characteristics of the storage devices. Moreover, the storage system moves the data from one tier to another tier in the pool, for each real area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Nagao, Nobuhiro Maki, Taiki Miyaji, Masayasu Asano
  • Patent number: 8984211
    Abstract: A storage system, which comprises multiple memory cells and a storage controller, wherein the storage controller manages cell mode information, which either directly or indirectly denotes the number of bits to be stored in multiple memory cells. The cell mode information can be changed in accordance with a request from a management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsukasa Shibayama, Akifumi Suzuki, Nobuhiro Maki, Junji Ogawa, Masayasu Asano
  • Publication number: 20150067401
    Abstract: A computer recovery method for a computer system, the computer system having: a management computer having a processor and a memory; and a computer having a processor, a memory, and a monitoring part for notifying, when an abnormality occurs, the management computer of the abnormality, the management computer being configured to instruct recovery from the abnormality, the computer recovery method having: a first step of obtaining, by the management computer, hardware components and software components of the computer as configuration information; a second step of receiving, by the management computer, notification of an abnormality from the monitoring part of the computer; and a third step of generating, by the management computer, after the notification is received, component string information for identifying a component where the abnormality has occurred from the configuration information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Yujiro Ichikawa, Yoshifumi Takamoto, Takashi Tameshige, Masaaki Iwasaki, Masayasu Asano
  • Publication number: 20150032983
    Abstract: An embodiment of this invention is a storage management system including a processor and a storage device to manage a storage system having one or more copy functions. The processor locates data designated to determine a backup method. The storage device stores copy function management information on the one or more copy functions of the storage system. The processor refers to the copy function management information to ascertain the unit of copy operation of each of the one or more copy functions. The processor determines a candidate for a copy function of the storage system to be used to back up the designated data depending on the data configuration in a volume holding the designated data and the unit of copy operation of the candidate for the copy function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Misako Kono, Nobuhiro Maki, Masayasu Asano, Junichi Hara
  • Patent number: 8935537
    Abstract: A storage device partitions data from a host into multiple partitioned data and distributes, encrypts and stores them together with a parity in multiple memory mediums. This storage device executes processing of restoring the partitioned data or the parity stored in a memory medium subjectable to encryption re-key based on decrypted data of the partitioned data or the parity stored in each memory medium other than the memory medium subjectable to encryption re-key among the multiple memory mediums, storing the restored partitioned data or the parity in a backup memory medium while encrypting the restored partitioned data or the parity with a new encryption key, and thereafter interchanging the backup memory medium and the memory medium subjectable to encryption re-key so that the backup memory medium will be a memory medium configuring the parity group and the memory medium subjectable to encryption re-key will be the backup memory medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Masayasu Asano, Takeki Okamoto, Nobuyuki Osaki
  • Publication number: 20150006838
    Abstract: A management system is coupled to a storage system group including a scale-out storage system (a virtual storage system). The management system has storage management information, which includes information denoting, for each storage system, whether or not a storage system is a component of a virtual storage system. The management system, based on the storage management information, determines whether or not a first storage system is a component of a virtual storage system, and in a case where the result of this determination is affirmative, identifies, based on the storage management information, a second storage system, which is a storage system other than the virtual storage system that includes the first storage system, and allows a user to perform a specific operation only with respect to this second storage system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Kyoko MIWA, Junichi HARA, Masayasu ASANO
  • Patent number: 8886903
    Abstract: An embodiment of this invention is a storage management system including a processor and a storage device to manage a storage system having one or more copy functions. The processor locates data designated to determine a backup method. The storage device stores copy function management information on the one or more copy functions of the storage system. The processor refers to the copy function management information to ascertain the unit of copy operation of each of the one or more copy functions. The processor determines a candidate for a copy function of the storage system to be used to back up the designated data depending on the data configuration in a volume holding the designated data and the unit of copy operation of the candidate for the copy function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Misako Kono, Nobuhiro Maki, Masayasu Asano, Junichi Hara
  • Patent number: 8868819
    Abstract: A management system is coupled to a storage system group including a scale-out storage system (a virtual storage system). The management system has storage management information, which includes information denoting, for each storage system, whether or not a storage system is a component of a virtual storage system. The management system, based on the storage management information, determines whether or not a first storage system is a component of a virtual storage system, and in a case where the result of this determination is affirmative, identifies, based on the storage management information, a second storage system, which is a storage system other than the virtual storage system that includes the first storage system, and allows a user to perform a specific operation only with respect to this second storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyoko Miwa, Junichi Hara, Masayasu Asano
  • Patent number: 8862839
    Abstract: A storage system which has flash memories constituting a storage area and a function of placing and handling the flash memories in on-line mode and off-line mode, and which stores and manages management information of the flash memories in on-line mode. The storage system includes: when some or all of flash memory in on-line mode is placed in off-line mode, creating a management area in off-line mode in the flash memories by moving existing data in an area used as the management area to an area other than the management area; writing the management information of the flash memories to the created management area; and placing the flash memories in off-line mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayasu Asano, Hiroshi Nasu, Masayuki Yamamoto, Nobuhiro Maki
  • Publication number: 20140304451
    Abstract: A storage system, which comprises multiple memory cells and a storage controller, wherein the storage controller manages cell mode information, which either directly or indirectly denotes the number of bits to be stored in multiple memory cells. The cell mode information can be changed in accordance with a request from a management system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Tsukasa Shibayama, Akifumi Suzuki, Nobuhiro Maki, Junji Ogawa, Masayasu Asano
  • Patent number: 8850152
    Abstract: An example of the invention is a method of data migration from a source volume including storage areas of a plurality of source storage tiers different in performance capability to a destination volume including storage areas of a plurality of destination storage tiers different in performance capability, data relocation being performed among the plurality of source storage tiers in accordance with accesses to the source volume during the data migration. The method includes: starting the data migration between volumes from the source volume to the destination volume; acquiring information on a data arrangement in the source volume determined based on an access history to the source volume during the data migration between volumes from the source volume to the destination volume; and determining a data arrangement in the destination volume during the data migration between volumes based on the data arrangement indicated by the acquired information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kentaro Watanabe, Takashi Tameshige, Masayasu Asano, Mutsumi Hosoya, Hideo Saito
  • Patent number: 8775765
    Abstract: A physical storage area that is allocated to an unused area of a virtual volume is removed. A management unit sends a request to a server computer to make every piece of data stored in a first logical volume migrate to a second logical volume. The server reads all the data out of the first logical volume and writes the data in the second logical volume. A storage system that includes the first logical volume and the second logical volume allocates a physical storage area to an area of the second logical volume where the data is to be written, and writes the data in the allocated physical storage area. The storage system then deletes the first logical volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayasu Asano, Koichi Murayama
  • Patent number: 8745354
    Abstract: To reduce the number of data copies between volume pools by preventing occurrence of unevenness of resource usage between the pools, provided is a computer system including: storage apparatus; and host computer coupled to the storage apparatus, the storage apparatus including physical storage device, the storage apparatus holding information associating virtual volumes and pools each including real storage areas of the physical storage device, the storage apparatus allocating, to the virtual volume of a write destination designated by the host computer, the real storage areas included in each of the plurality of pools corresponding to the virtual volume of the write destination, and storing the data therein, the computer system being configured to: determine, based on the information held by the storage apparatus, orders of priority of the volumes of the write destination by the host computers; and hold the determined orders of priority.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhito Mori, Masayasu Asano
  • Patent number: 8707004
    Abstract: In order to properly use resources according to the application or search for available resources in an environment in which a block storage apparatus and a file storage apparatus coexist, knowledge and experience of applications and storage apparatuses, as well manpower were required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Hara, Masayasu Asano
  • Patent number: 8683154
    Abstract: Operation of an environment that supports both host-based replication and array-based replication is realized. According to the present invention, data in the first storage area is copied first to the second storage area using an array-based replication engine. In this case, the execution result of the replication is managed using a flag from which the copy timing can be known. In addition, data in the first storage area is copied to the third storage area using a host-based replication engine, and further, data in the third storage area is copied to the fourth storage area. Then, when data in the second storage area is restored to the first storage area, data in the fourth storage area is returned to the third storage area so that the third storage area has data of the same time as the second storage area (see FIG. 12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Misako Kono, Nobuhiro Maki, Hironori Emaru, Masayasu Asano, Junichi Hara
  • Publication number: 20140040583
    Abstract: A management system is coupled to a storage system group including a scale-out storage system (a virtual storage system). The management system has storage management information, which includes information denoting, for each storage system, whether or not a storage system is a component of a virtual storage system. The management system, based on the storage management information, determines whether or not a first storage system is a component of a virtual storage system, and in a case where the result of this determination is affirmative, identifies, based on the storage management information, a second storage system, which is a storage system other than the virtual storage system that includes the first storage system, and allows a user to perform a specific operation only with respect to this second storage system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyoko MIWA, Junichi HARA, Masayasu ASANO