Abstract: The present invention relates to a storage apparatus that executes de-duplication processing. Specifically, a storage apparatus includes a storing apparatus configured to provide a first storage area and a second storage area and a control unit. The control unit determines, on the basis of a result of comparison of a compression ratio of compressed data with a threshold, whether first duplication determination for determining whether data same as the data compressed without being stored in the first storage area is stored in the second storage area is executed or second duplication determination for determining whether data same as the data compressed after being stored in the first storage area is stored in the second storage area is executed. Further, the control unit changes the threshold on the basis of a state of the storage apparatus.

Abstract: In a storage system, a controller prevents the same chunk data from being stored in a storage device in an overlapped manner, on the basis of data block information showing an association of each data block and a plurality of chunk data configuring each data block, chunk group information showing an association of each chunk data not to be overlapped and a chunk group which each chunk data belongs to, and reference data block information showing an association of each chunk group and a data block having any chunk data belonging to each chunk group as constituent elements.

Abstract: In a storage system, a controller prevents the same chunk data from being stored in a storage device in an overlapped manner, on the basis of data block information showing an association of each data block and a plurality of chunk data configuring each data block, chunk group information showing an association of each chunk data not to be overlapped and a chunk group which each chunk data belongs to, and reference data block information showing an association of each chunk group and a data block having any chunk data belonging to each chunk group as constituent elements.

Abstract: A storage system, in a write process of a file, stores the file in a memory and selects whether or not to perform a deduplication process of a chunk based on whether or not at least one of an attribute of the file and a usage capacity at a time of a chunk being read from the memory satisfies a predetermined condition, with respect to each of multiple chunks composing the file. With respect to the chunks which are selected not to perform a deduplication process, a deduplication process may be performed asynchronously from a write process.

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: The present invention relates to a storage apparatus that executes de-duplication processing. Specifically, a storage apparatus includes a storing apparatus configured to provide a first storage area and a second storage area and a control unit. The control unit determines, on the basis of a result of comparison of a compression ratio of compressed data with a threshold, whether first duplication determination for determining whether data same as the data compressed without being stored in the first storage area is stored in the second storage area is executed or second duplication determination for determining whether data same as the data compressed after being stored in the first storage area is stored in the second storage area is executed. Further, the control unit changes the threshold on the basis of a state of the storage apparatus.

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: 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: 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: 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 data management system respectively computes first hash values while sliding a window a prescribed amount at a time with respect to a prescribed range from a start location of a data block to a prescribed size. The system extracts, from among the first hash values, a first hash value, which is equivalent to a characteristic value, and partitions the data block into a first chunk of data at a location corresponding to this first hash value. The system determines coincidence between a first chunk of data and a stored second chunk of data, and prevents duplicate data from being stored twice.

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 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: 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: The de-duplication effect is enhanced even when managing data blocks by dividing them into fixed-length data. Every time a data block is entered, a controller for managing data blocks: sequentially sets a search area of a fixed size from a top of each data block to an end thereof; calculates a first hash value of data belonging to each search area; allocates a search area(s), for which the first hash value becomes a first set value, to a first chunk from among each of the search areas; allocates a search area(s), for which the first hash value is a minimum value, to a second chunk from among the search areas existing in an area larger than the search area if the area larger than the search area exists in an area other than the area to which the first chunk is allocated; allocates an area(s) smaller than the search area to a third chunk; calculates a second hash value from data of each chunk; and manages chunks having the same second hash value, as de-duplication chunks.

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 data management system respectively computes first hash values while sliding a window a prescribed amount at a time with respect to a prescribed range from a start location of a data block to a prescribed size. The system extracts, from among the first hash values, a first hash value, which is equivalent to a characteristic value, and partitions the data block into a first chunk of data at a location corresponding to this first hash value. The system determines coincidence between a first chunk of data and a stored second chunk of data, and prevents duplicate data from being stored twice.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a transfer system, initiator device, and data transfer method that can improve data transfer-related performance by fully utilizing a high-speed interface even when transferring data between devices that execute data processing at different speed. The invention provides a transfer system including: an initiator device, plural target devices, and a switch for switching data transfer targets between the initiator device and target devices, wherein either the initiator device or the target devices are connected to the switch via a high-speed interface and the other is connected to the switch via a low-speed interface, and the initiator device has a control unit for determining the data transfer length of data transferred to a first target device in the target devices according to the status of data transfer to the other target device(s) when transferring data between the initiator device and the first target device.