Patents by Inventor Ai Satoyama

Ai Satoyama 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).

  • Publication number: 20190205044
    Abstract: A method for restoring lost data due to a failure of a storage drive is provided, including: selecting a first logical area of a first storage drive that is failed; specifying a first logical area line that includes the first logical area and logical area blocks of a different storage drive and stores a data set having a redundant configuration capable of restoring lost internal data; selecting, from the first logical area line, one or more second logical areas to be accessed for restoring data of the first logical area; and for each of one or more second storage drives that provides the one or more second logical areas respectively, issuing a data storage information request inquiring whether valid data is stored after designating the second logical areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro KAWAGUCHI, Ai SATOYAMA, Kazuei HIRONAKA, Akira DEGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20190196911
    Abstract: A method for restoring lost data in a failed storage drive includes: detecting a trouble in a storage drive in a first RAID group of a first RAID type; in each of striped lines including host data which is lost due to a failure of the storage drive, restoring the host data, in the first RAID group; forming data of a striped line of a second RAID type from host data of a striped line of the first RAID group, the number of strips of the second RAID type being smaller than the number of strips of the first RAID type; configuring a second RAID group of the second RAID type by a storage drive included in the first RAID group excluding the failed storage drive; and storing data of a striped line of the second RAID type in the second RAID group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Ai SATOYAMA, Tomohiro KAWAGUCHI, Akira DEGUCHI, Kazuei HIRONAKA
  • Publication number: 20190121549
    Abstract: A storage device includes one or more FMPKs including a FM chip capable of storing data and a storage controller that controls storing of write data of a predetermined write request for the FMPK. The FMPK includes a compression/decompression circuit that compresses data according to a second compression algorithm different from a first compression algorithm. The storage controller compresses data using the first compression algorithm, and determines whether the write data will be compressed using the storage controller or the compression/decompression circuit based on a predetermined condition. The write data is compressed by the determined storage controller or compression/decompression circuit and is stored in the FMPK.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Ai SATOYAMA, Tomohiro KAWAGUCHI, Yoshihiro YOSHII
  • Publication number: 20190050345
    Abstract: A storage device allocates an address area of an address space to the first virtual address space in accordance with writing onto a first virtual address space. A controller manages an address area in the first virtual address space, in which address area a mapping to the real address space has been removed, as a usage prohibition area. When a use state of the first virtual address space reaches a predetermined criterion, the controller or the storage device adds new continuous address areas to the first virtual address space to expand the first virtual address space. The storage device allocates an area, in which a mapping to the first virtual address space has been removed, to the first virtual address space expanded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Ai SATOYAMA, Tomohiro KAWAGUCHI, Nobumitsu TAKAOKA
  • Patent number: 10140045
    Abstract: A management target constituting the target of processing executed by a first storage system in accordance with a request transmitted from a higher-level device is managed by first and second management identifiers. A request designating the first management identifier is received from the higher-level device, and a first management identifier designated by the request is converted into a corresponding second management identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Yoshiaki Eguchi
  • Publication number: 20180232286
    Abstract: In order to create, at another site, a backup of a volume at a specific time point while minimizing the response time required to update the volume, a first storage apparatus and a second storage apparatus transfer a journal in a first journal volume to the second storage apparatus, the second storage apparatus writes the transferred journal into a second journal volume, the second storage apparatus reads journals in the second journal volume in order of the update, the second storage apparatus reflects the read journals to a second data volume, the first storage apparatus creates, in the first journal volume, a journal including a marker when a specific condition is satisfied, and the second storage apparatus creates a snapshot of the second data volume upon detecting a marker in the read journal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Ai SATOYAMA, Tomohiro KAWAGUCHI, Hiroshi NASU
  • Patent number: 9921781
    Abstract: A plurality of storage apparatuses including a first and second storage apparatus, wherein said first storage apparatus is configured to have a first virtual volume composed of a plurality of virtual segments, at least said second storage apparatus is configured to have a pool composed of a plurality of real pages, each storage apparatus is configured to manage a virtual pool comprising one or more pools including at least said pool, said virtual pool is composed of a plurality of virtual pages, each virtual page corresponding to any real page, and said first storage apparatus is configured to receive a write command that specifies an address belonging to an unallocated virtual segment, allocate a free virtual page to said unallocated virtual segment, and write data to the real page corresponding to the allocated virtual page, even when said first storage apparatus does not have a pool composed of real pages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Yoshiaki Eguchi
  • Patent number: 9898221
    Abstract: A management target constituting the target of processing executed by a first storage system in accordance with a request transmitted from a higher-level device is managed by first and second management identifiers. A request designating the first management identifier is received from the higher-level device, and a first management identifier designated by the request is converted into a corresponding second management identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Yoshiaki Eguchi
  • Patent number: 9823955
    Abstract: Failures in a storage system are managed at low cost and with high reliability. A storage system is coupled to a file command issuing apparatus and a block command issuing apparatus, and processes commands from both. The storage system is provided with: a first control portion which is provided extending across a plurality of clusters and which is configured to control block access requests to a disk device; a plurality of second control portions which are configured to process file access requests and provided respectively in the clusters, and operate on virtual machines managed by a virtualization control portion; failure detecting portions which are configured to detect failures within each of the clusters; and a failure information management portion which is provided in the first control portion and which is configured to consolidate and manage failure information relating to failures detected by the failure detecting portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Yoshiaki Eguchi, Yusuke Nonaka
  • Publication number: 20170102874
    Abstract: A plurality of server computers shares a virtualized namespace. A storage controller provides a virtual storage area shared by a first server computer and a second server computer. A server computer that is each of the first server computer and the second server computer stores a program that issues an NVM-Express command that is a command conforming to an NVM-Express standard. The program allows the server computer to access the virtual storage area via the PCI-Express by issuing the NVM-Express command specifying a namespace associated with the virtual storage area. The storage controller allocates a storage area in a nonvolatile memory device to the virtual storage area based on the access.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Katsumi OUCHI, Ai SATOYAMA, Yoshiaki EGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9606745
    Abstract: In conventional unified storage systems, an I/O for block storage and an I/O for file storage are processed in a single OS without being distinguished, so that it was not possible to perform processes for speedy failure detection or for enhancing performances such as tuning of performance by directly monitoring hardware. The present invention solves the problem by having a block storage-side OS and an OS group managing multiple systems including a file system other than the block storage-side OS coexist within a storage system, wherein the OS group managing multiple systems including a file system other than the block storage-side OS is virtualized by a hypervisor, wherein a block storage micro-controller and the hypervisor can cooperate in performing processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Yoshiaki Eguchi
  • Publication number: 20160253122
    Abstract: A plurality of storage apparatuses including a first and second storage apparatus, wherein said first storage apparatus is configured to have a first virtual volume composed of a plurality of virtual segments, at least said second storage apparatus is configured to have a pool composed of a plurality of real pages, each storage apparatus is configured to manage a virtual pool comprising one or more pools including at least said pool, said virtual pool is composed of a plurality of virtual pages, each virtual page corresponding to any real page, and said first storage apparatus is configured to receive a write command that specifies an address belonging to an unallocated virtual segment, allocate a free virtual page to said unallocated virtual segment, and write data to the real page corresponding to the allocated virtual page, even when said first storage apparatus does not have a pool composed of real pages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ai SATOYAMA, Yoshiaki EGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160239238
    Abstract: In conventional unified storage systems, an I/O for block storage and an I/O for file storage are processed in a single OS without being distinguished, so that it was not possible to perform processes for speedy failure detection or for enhancing performances such as tuning of performance by directly monitoring hardware. The present invention solves the problem by having a block storage-side OS and an OS group managing multiple systems including a file system other than the block storage-side OS coexist within a storage system, wherein the OS group managing multiple systems including a file system other than the block storage-side OS is virtualized by a hypervisor, wherein a block storage micro-controller and the hypervisor can cooperate in performing processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Ai SATOYAMA, Yoshiaki EGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9396029
    Abstract: In conventional unified storage systems, an I/O for block storage and an I/O for file storage are processed in a single OS without being distinguished, so that it was not possible to perform processes for speedy failure detection or for enhancing performances such as tuning of performance by directly monitoring hardware. The present invention solves the problem by having a block storage-side OS and an OS group managing multiple systems including a file system other than the block storage-side OS coexist within a storage system, wherein the OS group managing multiple systems including a file system other than the block storage-side OS is virtualized by a hypervisor, wherein a block storage micro-controller and the hypervisor can cooperate in performing processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Yoshiaki Eguchi
  • Patent number: 9354819
    Abstract: A plurality of storage apparatuses including a first and second storage apparatus, wherein said first storage apparatus is configured to have a first virtual volume composed of a plurality of virtual segments, at least said second storage apparatus is configured to have a pool composed of a plurality of real pages, each storage apparatus is configured to manage a virtual pool comprising one or more pools including at least said pool, said virtual pool is composed of a plurality of virtual pages, each virtual page corresponding to any real page, and said first storage apparatus is configured to receive a write command that specifies an address belonging to an unallocated virtual segment, allocate a free virtual page to said unallocated virtual segment, and write data to the real page corresponding to the allocated virtual page, even when said first storage apparatus does not have a pool composed of real pages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Yoshiaki Eguchi
  • Patent number: 9329795
    Abstract: The present invention transfers replication logical volumes between and among storage control units in a storage system comprising storage control units. To transfer replication logical volumes from a storage control unit to a storage control unit, a virtualization device sets a path to the storage control unit. The storage control unit prepares a differential bitmap in order to receive access requests. When the preparation completes, the virtualization device makes access requests to the storage control unit. The storage control unit hands over the access requests to the storage control unit. The storage control unit performs a process so that the access requests are reflected in a disk device and performs an emergency destage of storing data in a cache memory into disk device. When the emergency destage ends, the storage control unit connects to an external storage control unit and hands over access requests to the external storage control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Yoshiaki Eguchi, Yasutomo Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20160054950
    Abstract: A management target constituting the target of processing executed by a first storage system in accordance with a request transmitted from a higher-level device is managed by first and second management identifiers. A request designating the first management identifier is received from the higher-level device, and a first management identifier designated by the request is converted into a corresponding second management identifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Ai SATOYAMA, Yoshiaki EGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9256490
    Abstract: The storage apparatus has a control unit that includes: an identification unit that is configured to determine that a first data element contained in the data is incorrect, when a first restoration calculation first data element, which is restored from the first data element using other data elements of the data excluding the first data element and a new redundancy code obtained from the data by a first calculation method, coincides with a second restoration calculation first data element, which is restored from the first data element using the other data elements and a new redundancy code obtained from the data by a second calculation method; and a restoration unit that is configured to correct the first data element in the storage devices that is determined to be incorrect by the identification unit, to either the first restoration calculation first data element or the second restoration calculation first data element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Hiroaki Akutsu, Mikio Fukuoka, Eiju Katsuragi
  • Patent number: 9229652
    Abstract: A computer system dynamically assigns the storage capacity from pool volumes to the access target in the higher-level system, and can immediately respond to the change of the status of the pool having the pool volumes. The control device provides a plurality of first pools, provides a second pool, allocates a storage area from one of the first pools to a logical area of the logical volume to store data to the logical area, and stores the data in the allocated storage area, adds at least one of the one or more pool volumes in the second pool to the first pool, according to the status of the first pool, and adds at least one pool volume provided by storage areas of at least one storage device to the second pool, according to the status of the second pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Yoshiaki Eguchi
  • Publication number: 20150363254
    Abstract: Failures in a storage system are managed at low cost and with high reliability. A storage system is coupled to a file command issuing apparatus and a block command issuing apparatus, and processes commands from both. The storage system is provided with: a first control portion which is provided extending across a plurality of clusters and which is configured to control block access requests to a disk device; a plurality of second control portions which are configured to process file access requests and provided respectively in the clusters, and operate on virtual machines managed by a virtualization control portion; failure detecting portions which are configured to detect failures within each of the clusters; and a failure information management portion which is provided in the first control portion and which is configured to consolidate and manage failure information relating to failures detected by the failure detecting portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Ai SATOYAMA, Yoshiaki EGUCHI, Yusuke NONAKA