Patents by Inventor Hironori Emaru

Hironori Emaru 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: 20120278574
    Abstract: A management computer collects a usage condition of a volume from a host computer and a storage apparatus at each site, consolidates management thereof, and prevents a volume from duplicating among applications as a copy source. This makes it possible to select a used volume in an application as a copy source without excess or deficiency and to create a copy pair configuration definition without duplication or incompatibility. If a replication environment is constructed in a large-scale storage system, the consolidated management of a usage condition of a volume collected from the host computer and the storage apparatus at each site makes it possible to create a copy pair configuration definition by a task constituted by a plurality of applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Inventors: Satoshi Kaneko, Nobuhiro Maki, Hironori Emaru
  • Publication number: 20120254852
    Abstract: In an information system, a management server is configured to specify one or more storage areas in one or more storage systems for distributing a firmware, and to create an access control table which sets access control for permissible access to the firmware in the one or more storage areas. A plurality of servers are configured to download the firmware from the one or more storage areas by checking the access control table for permission to download the firmware, to apply the downloaded firmware if the firmware is downloaded, and to write, to the one or more storage areas from which the firmware has been downloaded, status information indicating result of applying the downloaded firmware. The management server is configured to acquire the status information from each of the one or more storage areas from which the firmware has been downloaded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventor: Hironori EMARU
  • Publication number: 20120254570
    Abstract: Copy pair monitoring is provided for a storage system having plural host computers, at least one storage subsystem, and a management computer. The storage subsystem including volumes storing data requested by the host computer, the management computer being accessible to the host computer and the storage subsystem. The copy pair monitoring includes obtaining every piece of copy pair definition information that is stored in the host computer, removing duplicate copy pair definition information from the whole copy pair definition information obtained, and collecting the copy pair status based on the obtained copy pair definition information from which duplicate copy pair definition information has been removed. Each host computer is assigned a priority level, and, when more than one host computer includes the same copy pair, the host computer with the lowest priority obtains the copy pair information to reduce the load on the higher priority host computers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Inventors: Hironori Emaru, Yuichi Yagawa, Hiroyuki Inoue
  • Patent number: 8271761
    Abstract: A storage system having at least two storage apparatuses capable of partitioning an internal resource into logical partitions and managing the logical partitions, and which replicates data written into a primary volume of a primary storage apparatus as the replication source storage apparatus to a secondary volume of a secondary storage apparatus as the replication destination storage apparatus, including: a configuration information sending unit for sending configuration information of the logical partition, to which the primary volume belongs, to the secondary storage apparatus; and a logical partition setting unit for setting the configuration of the logical partition to which the secondary volume belongs based on the configuration information of the logical partition to which the primary volume belongs sent from the configuration information sending unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuki Naganuma, Hironori Emaru, Toshimichi Kishimoto, Nobuhiro Maki
  • Patent number: 8234474
    Abstract: A management computer collects a usage condition of a volume from a host computer and a storage apparatus at each site, consolidates management thereof, and prevents a volume from duplicating among applications as a copy source. This makes it possible to select a used volume in an application as a copy source without excess or deficiency and to create a copy pair configuration definition without duplication or incompatibility. If a replication environment is constructed in a large-scale storage system, the consolidated management of a usage condition of a volume collected from the host computer and the storage apparatus at each site makes it possible to create a copy pair configuration definition by a task constituted by a plurality of applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kaneko, Nobuhiro Maki, Hironori Emaru
  • Publication number: 20120191941
    Abstract: A storage system having at least two storage apparatuses capable of partitioning an internal resource into logical partitions and managing the logical partitions, and which replicates data written into a primary volume of a primary storage apparatus as the replication source storage apparatus to a secondary volume of a secondary storage apparatus as the replication destination storage apparatus, including: a configuration information sending unit for sending configuration information of the logical partition, to which the primary volume belongs, to the secondary storage apparatus; and a logical partition setting unit for setting the configuration of the logical partition to which the secondary volume belongs based on the configuration information of the logical partition to which the primary volume belongs sent from the configuration information sending unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Inventors: Yuki NAGANUMA, Hironori EMARU, Toshimichi KISHIMOTO, Nobuhiro MAKI
  • Publication number: 20120185426
    Abstract: Problem To constantly allocate the page storing the actual data of the file to which the required response performance is provided in the pool volume satisfying the required response performance. Solution The storage management system 23210, if the required response performance of the file is added to the access request from the host computer 10000, compares the required response performance of the file with the response performance of the pool volume assigned to the page 20041 and, if the response performance of the compared pool volume does not satisfy the required response performance, selects a pool volume whose response performance satisfies the required response performance from the pool volumes, migrates the page 20041 to the selected pool volume 20070, and stores the data in the page 20041 to which the pool volume 20070 is assigned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Mioko Mori, Hirotaka Nakagawa, Hironori Emaru
  • Patent number: 8195902
    Abstract: Provided is a copy pair monitoring method which is for a storage system having at least one host computer, at least one storage subsystem, and a management computer, the storage subsystem including volumes storing data requested by the host computer to be written, the management computer being accessible to the host computer and the storage subsystem. The copy pair monitoring method is characterized by including the steps of: obtaining every piece of copy pair definition information that is stored in the host computer; removing duplicate copy pair definition information from the whole copy pair definition information obtained; and collecting the copy pair status based on the obtained copy pair definition information from which duplicate copy pair definition information has been removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironori Emaru, Yuichi Yagawa, Hiroyuki Inoue
  • Patent number: 8185502
    Abstract: The present invention provides a backup method that makes it possible to specify the recovery-enabled time of an application even in a case where a backup has been performed without staticizing the application. In response to a first instruction from a management computer, a storage system backs up a first volume to a second volume at a first time while a first host computer continues to process an application. In response to a second instruction from the management computer, a second host computer reads out the data of the second volume and acquires a second time that is the time at which the application is recovery-enabled. The management computer stores the relationship between the backup and the second time in backup catalog information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Misako Irisawa, Nobuhiro Maki, Wataru Okada, Hironori Emaru
  • Patent number: 8151080
    Abstract: Proposed are a storage system and its management method having at least two storage apparatuses capable of partitioning an internal resource into logical partitions and managing the logical partitions, and which replicates data written into a primary volume of a primary storage apparatus as the replication source storage apparatus to a secondary volume of a secondary storage apparatus as the replication destination storage apparatus. With this storage system and its management method, configuration information of the logical partition, to which the primary volume belongs, is sent to the secondary storage apparatus, and the configuration of the logical partition to which the secondary volume belongs is set based on the configuration information of the logical partition to which the primary volume belongs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuki Naganuma, Hironori Emaru, Toshimichi Kishimoto, Nobuhiro Maki
  • Patent number: 8108639
    Abstract: The invention provides a technology applicable to technologies other than a main frame technology and monitors data recovery available time while suppressing a monitoring error within a certain range in a storage system that performs Asynchronous Remote Copy among storage devices. A management computer in the storage system stores latest or quasi-latest management data corresponding to data staying in a buffer of the first storage device with temporal information at certain monitoring intervals, calculates an estimated value of the data recovery available time which is time of data stored in the second storage device corresponding to data stored in the first storage device, based on the temporal information stored, and based on a certain management data among earliest or quasi-earliest management data or a number of the data staying in the buffer at the certain time and displays the estimated value on a display section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironori Emaru, Nobuhiro Maki, Junichi Hara
  • Publication number: 20120016957
    Abstract: Provided is a copy pair monitoring method which is for a storage system having at least one host computer, at least one storage subsystem, and a management computer, the storage subsystem including volumes storing data requested by the host computer to be written, the management computer being accessible to the host computer and the storage subsystem. The copy pair monitoring method is characterized by including the steps of: obtaining every piece of copy pair definition information that is stored in the host computer; removing duplicate copy pair definition information from the whole copy pair definition information obtained; and collecting the copy pair status based on the obtained copy pair definition information from which duplicate copy pair definition information has been removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Inventors: Hironori EMARU, Yuichi Yagawa, Hiroyuki Inoue
  • Publication number: 20120005435
    Abstract: A storage system comprises multiple virtual volumes (VVOLs) and multiple pools. Each pool is configured of multiple actual area groups of different performances. The storage system accesses actual areas assigned to virtual areas identified by access commands from an access source. A controller manages pool condition information which is the information showing which actual area is assigned to which virtual area and the access load related to the virtual areas. The management system of the storage system comprises management information showing a performance requirement and a performance for each VVOL. The performance of a VVOL is the performance identified with reference to the pool condition information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori Emaru, Koichi Murayama
  • Publication number: 20110314239
    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: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Misako Kono, Nobuhiro Maki, Hironori Emaru, Masayasu Asano, Junichi Hara
  • Publication number: 20110307596
    Abstract: A management computer collects a usage condition of a volume from a host computer and a storage apparatus at each site, consolidates management thereof, and prevents a volume from duplicating among applications as a copy source. This makes it possible to select a used volume in an application as a copy source without excess or deficiency and to create a copy pair configuration definition without duplication or incompatibility. If a replication environment is constructed in a large-scale storage system, the consolidated management of a usage condition of a volume collected from the host computer and the storage apparatus at each site makes it possible to create a copy pair configuration definition by a task constituted by a plurality of applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Inventors: Satoshi Kaneko, Nobuhiro Maki, Hironori Emaru
  • Patent number: 8078814
    Abstract: Provided is a copy pair monitoring method which is for a storage system having at least one host computer, at least one storage subsystem, and a management computer, the storage subsystem including volumes storing data requested by the host computer to be written, the management computer being accessible to the host computer and the storage subsystem. The copy pair monitoring method is characterized by including the steps of: obtaining every piece of copy pair definition information that is stored in the host computer; removing duplicate copy pair definition information from the whole copy pair definition information obtained; and collecting the copy pair status based on the obtained copy pair definition information from which duplicate copy pair definition information has been removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironori Emaru, Yuichi Yagawa, Hiroyuki Inoue
  • Patent number: 8060478
    Abstract: The management burden of a replication administrator is alleviated and the monitoring burden is reduced in a storage system. In a large-scale storage system configured across a plurality of sites, a management computer managing the storage system collects configuration information of a volume group such as the copy pair status information from a host computer of the respective sites including a primary site and a remote site, and analyzes the collected information. When a failure or a disaster occurs and the primary site and the remote site are switched and the management computer detects a change in the configuration of the volume group, and appropriate switches the monitoring configuration upon determining the configuration of the detected change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironori Emaru, Nobuhiro Maki
  • Patent number: 8046632
    Abstract: A storage management program is provided with a function of determining a suspension/continuation of a remote backup based on an operation-at-failure management table, and accomplishes the suspension/continuation of the backup based on the application in which a failure has occurred and the mode of this failure. The storage management program is also provided with a function of computing a change in the quantity of data from the last backup before the occurrence of the failure until the first backup after the occurrence of the failure, and determining the suspension/continuation of the backup, enabling to suspend/continue the backup in line with the operating status of the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyoko Miwa, Nobuhiro Maki, Masayasu Asano, Hironori Emaru
  • Publication number: 20110258407
    Abstract: A storage system having at least two storage apparatuses capable of partitioning an internal resource into logical partitions and managing the logical partitions, and which replicates data written into a primary volume of a primary storage apparatus as the replication source storage apparatus to a secondary volume of a secondary storage apparatus as the replication destination storage apparatus, including: a configuration information sending unit for sending configuration information of the logical partition, to which the primary volume belongs, to the secondary storage apparatus; and a logical partition setting unit for setting the configuration of the logical partition to which the secondary volume belongs based on the configuration information of the logical partition to which the primary volume belongs sent from the configuration information sending unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Inventors: Yuki NAGANUMA, Hironori Emaru, Toshimichi Kishimoto, Nobuhiro Maki
  • Publication number: 20110252214
    Abstract: A storage apparatus coupled to a host device comprises a virtual volume which is a virtual logical volume configured of multiple virtual areas and a pool configured of multiple actual area groups of different performances. A controller manages pool status information which is the information showing which actual area is allocated to which virtual area and access load related to the virtual areas. A management system of the storage apparatus, with reference to the pool status information at multiple points of time from past to present and an access load threshold which is equal to or larger than 1, estimates the used capacity of each actual area group at points of time in the future, calculates the installed/removed amount of each actual area group which is the difference between the estimated used capacity and the current storage capacity, and performs the processing based on the calculated result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Naganuma, Hirokazu Ikeda, Hironori Emaru, Koichi Murayama, Shinichiro Kanno