Patents by Inventor Hirotaka Nakagawa

Hirotaka Nakagawa 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: 20120278426
    Abstract: Resources migrated from migration source storage apparatuses to a migration destination storage apparatus are appropriately allocated to each migration source user. A migration destination storage apparatus among a plurality of storage apparatuses and has a controller for sending or receiving information to or from a host computer and managing each migration destination volume as an access target of the host computer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Mioko Mori
  • Publication number: 20120185645
    Abstract: A storage system including a first storage apparatus having at least one volume to be provided to a host computer, a second storage apparatus connected to the first storage apparatus and having a second volume having a pair relationship with a first volume, and a management apparatus. The management apparatus includes a user interface for setting an attribute of functions related to at least one volume of the first storage apparatus and at least one volume of the second storage apparatus. The management apparatus compares an attribute of a first function related to the first volume and an attribute of a second function related to the second volume, and sets the attribute of the second function to be consistent with the attribute of the first function. The management apparatus there commands restoration of the first volume or the second volume to a state before the set the attribute operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Inventors: Hirotaka NAKAGAWA, Masayasu Asano, Yuichi Taguchi, Masayuki Yamamoto
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20120102201
    Abstract: As a result of operating interference between managing users using the storage apparatus, management tasks on the storage apparatus are delayed and there is the risk of host tasks being delayed or stopped. With a storage apparatus which is managed by a plurality of managing users and a control method thereof, management target resources are divided into a plurality of resource groups; and, by executing exclusive control processing which places the resource groups into an exclusive control range for management operations by the managing users, the scope of the exclusive control can be configured in just proportion and convenience and user friendliness can be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Mioko Mori
  • Patent number: 8151047
    Abstract: A storage system comprises a first storage apparatus having a volume for a host computer, a second storage apparatus connected to the first storage apparatus, and having a volume having a pair relationship with a first volume in the first storage apparatus, and a management apparatus connected to the first storage apparatus and the second storage apparatus. The management apparatus includes a user interface for setting an attribute of a function related to the volume of the first storage apparatus and an attribute of a function related to the volume of the second storage apparatus. The management apparatus compares the attribute of the function related to the first volume and the attribute of the function related to the second volume, and outputs the result of the comparison to the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Masayasu Asano, Yuichi Taguchi, Masayuki Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20120072693
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technique capable of preventing data loss due to relocation of physical storage devices. When a request to relocate a logical storage area is issued, it is determined if the logical storage area to be relocated, which is composed of the physical storage devices in the source storage apparatus, can be configured in the destination storage apparatus, and if it is, the physical storage devices that constitute the logical storage area to be relocated are switched into a write-inhibit state in the source storage apparatus, and the write-inhibit state of the physical storage devices is maintained until the physical storage devices are set up and the logical storage area to be relocated is configured in the destination storage apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Mioko Mori, Hirotaka Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8074090
    Abstract: Conventionally, no consideration was given to the control of the main power supply circuit in a storage apparatus. Thus, unnecessary electric power will be consumed because it is not possible to inhibit the power consumption of the main power supply circuit of the storage apparatus. With this storage system having a plurality of storage apparatuses, a storage apparatus internally has a power supply control program for controlling the respective components and the main power supply circuit, and the power supply control command program provided to the management computer migrates a storage extent to be used for business to another storage apparatus based on the operation schedule of business to use the storage extent of the storage apparatus, and commands the power supply control of the main power supply circuit in the storage apparatuses and the respective components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Masayasu Asano, Yuichi Taguchi, Masayuki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8074091
    Abstract: Proposed is an operation method for seeking a power interruption operation target in which MTBF will become longest. When a target value regarding a power interruption time and a target value regarding a power interruption count per 24 hours is input from an administrator to a management computer, the management computer calculates the MTBF after one year and the annual power consumption for each of the input target values, and, as a power interruption operation target in which the MTBF will become longest in one year, a target value regarding a power interruption time and a target value regarding a power interruption count are respectively selected among multiple target values in which the MTBF will become longest based on each of the calculation results, and displayed on a screen of an output unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Yuichi Taguchi, Taro Inoue
  • Publication number: 20110296195
    Abstract: Provided is a storage device which partitions data from a host into multiple partitioned data and distributes, encrypts and stores them together with a parity to and in multiple memory mediums. This storage device executes processing of restoring the partitioned data or the parity stored in a memory medium to be subject 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 to be subject 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 to be subject to encryption re-key so that the backup memory medium will be a memory medium configuring the parity group and the memory medium to be subject to encryption re-key will be the backup memory medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2009
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Masayasu Asano, Takeki Okamoto, Nobuyuki Osaki
  • Patent number: 7996611
    Abstract: Provided are a backup data management system and a backup data management method capable of facilitating the management of backup data that is multiplexed between different storage apparatuses. The backup data management system includes a storage apparatus having a volume to be used by a host computer, at least one storage apparatus having volumes, and a management computer. The management computer creates a copy pair so that a snapshot of the volume included in a backup group is stored in all the volumes included in the backup group, and sets all copy pairs included in the designated backup group to a PAIR status when there is a creation request of the snapshot of the volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Masayasu Asano, Masayuki Yamamoto, Yuichi Taguchi
  • Publication number: 20110179188
    Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to reassess respective host paths and reset priorities in accordance with the current state of a storage system. A management computer 400, in a case where either a failure or a configuration change occurs inside the storage system, assesses the respective host paths 501 through 506 in accordance with the status of a first communication network 500 and the status of a second communication network 600. The management computer 400, based on these assessment results, resets the priority of each host path. an alternate path program 112 of the host 100 are notified of the priorities, which have been set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Satoshi Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20100082934
    Abstract: In order to manage and operate Pool created in storage system A and a virtual volume using Pool in storage system B, it is required to copy the virtual volume of storage system A into a virtual volume of storage system B and new storage regions for copy of virtual volume into storage system B are needed. Storage system B acquires configuration information of Pool and a virtual volume of storage system A and inputs a logical volume included in Pool of storage system A to storage system B based on the acquired configuration information. Storage system B transforms the acquired configuration information for use in storage system B and creates Pool and a virtual volume from the input logical volume based on the transformed configuration information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Yuki Naganuma, Shinichiro Kanno, Hirotaka Nakagawa, Masayasu Asano, Hirokazu Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20100036896
    Abstract: A backup is continued in a computer system even one storage device is stopped. In the computer system, a first storage device, upon reception of a data write request to a first storage area, stores the data in the first storage area and a second storage area, and transmits the data to a second storage device. The second storage device stores the received data in a third storage area and a fourth storage area. The first storage device, upon reception of a snapshot creation request, suspends storing of the data in the second storage area, while the second storage device, upon reception of the snapshot creation request, suspends storing of the data in the fourth storage area at timing that the same data is stored in the second storage area and the fourth storage area, and after storing of the data is suspended, transmits an identifier equal to an identifier of the second storage area to an inquiry transmission source as an identifier of the fourth storage area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Masayasu Asano
  • Patent number: 7653784
    Abstract: This management computer for managing a plurality of storage apparatuses having a volume storing data sent from a host computer has a schedule information acquisition unit for acquiring schedule information as a schedule of a time frame in which the host computer accesses the volume of the plurality of storage apparatuses, and a power supply control command unit for sending to a corresponding storage apparatus a power supply control command for turning off a main power supply of the storage apparatus of a time frame in which the volume is not accessed based on a referral result of the schedule information acquired with the schedule acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Masayasu Asano, Yuichi Taguchi, Masayuki Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20090300387
    Abstract: Proposed is an operation method for seeking a power interruption operation target in which MTBF will become longest. When a target value regarding a power interruption time and a target value regarding a power interruption count per 24 hours is input from an administrator to a management computer, the management computer calculates the MTBF after one year and the annual power consumption for each of the input target values, and, as a power interruption operation target in which the MTBF will become longest in one year, a target value regarding a power interruption time and a target value regarding a power interruption count are respectively selected among multiple target values in which the MTBF will become longest based on each of the calculation results, and displayed on a screen of an output unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Yuichi Taguchi, Taro Inoue
  • Publication number: 20090235046
    Abstract: This computer system has a first storage apparatus including a first volume, a second storage apparatus for providing the first virtual volume to a host computer, a third storage apparatus for switching the access to the first virtual volume of the host computer and providing a second virtual volume to the host computer, and a management computer for managing the first to third storage apparatuses. The management computer includes a detection unit for detecting the operation of the first virtual volume upon switching the access to the first virtual volume of the host computer to the second virtual volume, and an execution command unit for issuing a command to execute the operation of the first virtual volume detected with the detection unit in the second virtual volume of the third storage apparatus when the access is switched to the second virtual volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Inventors: Masayasu ASANO, Hirotaka Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20090228670
    Abstract: Provided are a backup data management system and a backup data management method capable of facilitating the management of backup data that is multiplexed between different storage apparatuses. The backup data management system includes a storage apparatus having a volume to be used by a host computer, at least one storage apparatus having volumes, and a management computer. The management computer creates a copy pair so that a snapshot of the volume included in a backup group is stored in all the volumes included in the backup group, and sets all copy pairs included in the designated backup group to a PAIR status when there is a creation request of the snapshot of the volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Masayasu Asano, Masayuki Yamamoto, Yuichi Taguchi
  • Patent number: 7502907
    Abstract: Computer systems having a plurality of storage systems could not detect addition of storage systems or configuration changes thereof and automatically redistribute existing volumes based on “hints” provided when the volumes were created. A management computer, which is connected via a network to storage systems having volumes connected via a network to a host computer and which stores data used by the host computer, keeps correspondences between levels indicating specific performances of volumes and storage system characteristics indicating performances of the storage systems. From a first storage system, a level is obtained indicating a performance of a volume of the first storage system allocated to the host computer. The storage system characteristics of the first storage system corresponding to the obtained level indicating the performance of the volume, and storage system characteristics of another storage system are referenced, and the performances of the volumes of the storage systems are compared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Masayuki Yamamoto, Yasunori Kaneda
  • Publication number: 20090031320
    Abstract: A storage system comprises a first storage apparatus having a volume for a host computer, a second storage apparatus connected to the first storage apparatus, and having a volume having a pair relationship with a first volume in the first storage apparatus, and a management apparatus connected to the first storage apparatus and the second storage apparatus. The management apparatus includes a user interface for setting an attribute of a function related to the volume of the first storage apparatus and an attribute of a function related to the volume of the second storage apparatus. The management apparatus compares the attribute of the function related to the first volume and the attribute of the function related to the second volume, and outputs the result of the comparison to the user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Masayasu Asano, Yuichi Taguchi, Masayuki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7376746
    Abstract: When a first service providing device and a second service providing device located on a network have a dependent relationship, services can be disclosed and provided, with the dependent relationship held. A service utilizing device inquires of a service disclosing device regarding available services. The service disclosing device refers to service information and sends back, to the service utilizing device, an address of the first service providing device for providing a first service. The service providing device accepts a service request from the service utilizing device, refers to manageable target information, and issues a service request to the second service providing device by use of an address of the second service providing device being under non-disclosure. The second service providing device executes services and sends back requested information to the service utilizing device via the first service providing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Shinohara, Ryoji Furuhashi, Hirotaka Nakagawa