Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Usami

Kazuhiro Usami 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: 8812800
    Abstract: The performance to transfer data to external storage media in thin provisioning is enhanced. A storage apparatus is connected via a network to a host system writing of data and to a tape management apparatus for managing tape storage media for storing the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Usami
  • Publication number: 20120233437
    Abstract: Pools of a plurality of types of storage devices are configured and are included in different layers. Based on at least one storage device of the same type, the pools of types corresponding to the type are configured. The controller in the storage system carries out storage location change processing in which the storage location of targeted data that has been stored into the targeted first real page allocated to a virtual page in a virtual volume is changed to the second real page that has not been allocated in a pool of the second type different from a pool of the first type including the targeted first real page in the case in which the controller conforms to the prescribed storage location change conditions. A size of a real page is different depending on a type of a pool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Inventor: Kazuhiro USAMI
  • Patent number: 8219770
    Abstract: A storage system including: a virtualization apparatus having a control unit, said control unit setting an actual volume for storing data sent from a host apparatus, formed in a storage area provided by a physical disk; and a virtual volume paired with the actual volume, for storing replicated data for the data; and an external storage apparatus having a logical volume that functions as an actual storage area for the virtual volume; and a tape associated with the logical volume, for storing the replicated data; wherein the external storage apparatus has a copy unit for copying the replicated data stored in the logical volume to the tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Computer Peripherals Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Usami
  • Patent number: 8205054
    Abstract: Pools of a plurality of types of storage devices are configured and are included in different layers. Based on at least one storage device of the same type, the pools of types corresponding to the type are configured. The controller in the storage system carries out storage location change processing in which the storage location of targeted data that has been stored into the targeted first real page allocated to a virtual page in a virtual volume is changed to the second real page that has not been allocated in a pool of the second type different from a pool of the first type including the targeted first real page in the case in which the controller conforms to the prescribed storage location change conditions. A size of a real page is different depending on a type of a pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Computer Peripherals Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Usami
  • Patent number: 8145602
    Abstract: An LU management table 61 that associates and stores the LU# of the P-Vol 10p and the LU# of the S-Vol 10s is provided. The CPU 53 specifies the LU# of the S-Vol 10s constituting the save source of the data with respect to the magnetic tape cartridge 74, acquires the LU# of the P-Vol 10p associated with the specified LU# from the LU management table 61, reads the saved data from the magnetic tape cartridge 74 storing the data by means of the magnetic tape drive 71, and stores the data read from the magnetic tape cartridge 74 to the P-Vol 10p with the acquired LU#. As a result, the data can be restored easily and properly to the P-Vol 10p.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Computer Peripherals Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Usami
  • Publication number: 20110320707
    Abstract: The performance to transfer data to external storage media in thin provisioning is enhanced. A storage apparatus is connected via a network to a host system writing of data and to a tape management apparatus for managing tape storage media for storing the data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicants: HITACHI COMPUTER PERIPHERALS CO., LTD., HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Usami
  • Publication number: 20110320710
    Abstract: A storage system including: a virtualization apparatus having a control unit, said control unit setting an actual volume for storing data sent from a host apparatus, formed in a storage area provided by a physical disk; and a virtual volume paired with the actual volume, for storing replicated data for the data; and an external storage apparatus having a logical volume that functions as an actual storage area for the virtual volume; and a tape associated with the logical volume, for storing the replicated data; wherein the external storage apparatus has a copy unit for copying the replicated data stored in the logical volume to the tape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Usami
  • Patent number: 8037265
    Abstract: Storage system and data management method to reduce the load on a virtualization apparatus by executing backup processing or restoration processing within one apparatus in which an externally connected storage apparatus and a tape library apparatus are installed. The storage system includes a virtualization apparatus and an external storage apparatus; the virtualization apparatus having: an actual volume for storing data sent from a host apparatus, formed in a storage area provided by a physical disk; and a virtual volume paired with the actual volume, for storing replicated data for the data, and the external storage apparatus having: a logical volume that functions as an actual storage area for the virtual volume; and a tape associated with the logical volume, for storing the replicated data, wherein the external storage apparatus has a copy unit for copying the replicated data stored in the logical volume to the tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Computer Peripherals Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Usami
  • Patent number: 8037268
    Abstract: Aiming to suitably balance, when backing up data to a magnetic tape, search time and writing/reading performance depending on the purpose of the backup, provided is a disk array apparatus including a disk device having hard disks, a magnetic tape device including a magnetic tape to which data to be backed up is written, and a control unit performing writing and reading processings of data between the disk device and the magnetic tape device. The control unit includes an FM (file mark) interval managing unit which receives a purpose of use when backing up the data on the magnetic tape, and from FM intervals which is held in association with the purpose of use thus received and which indicates an interval of recording FMs on the magnetic tape, acquires an FM interval corresponding to the purpose of use thus received, and transmits the acquired FM interval to the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Computer Peripherals Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Aikawa, Kazuhiro Usami, Hirokazu Ishii
  • Publication number: 20100293150
    Abstract: An LU management table 61 that associates and stores the LU# of the P-Vol 10p and the LU# of the S-Vol 10s is provided. The CPU 53 specifies the LU# of the S-Vol 10s constituting the save source of the data with respect to the magnetic tape cartridge 74, acquires the LU# of the P-Vol 10p associated with the specified LU# from the LU management table 61, reads the saved data from the magnetic tape cartridge 74 storing the data by means of the magnetic tape drive 71, and stores the data read from the magnetic tape cartridge 74 to the P-Vol 10p with the acquired LU#. As a result, the data can be restored easily and properly to the P-Vol 10p.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Usami
  • Patent number: 7831781
    Abstract: A storage system is characterized by including: a host apparatus for sending various requests and backup-target data; a virtualization apparatus including a volume that stores the data sent from the host apparatus and a virtual volume that stores replicated data for the data; and a virtual disk library apparatus having a controller apparatus that includes an actual volume for the virtual volume and a tape library apparatus having a tape that stores the replicated data stored in the actual volume, and is characterized in that the controller apparatus has a path switching unit for conducting switching, for a plurality of paths for transferring the data, between a path that connects the controller apparatus to the tape library apparatus and a path that connects the controller apparatus to the virtualization apparatus according to a request from the host apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Usami
  • Patent number: 7788229
    Abstract: An LU management table 61 that associates and stores the LU# of the P-Vol 10p and the LU# of the S-Vol 10s is provided. The CPU 53 specifies the LU# of the S-Vol 10s constituting the save source of the data with respect to the magnetic tape cartridge 74, acquires the LU# of the P-Vol 10p associated with the specified LU# from the LU management table 61, reads the saved data from the magnetic tape cartridge 74 storing the data by means of the magnetic tape drive 71, and stores the data read from the magnetic tape cartridge 74 to the P-Vol 10p with the acquired LU#. As a result, the data can be restored easily and properly to the P-Vol 10p.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Computer Peripherals Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Usami
  • Publication number: 20100142070
    Abstract: Aiming to suitably balance, when backing up data to a magnetic tape, search time and writing/reading performance depending on the purpose of the backup, provided is a disk array apparatus including a disk device having hard disks, a magnetic tape device including a magnetic tape to which data to be backed up is written, and a control unit performing writing and reading processings of data between the disk device and the magnetic tape device. The control unit includes an FM (file mark) interval managing unit which receives a purpose of use when backing up the data on the magnetic tape, and from FM intervals which is held in association with the purpose of use thus received and which indicates an interval of recording FMs on the magnetic tape, acquires an FM interval corresponding to the purpose of use thus received, and transmits the acquired FM interval to the control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Inventors: Hirokazu Aikawa, Kazuhiro Usami, Hirokazu Ishii
  • Publication number: 20100115222
    Abstract: Pools of a plurality of types of storage devices are configured and are included in different layers. Based on at least one storage device of the same type, the pools of types corresponding to the type are configured. The controller in the storage system carries out storage location change processing in which the storage location of targeted data that has been stored into the targeted first real page allocated to a virtual page in a virtual volume is changed to the second real page that has not been allocated in a pool of the second type different from a pool of the first type including the targeted first real page in the case in which the controller conforms to the prescribed storage location change conditions. A size of a real page is different depending on a type of a pool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventor: Kazuhiro USAMI
  • Publication number: 20090070385
    Abstract: An LU management table 61 that associates and stores the LU# of the P-Vol 10p and the LU# of the S-Vol 10s is provided. The CPU 53 specifies the LU# of the S-Vol 10s constituting the save source of the data with respect to the magnetic tape cartridge 74, acquires the LU# of the P-Vol 10p associated with the specified LU# from the LU management table 61, reads the saved data from the magnetic tape cartridge 74 storing the data by means of the magnetic tape drive 71, and stores the data read from the magnetic tape cartridge 74 to the P-Vol 10p with the acquired LU#. As a result, the data can be restored easily and properly to the P-Vol 10p.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Usami
  • Publication number: 20080270670
    Abstract: A storage system is characterized by including: a host apparatus for sending various requests and backup-target data; a virtualization apparatus including a volume that stores the data sent from the host apparatus and a virtual volume that stores replicated data for the data; and a virtual disk library apparatus having a controller apparatus that includes an actual volume for the virtual volume and a tape library apparatus having a tape that stores the replicated data stored in the actual volume, and is characterized in that the controller apparatus has a path switching unit for conducting switching, for a plurality of paths for transferring the data, between a path that connects the controller apparatus to the tape library apparatus and a path that connects the controller apparatus to the virtualization apparatus according to a request from the host apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Usami
  • Publication number: 20080091896
    Abstract: A storage system and a data management method are provided that can reduce the load on a virtualization apparatus by executing backup processing or restoration processing within one apparatus—an external storage apparatus—in which an externally connected storage apparatus and a tape library apparatus are installed. The storage system includes a virtualization apparatus and an external storage apparatus; the virtualization apparatus having: an actual volume for storing data sent from a host apparatus, formed in a storage area provided by a physical disk; and a virtual volume paired with the actual volume, for storing replicated data for the data, and the external storage apparatus having: a logical volume that functions as an actual storage area for the virtual volume; and a tape associated with the logical volume, for storing the replicated data, wherein the external storage apparatus has a copy unit for copying the replicated data stored in the logical volume to the tape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Usami
  • Patent number: 5894469
    Abstract: A disk file apparatus having a storage device (4) for multistageously storing disk cartridges (3) each containing a disk therein while keeping each of said disk cartridges horizontal, a drive device (5), and an automatic disk exchanging device (7) including a carrier device (6) for taking out a disk cartridge in between said storage device and said drive device, carrying the disk cartridge vertically and supplying the disk cartridge, wherein: slide mechanisms (60) are provided on a carrier frame (17) so that the opening/closing of claw arms (24) of a holder (21) provided in the carrier device is interlocked with the going-in-and-out operation of the holder mechanically; the carrier frame is supported so as to be rotatable in the form of a cantilever on the horizontal center of a cartridge storage portion inside thereof; and an inverting device (33) having a solenoid (50) and clutch gears (46, 47) is provided in a holder carrying device (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1999
    Assignee: NKK Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Usami, Shigeo Kawamura