Patents by Inventor Koji Sonoda

Koji Sonoda 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: 20100027154
    Abstract: A floating amount of the magnetic head is controlled. The disk device has a temperature or humidity sensor and a controller. The controller monitors the detected temperature or humidity and retracts the magnetic head to an area where the circumferential speed is fastest, such as at the outermost side of the flying guarantee area of the magnetic disk, if the temperature or humidity is a predetermined value or more. The lubricant transferred from the magnetic disk to the magnetic head can be removed, and the increase of the flying height of the magnetic head can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Koji Sonoda
  • Patent number: 7657721
    Abstract: Snapshots are implemented by combining original data in a place where an operational volume has been updated with data in a place where the operational volume has not been updated. A snapshot management table maintains a value indicating that update has not been conducted, or a storage place of original data, for each of combinations of blocks in the operational volume and the snapshots. If there is a snapshot in which update has not been conducted in a update place at the time of update, then original data is copied and the snapshot management table is updated. The copied original data is managed by a difference block management table, which has a value indicating whether respective snapshots are referencing the data. If a snapshot is deleted, then the value indicating that the snapshot is referencing is altered in all entries in the difference block management table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Nakano, Koji Sonoda, Yoshiaki Eguchi, Takashi Horiuchi, Katsumi Hirezaki
  • Publication number: 20090287887
    Abstract: A storage system has NAS apparatuses each including virtual file servers to be provided to host apparatuses, a storage apparatus including logical units, and a management apparatus for managing the NAS apparatuses and the storage apparatus. The management apparatus requests the NAS apparatuses and the storage apparatus to transfer management information, acquires the management information. The management apparatus then creates system performance information concerning the virtual file servers based on the acquired management information to display the created system performance information on a user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: Kunihito Matsuki, Seiichi Higaki, Koji Sonoda
  • Patent number: 7620698
    Abstract: In a distributed file system, when a user requests a computer to create a distributed file, a management computer acquires a list of computers complying with an allocation rule selected by the user from allocation rules taking the performance, security level, reliability level and utility rate into consideration. When the user requests the computer to access the distributed file, on the other hand, the partial files and the server information are collected from each computer. Each computer evaluates the allocation of the partial files based on the selected allocation rule and the server information from each computer, and if required, selects a destination computer and instructs the partial files to be moved to the destination computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Hara, Masaaki Iwasaki, Koji Sonoda
  • Patent number: 7574557
    Abstract: A problem with a journaling file system is that the load on input/output processing executed between a server and a storage system is increased because a journal log is written when the file system is updated and updated data is written when flush processing is executed. In a system according to the present invention, a storage system that has received journal logs from a server uses updated data included in the journal logs to execute flush processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoji Nakatani, Koji Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20090165750
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve is provided that includes an electromagnetic actuator (A1) that moves a valve body (10) in an inwardly-opening direction, and a magnetostrictive actuator (A2) that, by passing current therethrough, elongates a movable part assembly (43) extending from the valve body (10) to a movable core (24) of the electromagnetic actuator (A1), wherein the magnetostrictive actuator (A2) is formed from a solid magnetostrictive element (15) provided between the valve body (10) and the movable core (24) of the electromagnetic actuator (A1) so as to couple the valve body (10) and the movable core (24), a preload spring (13) provided between the valve body (10) and the movable core (24) so as to apply a compressive preload in the axial direction of the valve body (10) to the magnetostrictive element (15), and a second coil (42) mounted on a valve housing (H) housing the valve body (10), the movable core (24), the magnetostrictive element (15), and the preload spring (13), the second coil (42) elongating t
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: Keihin Corporation
    Inventors: Tadao Tsuchiya, Koji Sonoda, Manabu Shoji
  • Publication number: 20090144290
    Abstract: Provided is a storage system as follows. A server holds a management table that serves to manage a mount point of a file system. The management table stores a file system identifier that uniquely identifies the file system within the storage system, mount point information that indicates the mount point of the file system, and a management server identifier that indicates an identifier of the server that manages the file system. The contents stored in the management table of each server are the same. Upon reception of a request to obtain a file handle, each server returns the file handle requested to be obtained. The file handle indicates, uniquely within the storage system, the storage area on the disk subsystem in which the file relating to the request is stored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventors: Yoji NAKATANI, Koji Sonoda, Takahiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 7529892
    Abstract: Provided is a computer system containing plural storage systems which manages the bandwidth of the storage systems in accordance with storage area attributes. The computer system is characterized in that: a control unit incorporates related file information in metadata, the related file information containing information for identifying a second file which to be write-accessed in conjunction with access to a first file by a client computer, and an access type of the write access. The control unit refers to the related file information to obtain the second file and the access type when the first file is accessed by the client computer. The control unit reads, from the obtained second file stored in the disk device, data corresponding to the obtained access type, to store the read data in a cache memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiichi Matsuzawa, Takaki Nakamura, Koji Sonoda
  • Patent number: 7464222
    Abstract: While a large amount of files can be intensively managed, the capacity scalability is limited by the number of magnetic disk drives and the number of magnetic tape drives which can be connected to a system, thereby failing to provide satisfactory long-term management for a large amount of information which increases more and more over time. A storage system of the present invention is designed for connection with a heterogeneous storage which can be controlled by the storage system, and creates file systems in a storage area reserved within the storage system and in a storage area provided by the heterogeneous storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto Matsunami, Koji Sonoda, Akira Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20080294704
    Abstract: Providing an information processing apparatus and information processing method that prevent the occurrence of inconsistencies between restored files and other files, thereby improving ease of use. When restoring a backup virtual tree, the owner of each file and directory belonging to the backup virtual tree is identified; and when it is found, based on the identification result, that the owner of any of the files or directories is not a target user and the update time and/or version of the backup file or directory is older than that of the corresponding present file or directory, the backup file or directory is restored back into a special directory accessible for the target user with the tree structure of the original virtual tree intact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Inventors: Etsutaro Akagawa, Yohsuke Ishii, Koji Sonoda
  • Patent number: 7451279
    Abstract: A storage system includes a storage device, a shared memory, and first and second file server devices that each exclusively manages a respective portion of data stored on the storage device. During operation, the first file server device determines whether the first or second file server device manages data that is subject to the processing of a write command received by the first file server device. When the second file server device manages data that is subject to the processing of the write command, the first file server device transfers only the control data contained in the write command to the second file server device and updates data that is subject to the processing of the write command via the shared memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoji Nakatani, Koji Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20080275926
    Abstract: A storage system comprises a primary storage system comprising a primary storage apparatus and a primary control apparatus for controlling the primary storage apparatus; and a secondary storage system comprising a secondary storage apparatus and secondary control apparatus for controlling the secondary storage apparatus. The primary storage apparatus and the secondary storage apparatus are connected to each other via a communication line. The primary storage system sends, to the primary storage apparatus, a data-transfer instruction instructing the primary storage apparatus to transfer predetermined data stored in the primary storage apparatus to the secondary storage system. The primary storage apparatus receives the data-transfer instruction, reads out the predetermined data from the primary storage apparatus, and sends the data via the communication line to the secondary storage apparatus of the secondary storage system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Kitamura, Naoto Matsunami, Koji Sonoda
  • Patent number: 7444468
    Abstract: A storage has NAS and SAN functions and a high degree of freedom to configure a system to reduce the management and operation cost. The storage includes a plurality of interface slots in which a plurality of interface controllers can be installed, a block I/O interface controller which has SAN functions and which can be installed in the slot, a file I/O interface controller which has NAS functions and which can be installed in the slots, a storage capacity pool including a plurality of disk devices accessible from the interface controllers, and a storage capacity pool controller to control the storage capacity pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto Matsunami, Manabu Kitamura, Koji Sonoda, Shizuo Yokohata
  • Publication number: 20080263222
    Abstract: A computer system including a storage system, a host computer system, a path configuration unit that associates a local path with a global path, an access path conversion unit that converts a global path into a local path associated, by the path configuration unit, with the global path used in the file access, and forwards the converted file access to the storage system, an access log reception unit that receives an access log from the storage system, an access log conversion unit that converts the local path used in the access log received by the access log reception unit, into a global path associated, by the path configuration unit, with the local path used in the received access log, and an access log display unit that displays the converted access log.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Inventors: Keiichi MATSUZAWA, Etsutaro AKAGAWA, Koji SONODA
  • Publication number: 20080263277
    Abstract: A storage device is provided with a file I/O interface control device and a plurality of disk pools. The file I/O interface control device sets one of a plurality of storage hierarchies defining storage classes, respectively, for each of LUs within the disk pools, thereby forming a file system in each of the LUs. The file I/O interface control device migrates at least one of the files from one of the LUs to another one of the LUs of an optimal storage class, based on static properties and dynamic properties of each file.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Inventors: Naoto Matsunami, Koji Sonoda, Akira Yamamoto, Masafumi Nozawa, Masaaki Iwasaki
  • Publication number: 20080235350
    Abstract: A root node creates and issues an object ID comprising share information designating a share unit, which is a logical public unit. The share unit is a logical public unit comprising no less than two objects. Transfer control information in which share information is associated with device information showing a device for managing this share unit, is prepared for each share unit. The root node receives request data, which has an object ID comprising share information, specifies device information corresponding to the share information in this object ID from the transfer control information, and transfers the request data to the device indicated in this device information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Inventors: Takaki Nakamura, Koji Sonoda, Jun Nemoto
  • Patent number: 7424475
    Abstract: This invention addresses to execute an emergency access interception in a widely distributed environment. An access controller 100 manages an access control list (ACL) 110 recording access right to each object, and a black list (BL) 120 recording user information corresponding to the emergency access interception. The access controller 100 receives a request for authentication to access right and judges whether or not the access right is proper, first according to the BL 120 then ACL110. In case where the user information corresponding to the request is recorded in the BL 120, the access controller 100 sends out the user information to other access controllers and instructs them to register it in the black list. This invention effectively actualizes the emergency access interception under the widely distributed environment in case where the interception is required for any user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohsuke Ishii, Koji Sonoda, Masaaki Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7424491
    Abstract: Interfaces of SAN and NAS, prevents data miss even when a trouble occurs and makes it possible that an arbitrary number of NAS interfaces access the same file system with high performance. A storage system includes multiple interfaces for external connection, multiple disks accessed from multiple interfaces, and a shared memory accessed from multiple interfaces. The multiple interfaces are block interfaces executing disk block I/O request, and file interfaces of file servers executing file I/O request. A file system in the file servers is constructed in a part of the disks, and a log storage area holding change log of the file system, and a management file server information storage area holding information of managing file server performing exclusive access control of file system and management of log storage area are formed in the shared memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Sonoda, Naoto Matsunami, Manabu Kitamura, Yutaka Takata
  • Patent number: 7412578
    Abstract: In the storage-based snapshot creation, a block-selection specifying unit provided on a NAS processing unit specifies a block, which becomes necessary for the generation of snapshot data, to a specified-block analyzing unit within a disk apparatus. Moreover, a disk controller generates the snapshot data on the block specified as the snapshot target, while making an inquiry to the specified-block analyzing unit. This makes it possible to create the snapshot in a storage-capacity reduced manner, and to specify the snapshot creation in a partition, file, or directory unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Hara, Takahiro Nakano, Koji Sonoda, Takayoshi Iitsuka, Yutaka Takata
  • Patent number: 7373393
    Abstract: A computer system includes a first computer for receiving access requests to files from clients, a first storage device that is connected to the first computer and stores file management information, a second computer that receives access requests to data from the first computer, and a second storage device that is connected to the second computer and stores file data. Each time file data is received from the client, the first computer assigns identification information to the file data and stores the filename designated by the client and the identification information in the first storage device. The first computer stores the file data in the second storage device via the second computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Sonoda, Masaaki Iwasaki, Shinichi Kishima