Patents by Inventor Kunihiko Nashimoto

Kunihiko Nashimoto 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: 20110302370
    Abstract: A virtualization method for a storage system recognizes one or more logical devices located in a first and second storage apparatus and defined in a host apparatus as being connected to a channel, based on an inquiry command sent from the host apparatus when the channel comes on-line; detects one or more logical devices among the one or more logical devices defined in the host apparatus as being connected to the channel and located in the first and second storage apparatus, based on the recognition result; sets, based on the detection result, one or more virtual volumes in the first storage apparatus, respectively corresponding to the one or more logical devices in the second storage apparatus; and sets a first logical path between each of the set one or more virtual volumes and each of the corresponding one or more logical devices in the second storage apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Inventors: KUNIHIKO NASHIMOTO, Noboru Furuumi
  • Publication number: 20110213904
    Abstract: A storage apparatus 10 includes channel devices (each being CHA_PK 11) and microprocessors (each being MP_PK 12). CHA_PK 11 and MP_PK 12 respectively store therein control information being information designating logical volumes (LDEVs) 171 accessible by respective MP_PKs 12. Upon receipt of an I/O request from a management apparatus 20, CHA_PK 11 transmits, based on the control information stored therein, an I/O command to MP_PK 12 having an access right to a logical volume to which the I/O request is directed. In the storage apparatus 10, MP_PK 12 having received the I/O command from CHA_PK 11 judges based on the control information stored therein whether MP_PK 12 itself has an access right to the logical volume, and transmits the control information therein to CHA_PK 11 when judging that it does not have the access right, whereby the control information in CHA_PK 11 is updated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nashimoto, Shinichi Hiramatsu, Noboru Furuumi
  • Patent number: 8010744
    Abstract: A virtualization method for a storage system recognizes one or more logical devices located in a first and second storage apparatus and defined in a host apparatus as being connected to a channel, based on an inquiry command sent from the host apparatus when the channel comes on-line; detects one or more logical devices among the one or more logical devices defined in the host apparatus as being connected to the channel and located in the first and second storage apparatus, based on the recognition result; sets, based on the detection result, one or more virtual volumes in the first storage apparatus, respectively corresponding to the one or more logical devices in the second storage apparatus; and sets a first logical path between each of the set one or more virtual volumes and each of the corresponding one or more logical devices in the second storage apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nashimoto, Noboru Furuumi
  • Patent number: 7962671
    Abstract: A storage apparatus 10 includes channel devices (each being CHA_PK 11) and microprocessors (each being MP_PK 12). CHA_PK 11 and MP_PK 12 respectively store therein control information being information designating logical volumes (LDEVs) 171 accessible by respective MP_PKs 12. Upon receipt of an I/O request from a management apparatus 20, CHA_PK 11 transmits, based on the control information stored therein, an I/O command to MP_PK 12 having an access right to a logical volume to which the I/O request is directed. In the storage apparatus 10, MP_PK 12 having received the I/O command from CHA_PK 11 judges based on the control information stored therein whether MP_PK 12 itself has an access right to the logical volume, and transmits the control information therein to CHA_PK 11 when judging that it does not have the access right, whereby the control information in CHA_PK 11 is updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nashimoto, Shinichi Hiramatsu, Noboru Furuumi
  • Publication number: 20100274929
    Abstract: A storage apparatus 10 includes channel devices (each being CHA_PK 11) and microprocessors (each being MP_PK 12). CHA_PK 11 and MP_PK 12 respectively store therein control information being information designating logical volumes (LDEVs) 171 accessible by respective MP_PKs 12. Upon receipt of an I/O request from a management apparatus 20, CHA_PK 11 transmits, based on the control information stored therein, an I/O command to MP_PK 12 having an access right to a logical volume to which the I/O request is directed. In the storage apparatus 10, MP_PK 12 having received the I/O command from CHA_PK 11 judges based on the control information stored therein whether MP_PK 12 itself has an access right to the logical volume, and transmits the control information therein to CHA_PK 11 when judging that it does not have the access right, whereby the control information in CHA_PK 11 is updated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nashimoto, Shinichi Hiramatsu, Noboru Furuumi
  • Publication number: 20100146208
    Abstract: A virtualization method for a storage system recognizes one or more logical devices located in a first and second storage apparatus and defined in a host apparatus as being connected to a channel, based on an inquiry command sent from the host apparatus when the channel comes on-line; detects one or more logical devices among the one or more logical devices defined in the host apparatus as being connected to the channel and located in the first and second storage apparatus, based on the recognition result; sets, based on the detection result, one or more virtual volumes in the first storage apparatus, respectively corresponding to the one or more logical devices in the second storage apparatus; and sets a first logical path between each of the set one or more virtual volumes and each of the corresponding one or more logical devices in the second storage apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Inventors: Kunihiko NASHIMOTO, Noboru Furuumi
  • Patent number: 7685361
    Abstract: A virtualization method for a storage system recognizes one or more logical devices located in a first and second storage apparatus and defined in a host apparatus as being connected to a channel, based on an inquiry command sent from the host apparatus when the channel comes on-line; detects one or more logical devices among the one or more logical devices defined in the host apparatus as being connected to the channel and located in the first and second storage apparatus, based on the recognition result; sets, based on the detection result, one or more virtual volumes in the first storage apparatus, respectively corresponding to the one or more logical devices in the second storage apparatus; and sets a first logical path between each of the set one or more virtual volumes and each of the corresponding one or more logical devices in the second storage apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nashimoto, Noboru Furuumi
  • Publication number: 20090292870
    Abstract: With this storage apparatus and its control method for presenting multiple virtual volumes to a host apparatus and dynamically allocating to each of the multiple virtual volumes a physical storage area for storing data according to the usage status of each of the multiple virtual volumes, the importance set to each of the multiple virtual volumes is managed, and a storage area is dynamically allocated to each of the multiple virtual volumes. Here, upon dynamically allocating the storage area to each of the multiple virtual volumes, a storage area provided by a plurality of memory apparatus groups respectively configured from a plurality of memory apparatuses is allocated to one or more virtual volumes with low importance among the multiple virtual volumes, and a storage area provided by one of the memory apparatus groups is allocated to other virtual volumes among the multiple virtual volumes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Inventors: Eiji SAMBE, Noboru Furuumi, Kunihiko Nashimoto
  • Patent number: 7506118
    Abstract: The present invention provides a storage control subsystem that facilitates logical volume access management by a host. Before copying, the host instructs a disk array device to identify the states of target logical volumes and collect information in control memory, whereupon the disk array device reads information in the control memory and reports information relating to the target logical volumes to the host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nashimoto, Akihiro Mori
  • Publication number: 20080250201
    Abstract: A control technique for resident information or release of resident information in a cache memory is provided, by which residence is set into a cache memory without regard of a logical volume where a dataset is present, and an unused resident area in the cache memory is automatically deleted. In an information processing system, a host system has a resident management program for automatically acquiring a logical volume name from a dataset name specified by the user with reference to catalog information for managing dataset stored in the logical volume and instructing the dataset on the logical volume having the corresponding logical volume name to be resident. Further, a disk array system has microprogram for making the dataset on the logical volume having the corresponding logical volume name resident in the cache memory in response to the instruction to set residence from the resident management program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Inventors: Akihiro Mori, Kunihiko Nashimoto
  • Publication number: 20070198800
    Abstract: Provided is a highly-reliable storage system, virtualization method, and storage apparatus that are less burdensome settings-wise. The internal apparatus recognizes one or more logical devices defined in a host apparatus as being connected to a channel, based on an inquiry command sent from the host apparatus when the channel comes on-line; detects one or more logical devices, from among the one or more logical devices defined in the host apparatus as being connected to the channel, that exist in the external apparatus, based on the recognition result; sets, based on the detection result, one or more virtual volumes in its own apparatus, respectively corresponding to the one or more logical devices defined in the host apparatus as being connected to the channel, that exist in the external apparatus; and also sets a first logical path between each of the set one or more virtual volumes, and each of the corresponding one or more logical devices existing in the external apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nashimoto, Noboru Furuumi
  • Publication number: 20060155942
    Abstract: The present invention provides a storage control subsystem that facilitates logical volume access management by a host. Before copying, the host instructs a disk array device to identify the states of target logical volumes and collect information in control memory, whereupon the disk array device reads information in the control memory and reports information relating to the target logical volumes to the host.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2006
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nashimoto, Akihiro Mori
  • Patent number: 7028137
    Abstract: The present invention provides a storage control subsystem that facilitates logical volume access management by a host. Before copying, the host instructs a disk array device to identify the states of target logical volumes and collect information in control memory, whereupon the disk array device reads information in the control memory and reports information relating to the target logical volumes to the host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nashimoto, Akihiro Mori
  • Publication number: 20050289318
    Abstract: A control technique for resident information or release of resident information in a cache memory is provided, by which residence is set into a cache memory without regard of a logical volume where a dataset is present, and an unused resident area in the cache memory is automatically deleted. In an information processing system, a host system has a resident management program for automatically acquiring a logical volume name from a dataset name specified by the user with reference to catalog information for managing dataset stored in the logical volume and instructing the dataset on the logical volume having the corresponding logical volume name to be resident. Further, a disk array system has microprogram for making the dataset on the logical volume having the corresponding logical volume name resident in the cache memory in response to the instruction to set residence from the resident management program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Inventors: Akihiro Mori, Kunihiko Nashimoto
  • Publication number: 20050144404
    Abstract: The present invention provides a storage control subsystem that facilitates logical volume access management by a host. Before copying, the host instructs a disk array device to identify the states of target logical volumes and collect information in control memory, whereupon the disk array device reads information in the control memory and reports information relating to the target logical volumes to the host.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Publication date: June 30, 2005
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nashimoto, Akihiro Mori