Patents by Inventor Mikio Fukuoka

Mikio Fukuoka 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: 11941255
    Abstract: A storage apparatus includes a plurality of storage devices, and a control unit for providing a predetermined storage area of the plurality of storage devices to the host computer as a virtual volume group including one or more virtual volumes. The control unit configures one or more data sets having one or more redundancy levels from the plurality of storage devices, provides a storage area of a storage pool including the plurality of data sets to a part of a storage area of the virtual volume, limits a combination of the storage devices configuring the data sets to be assigned to the virtual volume to a given number of combinations of two combinations or more, uniformly distributes the storage devices, and uses a given number of different combinations of the storage devices to be assigned to the virtual volume in units of the virtual volume group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Akutsu, Mikio Fukuoka, Eijyu Katsuragi
  • Patent number: 11544005
    Abstract: In a storage system including a plurality of nodes that provide a storage area and a drive that physically stores data, a parity group is configured with a plurality of data including user data stored in the storage area and redundant data for protecting the user data, a plurality of data in the parity group are stored in a storage area within one predetermined range across a plurality of nodes, and processing for dividing the predetermined range or processing for merging a plurality of predetermined ranges is performed based on a state of the predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Yamamoto, Hiroto Ebara, Takeru Chiba, Yoshinori Ohira, Masakuni Agetsuma, Mikio Fukuoka
  • Publication number: 20220236891
    Abstract: A storage apparatus includes a plurality of storage devices, and a control unit for providing a predetermined storage area of the plurality of storage devices to the host computer as a virtual volume group including one or more virtual volumes. The control unit configures one or more data sets having one or more redundancy levels from the plurality of storage devices, provides a storage area of a storage pool including the plurality of data sets to a part of a storage area of the virtual volume, limits a combination of the storage devices configuring the data sets to be assigned to the virtual volume to a given number of combinations of two combinations or more, uniformly distributes the storage devices, and uses a given number of different combinations of the storage devices to be assigned to the virtual volume in units of the virtual volume group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroaki AKUTSU, Mikio FUKUOKA, Eijyu KATSURAGI
  • Patent number: 11327661
    Abstract: A storage apparatus includes a plurality of storage devices, and a control unit for providing a predetermined storage area of the plurality of storage devices to the host computer as a virtual volume group including one or more virtual volumes. The control unit configures one or more data sets having one or more redundancy levels from the plurality of storage devices, provides a storage area of a storage pool including the plurality of data sets to a part of a storage area of the virtual volume, limits a combination of the storage devices configuring the data sets to be assigned to the virtual volume to a given number of combinations of two combinations or more, uniformly distributes the storage devices, and uses a given number of different combinations of the storage devices to be assigned to the virtual volume in units of the virtual volume group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Akutsu, Mikio Fukuoka, Eijyu Katsuragi
  • Publication number: 20210247934
    Abstract: In a storage system including a plurality of nodes that provide a storage area and a drive that physically stores data, a parity group is configured with a plurality of data including user data stored in the storage area and redundant data for protecting the user data, a plurality of data in the parity group are stored in a storage area within one predetermined range across a plurality of nodes, and processing for dividing the predetermined range or processing for merging a plurality of predetermined ranges is performed based on a state of the predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Yamamoto, Hiroto Ebara, Takeru Chiba, Yoshinori Ohira, Masakuni Agetsuma, Mikio Fukuoka
  • Publication number: 20200142615
    Abstract: A storage apparatus includes a plurality of storage devices, and a control unit for providing a predetermined storage area of the plurality of storage devices to the host computer as a virtual volume group including one or more virtual volumes. The control unit configures one or more data sets having one or more redundancy levels from the plurality of storage devices, provides a storage area of a storage pool including the plurality of data sets to a part of a storage area of the virtual volume, limits a combination of the storage devices configuring the data sets to be assigned to the virtual volume to a given number of combinations of two combinations or more, uniformly distributes the storage devices, and uses a given number of different combinations of the storage devices to be assigned to the virtual volume in units of the virtual volume group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Hiroaki AKUTSU, Mikio FUKUOKA, Eijyu KATSURAGI
  • Patent number: 10528274
    Abstract: A storage apparatus includes a plurality of storage devices, and a control unit for providing a predetermined storage area of the plurality of storage devices to the host computer as a virtual volume group including one or more virtual volumes. The control unit configures one or more data sets having one or more redundancy levels from the plurality of storage devices, provides a storage area of a storage pool including the plurality of data sets to a part of a storage area of the virtual volume, limits a combination of the storage devices configuring the data sets to be assigned to the virtual volume to a given number of combinations of two combinations or more, uniformly distributes the storage devices, and uses a given number of different combinations of the storage devices to be assigned to the virtual volume in units of the virtual volume group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Akutsu, Mikio Fukuoka, Eijyu Katsuragi
  • Publication number: 20190121554
    Abstract: A storage apparatus includes a plurality of storage devices, and a control unit for providing a predetermined storage area of the plurality of storage devices to the host computer as a virtual volume group including one or more virtual volumes. The control unit configures one or more data sets having one or more redundancy levels from the plurality of storage devices, provides a storage area of a storage pool including the plurality of data sets to a part of a storage area of the virtual volume, limits a combination of the storage devices configuring the data sets to be assigned to the virtual volume to a given number of combinations of two combinations or more, uniformly distributes the storage devices, and uses a given number of different combinations of the storage devices to be assigned to the virtual volume in units of the virtual volume group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Hiroaki AKUTSU, Mikio FUKUOKA, Eijyu KATSURAGI
  • Patent number: 10168919
    Abstract: A storage apparatus includes a plurality of storage devices, and a control unit for providing a predetermined storage area of the plurality of storage devices to the host computer as a virtual volume group including one or more virtual volumes. The control unit configures one or more data sets having one or more redundancy levels from the plurality of storage devices, provides a storage area of a storage pool including the plurality of data sets to a part of a storage area of the virtual volume, limits a combination of the storage devices configuring the data sets to be assigned to the virtual volume to a given number of combinations of two combinations or more, uniformly distributes the storage devices, and uses a given number of different combinations of the storage devices to be assigned to the virtual volume in units of the virtual volume group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Akutsu, Mikio Fukuoka, Eijyu Katsuragi
  • Patent number: 9256490
    Abstract: The storage apparatus has a control unit that includes: an identification unit that is configured to determine that a first data element contained in the data is incorrect, when a first restoration calculation first data element, which is restored from the first data element using other data elements of the data excluding the first data element and a new redundancy code obtained from the data by a first calculation method, coincides with a second restoration calculation first data element, which is restored from the first data element using the other data elements and a new redundancy code obtained from the data by a second calculation method; and a restoration unit that is configured to correct the first data element in the storage devices that is determined to be incorrect by the identification unit, to either the first restoration calculation first data element or the second restoration calculation first data element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Hiroaki Akutsu, Mikio Fukuoka, Eiju Katsuragi
  • Publication number: 20160004460
    Abstract: The present invention provides a computer system capable of ensuring a storage capacity to a virtual volume within a pool. According to the present invention, a pool capacity of a block storage is reserved in a specific address range of the virtual volume, and a reserved capacity is allocated during writing of data to a specific address range. Further, when the reserved capacity is not allocated for a given period of time, reservation is freed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: KATSUYA SATO, Mikio FUKUOKA, Shintaro INOUE
  • Publication number: 20150324145
    Abstract: A storage apparatus includes a plurality of storage devices, and a control unit for providing a predetermined storage area of the plurality of storage devices to the host computer as a virtual volume group including one or more virtual volumes. The control unit configures one or more data sets having one or more redundancy levels from the plurality of storage devices, provides a storage area of a storage pool including the plurality of data sets to a part of a storage area of the virtual volume, limits a combination of the storage devices configuring the data sets to be assigned to the virtual volume to a given number of combinations of two combinations or more, uniformly distributes the storage devices, and uses a given number of different combinations of the storage devices to be assigned to the virtual volume in units of the virtual volume group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroaki AKUTSU, Mikio FUKUOKA, Eijyu KATSURAGI
  • Publication number: 20150254128
    Abstract: The storage apparatus has a control unit that includes: an identification unit that is configured to determine that a first data element contained in the data is incorrect, when a first restoration calculation first data element, which is restored from the first data element using other data elements of the data excluding the first data element and a new redundancy code obtained from the data by a first calculation method, coincides with a second restoration calculation first data element, which is restored from the first data element using the other data elements and a new redundancy code obtained from the data by a second calculation method; and a restoration unit that is configured to correct the first data element in the storage devices that is determined to be incorrect by the identification unit, to either the first restoration calculation first data element or the second restoration calculation first data element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Hiroaki Akutsu, Mikio Fukuoka, Eiju Katsuragi
  • Patent number: 8874829
    Abstract: The device controller (a) executes a data I/O process with respect to a physical storage area in accordance with an I/O command, and (b) sends to the storage controller an I/O command-related response comprising status information subsequent to being changed in accordance with the I/O process. The storage controller (A) receives the response from the target physical storage device, and (B) based on the status information included in the response received in (A), makes a determination as to whether or not to execute internal processing, and in a case where the result of the determination is to execute internal processing, sends to the target physical storage device an internal processing execution command instructing the execution of internal processing. The device controller in the target physical storage device (c), upon receiving the internal processing execution command, executes internal processing in accordance with the internal processing execution command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuta Yamasaki, Takeki Okamoto, Mikio Fukuoka
  • Publication number: 20140258617
    Abstract: This storage apparatus for providing a dynamically expandable virtual volume to a host system to access the virtual volume comprises an allocation unit for configuring a group with a plurality of disks for providing a storage area to be allocated to the virtual volume, and allocating the storage area respectively from a plurality of the groups to the virtual volume; and a storage area arrangement unit for rearranging the storage area in each of the groups being used by the virtual volume to become optimal among each of the groups based on external operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Shintaro INOUE, Yutaka TAKATA, Mikio FUKUOKA, Eiju KATSURAGI
  • Patent number: 8775730
    Abstract: This storage apparatus for providing a dynamically expandable virtual volume to a host system to access the virtual volume comprises an allocation unit for configuring a group with a plurality of disks for providing a storage area to be allocated to the virtual volume, and allocating the storage area respectively from a plurality of the groups to the virtual volume; and a storage area arrangement unit for rearranging the storage area in each of the groups being used by the virtual volume to become optimal among each of the groups based on external operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shintaro Inoue, Yutaka Takata, Mikio Fukuoka, Eiju Katsuragi
  • Publication number: 20130262750
    Abstract: The device controller (a) executes a data I/O process with respect to a physical storage area in accordance with an I/O command, and (b) sends to the storage controller an I/O command-related response comprising status information subsequent to being changed in accordance with the I/O process. The storage controller (A) receives the response from the target physical storage device, and (B) based on the status information included in the response received in (A), makes a determination as to whether or not to execute internal processing, and in a case where the result of the determination is to execute internal processing, sends to the target physical storage device an internal processing execution command instructing the execution of internal processing. The device controller in the target physical storage device (c), upon receiving the internal processing execution command, executes internal processing in accordance with the internal processing execution command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Inventors: Yuta Yamasaki, Takeki Okamoto, Mikio Fukuoka
  • Patent number: 8356157
    Abstract: A virtualization system, upon judging that a write operation from a higher-level device is an operation to write in the format of the virtual volume, even when the write position of the write operation is in a virtual area different from a virtual area to which an allocated actual area has been allocated, if there is an unused area in the allocated actual area, writes management information to the unused area according to the write operation, and if there is no unused area in the allocated actual area, newly allocates an unallocated actual area, and writes management information to the newly allocated actual area according to the write operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shintaro Inoue, Yutaka Takata, Mikio Fukuoka, Eiju Katsuragi, Hisaharu Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20110314240
    Abstract: A virtualization system, upon judging that a write operation from a higher-level device is an operation to write in the format of the virtual volume, even when the write position of the write operation is in a virtual area different from a virtual area to which an allocated actual area has been allocated, if there is an unused area in the allocated actual area, writes management information to the unused area according to the write operation, and if there is no unused area in the allocated actual area, newly allocates an unallocated actual area, and writes management information to the newly allocated actual area according to the write operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Inventors: Shintaro Inoue, Yutaka Takata, Mikio Fukuoka, Eiju Katsuragi, Hisaharu Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 8032731
    Abstract: A virtualization system, upon judging that a write operation from a higher-level device is an operation to write in the format of the virtual volume, even when the write position of the write operation is in a virtual area different from a virtual area to which an allocated actual area has been allocated, if there is an unused area in the allocated actual area, writes management information to the unused area according to the write operation, and if there is no unused area in the allocated actual area, newly allocates an unallocated actual area, and writes management information to the newly allocated actual area according to the write operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shintaro Inoue, Yutaka Takata, Mikio Fukuoka, Eiju Katsuragi, Hisaharu Takeuchi