Patents by Inventor Naoto Matsunami

Naoto Matsunami 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).

  • Data migration in storage system
    Patent number: 7124143
    Abstract: A storage system is connected to a computer, and a name server exercising control over the interrelation between initiators and targets, and includes a first storage node and a second storage node. The first storage node has a first logical unit to which a first target is set, and the second storage node has a second logical unit. For data migration from the first logical unit to the second logical unit, the first storage node forwards data stored in the first logical unit to the second storage node, and the second storage node stores the data into the second logical unit. The first storage node also forwards information about the first target to the second storage node, and the second storage node sets a target to the second logical unit using the received information about the first target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto Matsunami, Tetsuya Shirogane, Naoko Iwami, Kenta Shiga
  • Storage system having a plurality of interfaces
    Patent number: 7120742
    Abstract: A hybrid-type storage system having both SAN and NAS interfaces can be implemented by simple hardware capable of carrying out a SAN function independently of a NAS function and a NAS load. To be more specific, a controller of the storage system comprises a NAS controller for accepting an I/O command issued for a file unit and a SAN controller for accepting an I/O command issued for a block unit. The NAS controller converts an I/O command issued for a file unit into an I/O command issued for a block unit, and transfers the I/O command issued for a block unit to the SAN controller. The SAN controller makes an access to data stored in a disk apparatus in accordance with an I/O command received from the SAN or from the NAS controller as a command issued for a block unit. The NAS and SAN controllers are capable of operating independently of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Nonaka, Naoto Matsunami, Ikuya Yagisawa, Akira Nishimoto
  • Magnetic disk array device with processing offload function module
    Patent number: 7120705
    Abstract: A magnetic disk array device is equipped with ATA magnetic disks, at least one disk array controller for controlling the ATA magnetic disks, and at least one processing offload function module provided between the disk array controller and the ATA magnetic disk. The disk array controller outputs one of a standard processing FC command for performing a standard processing such as a read or write processing, and an offload processing FC command for performing a vendor-unique offload processing. The processing offload function module performs a command mapping for the standard processing FC command and issues to the ATA magnetic disk a corresponding ATA command, and prepares a group of ATA commands for the offload processing FC command for optimum processing in an ATA protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Arai, Naoto Matsunami, Ikuya Yagisawa, Akihiro Mannen, Masahiko Sato
  • Disk array device
    Patent number: 7120016
    Abstract: A disk array device comprises: a hard disk drive module including a disk for recording information thereon and having one side that has a length substantially equal to the diameter of the disk; a battery module; an operation module; a fan module having at least one cooling fan; a controller module having a controller; a power supply module provided for supplying power to the modules; a circuit board to which the above-mentioned modules are connected via electrical connectors; and a substantially box-shaped chassis in which the modules and the circuit board are housed. A front surface and a rear surface of the chassis are opened in a rectangular shape. A length of one side of the opened front surface of the chassis is substantially the same length as the one side of the hard disk drive module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuyoshi Suzuki, Masahiko Sato, Kenichi Tateyama, Naoto Matsunami, Koichi Kimura, Hidehiko Iwasaki, Kenichi Takamoto, Kenji Muraoka, Takamasa Ishikawa, Nobuhiro Yokoyama, Kiyotaka Takahashi, Yoshinori Nagaiwa
  • Snapshot acquisition method, storage system and disk apparatus
    Patent number: 7120768
    Abstract: A network attached storage (NAS) system includes a disk array unit equipped with a copy device that copies data, and a NAS processing unit that provides file service via a network and is connected via a communication path to the disk array unit. The NAS processing unit is equipped with a snapshot management device that manages snapshots. The snapshot management device of the NAS processing unit designates a physical block to be copied as a snapshot. The copy device on the disk array unit copies the designated physical block within the disk array unit to create a snapshot and stores the snapshot in a separated region. The snapshot management device of the NAS processing unit manages meta data of the snapshot data in a manner accessible by the user depending on requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Mizuno, Naoto Matsunami, Koji Sonoda, Shinichi Kishima, Manabu Kitamura
  • Storage system providing stream-oriented performance assurance
    Publication number: 20060224784
    Abstract: The transfer rates of streams are assured if the plural streams are mixed. A disk array system required to process multiple streams from a host computer carries out recognition of the transfer rates, recognition of drive performance and a fault processing time, determines the size of a sequential buffer holding each stream, and determines the drive I/O size. Using the transfer rate and buffer size determined in these processing steps, required end times at which prefetch and destage should be terminated are found. Based on the times, the I/O priorities are determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Akira Nishimoto, Naoto Matsunami
  • Disk array apparatus and method of controlling the same
    Publication number: 20060224826
    Abstract: To efficiently manage performance resources while preventing a failure of a control processing from affecting another control processing in a disk array apparatus. A disk array apparatus 1 has a disk array controller 11, the disk array controller 11 has a CPU incorporating a plurality of processor cores 1110 that cannot be physically separated from each other, each processor core serves as an unit processor, one unit processor manages the unit processors separately, allocates a self-contained control program to each unit processor in such a manner that the operation of the unit processor can be terminated appropriately or in such a manner that the unit processor can operate until the operation of the whole CPU is terminated, and manages the processing load or processing status of the allocated control program on a unit-processor basis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2005
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Masahiro Arai, Naoto Matsunami
  • Computer system, storage system, and device control method
    Publication number: 20060224850
    Abstract: The invention provides a computer system, storage system, and device control method which keep and operate long-term data stored in a disk device using its characteristics for a long time and at low cost, in a storage system or in a storage system using an external storage connection method. A computer system comprises a host computer 100, a storage system 130, and a management server 110, which are connected to one another via a network. The storage system 130 receives a request to detach a logical device, specifies a logical device to be processed with information included in the request and a physical device corresponding to the relevant logical device, releases a definition of a host path of the logical device, and stops the physical device 137.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Yasutomo Yamamoto, Akira Yamamoto, Naoto Matsunami
  • Computer system for managing storage areas in a plurality of storage devices
    Patent number: 7117336
    Abstract: The present invention, in a computer system where multiple computers share multiple external storage devices, is to control the external storage devices of different control methods in a unified manner. A storage managing program, which manages the storage areas in the unified manner, includes a device control library providing control programs to control the various external storage devices, and a device information database identifying the external-storage-device controlling programs, and manages the multiple external storage devices of different control methods: Also, when a host computer releases an unnecessary storage area, a LU that no host computers use is deleted in the external storage device, and managed as an unused area can be created a new LU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Mimatsu, Naoto Matsunami, Manabu Kitamura, Kenji Muraoka
  • File access method in storage-device system, and programs for the file access
    Publication number: 20060206535
    Abstract: In order to manage the various types of attribute information within the storage-device system, the storage-device system includes the following databases within a file-access controlling memory: a database for managing index information for managing contents of the files, and an index retrieval program, a database for managing the attribute information on the files, and a database for managing storage positions of blocks configuring a file. When the storage-device system receives an access request to a file, the utilization of these databases allows the storage-device system to make the access to the access-target file.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2006
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Inventors: Junji Ogawa, Naoto Matsunami, Masaaki Iwasaki, Koji Sonoda, Kenichi Tsukiji
  • Storage system and method for backup
    Patent number: 7085904
    Abstract: A storage system includes a disk controller and a disk device having original volumes for backup and a storage pool for backup data. It incorporates a differential management program which checks whether the original volumes for backup are updated or not; a pool management program which allocates a disk area to the storage pool for backup data; a performance management program which manages the performance of each volume; and a backup control program which performs total backup control. A backup method by which recovery within a user-specified recovery object time is possible is selected according to the restore performance calculated by the performance management program and the total size of changed blocks after backup acquisition as counted by the differential management program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Mizuno, Naoto Matsunami, Ikuya Yagisawa
  • Method and system of managing an access to a private logical unit of a storage system
    Patent number: 7082462
    Abstract: The Computer System consists of components including more than one Computer and Storage Subsystem to which more than one Computer are connected. The Storage Subsystem is equipped with more than one Storage Unit, Management Table registering information to manage Storage Units accessible by each of the Computers and Controller to control accesses by more than one Computer to more than one Storage Unit. The controller controls the accesses according to the information set in the Management Table when the Storage Unit is accessed by the Computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto Matsunami, Akira Yamamoto, Hideki Kamimaki, Masatoshi Ichikawa, Jun Matsumoto, Yasuyuki Mimatsu, Ikuya Yagisawa, Masayuki Yamamoto, Yasunori Kaneda
  • Storage system
    Publication number: 20060161756
    Abstract: The storage system includes a disk controller for receiving write commands from a computer, and a plurality of disk devices in which data is written in accordance with the control of the disk controller. The size of the first block which constitutes the data unit handled in the execution of the input/output processing of the data in accordance with the write command by the disk controller is different from the size of the second block which constitutes the data unit handled in the execution of the input/output processing of data by the plurality of disk devices. The disk controller issues an instruction for the writing of data to the disk devices using a third block unit of a size corresponding to a common multiple of the size of the first block and the size of the second block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Publication date: July 20, 2006
    Inventors: Ikuya Yagisawa, Naoto Matsunami
  • File access method in storage-device system, and programs for the file access
    Patent number: 7069380
    Abstract: In order to manage the various types of attribute information within the storage-device system, the storage-device system includes the following databases within a file-access controlling memory: a database for managing index information for managing contents of the files, and an index retrieval program, a database for managing the attribute information on the files, and a database for managing storage positions of blocks configuring a file. When the storage-device system receives an access request to a file, the utilization of these databases allows the storage-device system to make the access to the access-target file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Ogawa, Naoto Matsunami, Masaaki Iwasaki, Koji Sonoda, Kenichi Tsukiji
  • Storage system providing file aware caching and file aware remote copy
    Patent number: 7069393
    Abstract: A computer system in which a host computer is connected to a storage unit, the storage unit operating in a unit of a file. A file attribute control unit and the storage unit execute the processing being linked together so that, in response to a request from a client computer, the host computer executes a file attribute control program to add a particular attribute to the file, and that the storage unit operates in response to the attribute that is added.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Miyata, Naoto Matsunami, Koji Sonoda, Manabu Kitamura
  • Storage system and method for backup
    Patent number: 7062621
    Abstract: A storage system which comprises a disk controller and a disk device having original volumes for backup and a storage pool for backup data. It incorporates a differential management program which checks whether the original volumes for backup are updated or not; a pool management program which allocates a disk area to the storage pool for backup data; a performance management program which manages the performance of each volume; and a backup control program which performs total backup control. A backup method by which recovery within a user-specified recovery object time is possible is selected according to the restore performance calculated by the performance management program and the total size of changed blocks after backup acquisition as counted by the differential management program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Mizuno, Naoto Matsunami, Ikuya Yagisawa
  • Fail-over storage system
    Publication number: 20060117211
    Abstract: A storage system 1 including multiple slots for loading a block I/O interface controller, a file I/O interface controller, and any other kinds of interface controllers that are combined freely. The storage system 1 includes a management table that manages fail-over-enabled devices by grouping those devices in accordance with the interface type and the domain to which each device belongs; an information table that directs a fail-over procedure; and fail-over controlling means that takes over the processing of a failed interface controller belonging to a fail-over-enabled group. The fail-over system offers several modalities for monitoring failures, selecting takeover controllers and restoring functionality. Storage system 1 solves conventional problems by providing a system that can mount a plurality of file systems, and that resists multiple failures detected in a fail-over server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto Matsunami, Kouji Sonoda, Manabu Kitamura, Takashi Oeda, Yutaka Takata
  • Storage system
    Patent number: 7047354
    Abstract: A disk array includes a drive management unit, which is a program for identifying types of disk devices and managing different disk devices separately, and a drive management table for storing information to be utilized by the drive management unit. The disk array further includes a program for managing accumulated time of disk devices. The program includes a drive lifetime setting portion for setting lifetimes of drives, a drive start/stop portion for intentionally starting/stopping ATA disk devices, and an operation time measurement portion for measuring accumulated operation time. Since it is necessary to be conscious of difference in reliability and performance among disk devices when forming a RAID, a drive type notification unit, which is a program for notifying of the type of a disk device when forming the RAID, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ikuya Yagisawa, Naoto Matsunami, Akihiro Mannen, Masayuki Yamamoto
  • Diskarray system
    Patent number: 7043602
    Abstract: A diskarray system includes a disk device for storing write data received from a computer, a cache memory, and a controller for controlling input and output of data to and from the disk device. The controller determines whether or not the write data is already written in a storage area of the diskarray system to be written specified by a write command received from the computer. When the write data for the storage area to be written is not written yet in the diskarray system, the controller receives the write data according to the write command and stores the received data in the cache memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Nishimoto, Naoto Matsunami, Ikuya Yagisawa
  • Disk array system based on disks with a fixed-length unit of access
    Patent number: 7039758
    Abstract: Conventional methods for appending a validation code are not applicable to a disk array system in which the disk array comprises disk devices having a fixed sector length. The present invention solves this problem by separating validation codes from data blocks, bundling them together in blocks that can be easily matched with sectors, and carrying out all the associated management and control by hardware, such as coordination between validation codes and data blocks and operations of reading from and writing into the disk devices, thereby offering the same level of reliability as with conventional systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Mannen, Naoto Matsunami, Ikuya Yagisawa, Masahiko Sato, Masahiro Arai