Patents by Inventor Seiichi Higaki

Seiichi Higaki 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: 8812449
    Abstract: A storage system having a plurality of storage devices including a first type storage device and a second type storage device, a reliability attribute and/or a performance attribute of the first type storage device being different from a reliability attribute and/or a performance attribute of the second type storage device. The storage system also has a control unit and managing a plurality of virtual volumes. If necessary, a storage area allocated to a first portion of a virtual volume of the plurality of virtual volumes is changed from a first type storage area of the plurality of first type storage areas to a second type storage area of the plurality of second type storage areas while another first type storage area of the plurality of first type storage areas is allocated to a second portion of the virtual volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Teiko Kezuka, Akira Murotani, Seiichi Higaki
  • Patent number: 8516204
    Abstract: The present invention provides a storage control device which enables the time between failures to prolong as much as possible, though it uses HDD's whose mean time between failures is relatively short. The storage control device controls spindle motors in a manner that a spindle motor is rotated regarding the HDD of data which can access from a host computer and a spindle motor is stopped regarding the HDD of data which are clearly judged that a host computer does not access the data. Whether the host computers can access the HDD or not is judged by the fact that whether the memory region (internal logical volume) provided by the HDD is in mapped to the host logical volume or not which is recognized by the host computer and is able to access thereby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Higaki, Hisao Honma
  • Patent number: 8516191
    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: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunihito Matsuki, Seiichi Higaki, Koji Sonoda
  • Patent number: 8433686
    Abstract: A storage system having a plurality of storage devices including a first type storage device and a second type storage device, a reliability attribute and/or a performance attribute of the first type storage device being different from a reliability attribute and/or a performance attribute of the second type storage device. The storage system also has a control unit and managing a plurality of virtual volumes. If necessary, a storage area allocated to a first portion of a virtual volume of the plurality of virtual volumes is changed from a first type storage area of the plurality of first type storage areas to a second type storage area of the plurality of second type storage areas while another first type storage area of the plurality of first type storage areas is allocated to a second portion of the virtual volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Teiko Kezuka, Akira Murotani, Seiichi Higaki
  • Publication number: 20120331254
    Abstract: A storage system having a plurality of storage devices including a first type storage device and a second type storage device, a reliability attribute and/or a performance attribute of the first type storage device being different from a reliability attribute and/or a performance attribute of the second type storage device. The storage system also has a control unit and managing a plurality of virtual volumes. If necessary, a storage area allocated to a first portion of a virtual volume of the plurality of virtual volumes is changed from a first type storage area of the plurality of first type storage areas to a second type storage area of the plurality of second type storage areas while another first type storage area of the plurality of first type storage areas is allocated to a second portion of the virtual volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Teiko Kezuka, Akira Murotani, Seiichi Higaki
  • Patent number: 8307158
    Abstract: There is provided a storage control system and a method in which various controls to a plurality of storage controllers connected to each other can be effectively performed. The storage control system and method controls first and second storage controllers, in which a second storage controller is connected to a first storage controller to which a host system is connected. With reference to a memory in which a table defining correspondence relationships between internal logical volumes and a host logical volume of the second storage controller is stored, a channel adapter of the first storage controller controls power supplies of driving mechanisms of storage devices corresponding to the internal logical volumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Higaki, Hisao Honma
  • Publication number: 20120102011
    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: January 4, 2012
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunihito Matsuki, Seiichi Higaki, Koji Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20120072664
    Abstract: There is provided a storage control system and a method in which various controls to a plurality of storage controllers connected to each other can be effectively performed. The storage control system and method controls first and second storage controllers, in which a second storage controller is connected to a first storage controller to which a host system is connected. With reference to a memory in which a table defining correspondence relationships between internal logical volumes and a host logical volume of the second storage controller is stored, a channel adapter of the first storage controller controls power supplies of driving mechanisms of storage devices corresponding to the internal logical volumes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Inventors: Seiichi HIGAKI, Hisao HONMA
  • Patent number: 8117387
    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: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunihito Matsuki, Seiichi Higaki, Koji Sonoda
  • Patent number: 8074032
    Abstract: There is provided a storage control system in which various controls to a plurality of storage controllers connected to each other can be effectively performed. The storage control system controls first and second storage controllers, in which a second storage controller 10 is connected to a first storage controller 1-1 to which a host system 1-2 is connected. With reference to a memory in which a table defining correspondence relationships between internal logical volumes and a host logical volume 32 of the second storage controller 10 is stored, a channel adapter 1-3 of the first storage controller 1-1 controls power supplies of driving mechanisms of storage devices corresponding to the internal logical volumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Higaki, Hisao Honma
  • Patent number: 8041682
    Abstract: A disk array system including a plurality of disk drives, including: a plurality of first-type disk drives being used to form a first-type logical unit having a plurality of a first-type of chunks; a plurality of second-type disk drives being used to form a second-type logical unit having a plurality of a second-type of chunks; and a storage controller, if the storage controller copies data stored in a source chunk to a destination chunk, selecting the destination chunk from the first-type of chunks or the second-type of chunks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Teiko Kezuka, Akira Murotani, Seiichi Higaki
  • Publication number: 20110252212
    Abstract: A storage system having a plurality of storage devices including a first type storage device and a second type storage device, a reliability attribute and/or a performance attribute of the first type storage device being different from a reliability attribute and/or a performance attribute of the second type storage device. The storage system also has a control unit and managing a plurality of virtual volumes. If necessary, a storage area allocated to a first portion of a virtual volume of the plurality of virtual volumes is changed from a first type storage area of the plurality of first type storage areas to a second type storage area of the plurality of second type storage areas while another first type storage area of the plurality of first type storage areas is allocated to a second portion of the virtual volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Teiko Kezuka, Akira Murotani, Seiichi Higaki
  • Publication number: 20110246718
    Abstract: The present invention provides a storage control device which enables the time between failures to prolong as much as possible, though it uses HDD's whose mean time between failures is relatively short. The storage control device controls spindle motors in a manner that a spindle motor is rotated regarding the HDD of data which can access from a host computer and a spindle motor is stopped regarding the HDD of data which are clearly judged that a host computer does not access the data. Whether the host computers can access the HDD or not is judged by the fact that whether the memory region (internal logical volume) provided by the HDD is in mapped to the host logical volume or not which is recognized by the host computer and is able to access thereby.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventors: SEIICHI HIGAKI, HISAO HONMA
  • Patent number: 7987206
    Abstract: The file sharing system is able to provide a client with a single logical directory and reproduce the single logical directory in a remote site when the local site has stopped in use of a remote copy that is made between the local site and remote site. The first site provides the client with a logical directory that is constituted across respective nodes in the first site. The remote copy is executed between the first and second sites, and the data of both sites are synchronized. For the generation of the logical directory and the management of the remote copy, a common management table is used, and the management table is held by all of the nodes. In cases where the first site stops due to a fault, the second site utilizes information related to the remote copy in the management table to construct the logical directory and reproduces the logical directory to the second site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Murotani, Seiichi Higaki
  • Patent number: 7975113
    Abstract: The present invention provides a storage control device which enables the time between failures to prolong as much as possible, though it uses HDD's whose mean time between failures is relatively short. The storage control device controls spindle motors in a manner that a spindle motor is rotated regarding the HDD of data which can access from a host computer and a spindle motor is stopped regarding the HDD of data which are clearly judged that a host computer does not access the data. Whether the host computers can access the HDD or not is judged by the fact that whether the memory region (internal logical volume) provided by the HDD is in mapped to the host logical volume or not which is recognized by the host computer and is able to access thereby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Higaki, Hisao Honma
  • Publication number: 20100325355
    Abstract: A disk array system including a plurality of disk drives, including: a plurality of first-type disk drives being used to form a first-type logical unit having a plurality of a first-type of chunks; a plurality of second-type disk drives being used to form a second-type logical unit having a plurality of a second-type of chunks; and a storage controller, if the storage controller copies data stored in a source chunk to a destination chunk, selecting the destination chunk from the first-type of chunks or the second-type of chunks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Teiko Kezuka, Akira Murotani, Seiichi Higaki
  • Patent number: 7801933
    Abstract: A disk array system including a plurality of disk drives, including: a plurality of first-type disk drives being used to form a first-type logical unit having a plurality of a first-type of chunks; a plurality of second-type disk drives being used to form a second-type logical unit having a plurality of a second-type of chunks; and a storage controller, if the storage controller copies data stored in a source chunk to a destination chunk, selecting the destination chunk from the first-type of chunks or the second-type of chunks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Teiko Kezuka, Akira Murotani, Seiichi Higaki
  • Publication number: 20100122029
    Abstract: The present invention provides a storage control device which enables the time between failures to prolong as much as possible, though it uses HDD's whose mean time between failures is relatively short. The storage control device controls spindle motors in a manner that a spindle motor is rotated regarding the HDD of data which can access from a host computer and a spindle motor is stopped regarding the HDD of data which are clearly judged that a host computer does not access the data. Whether the host computers can access the HDD or not is judged by the fact that whether the memory region (internal logical volume) provided by the HDD is in mapped to the host logical volume or not which is recognized by the host computer and is able to access thereby.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Inventors: Seiichi HIGAKI, Hisao Honma
  • Patent number: 7685387
    Abstract: Information about remote copy target volumes of other storage systems 2 each having one and the same original volume V1 is registered for each remote copy target volume in advance. When there occurs a failure in a copy source storage system 2, a copy source volume for remote copy target volumes using the storage system 2 having a failure as their copy source is selected newly from the registered copy source volumes, and remote copy is resumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Morishita, Toshio Nakano, Seiichi Higaki
  • Patent number: 7669016
    Abstract: The present invention provides a storage control device which enables the time between failures to prolong as much as possible, though it uses HDD's whose mean time between failures is relatively short. The storage control device controls spindle motors in a manner that a spindle motor is rotated regarding the HDD of data which can access from a host computer and a spindle motor is stopped regarding the HDD of data which are clearly judged that a host computer does not access the data. Whether the host computers can access the HDD or not is judged by the fact that whether the memory region (internal logical volume) provided by the HDD is in mapped to the host logical volume or not which is recognized by the host computer and is able to access thereby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Higaki, Hisao Honma