Patents by Inventor Shigeo Homma

Shigeo Homma 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: 20180095838
    Abstract: A source remote copy configuration in a source storage system is migrated to a destination storage system as a destination remote copy configuration. The destination primary storage apparatus of the destination storage system defines a virtual volume mapped to the primary volume provided by the source primary storage apparatus which is a storage area of the virtual volume; takes over a first identifier of the primary volume to the virtual volume; transfers, when the virtual volume receives an access request, the access request to the source primary storage apparatus to write data in the primary volume; and takes over the first identifier from the virtual volume to another primary volume provided by the destination primary storage apparatus, after completion of copy of data from primary volume of the source primary storage apparatus into primary volume of the destination primary storage apparatus and secondary volume of the destination secondary storage apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: Taiki KONO, Hidenori SUZUKI, Kunihiko NASHIMOTO, Shigeo HOMMA, Toru SUZUKI, Tomohiro KAWAGUCHI, Hideo SAITO, Azusa JIN, Hiroshi NASU, Keishi TAMURA, Shoji SUGINO
  • Publication number: 20180067851
    Abstract: A storage system monitors the first access frequency of occurrence which is the access frequency of occurrence from a host device during a first period, and the second access frequency of occurrence which is the access frequency of occurrence from a host device during a second period shorter than the first period. Along with performing data relocation among the tiers (levels) in the first period cycle based on the first access frequency of occurrence, the storage system performs a decision whether or not to perform a second relocation based on the first access frequency of occurrence and the second access frequency of occurrence, synchronously with access from a host device. Here the threshold value utilized in a decision on whether or not to perform the first relocation is different from the threshold value utilized in a decision on whether or not to perform the second relocation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroaki AKUTSU, Akira YAMAMOTO, Shigeo HOMMA, Masanobu YAMAMOTO, Yoshinori OHIRA
  • Publication number: 20180011642
    Abstract: A storage unit according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a storage controller and a plurality of storage devices. Each storage device has nonvolatile semiconductor memories serving as storage media. The controller of each storage device diagnoses the state of degradation of the nonvolatile semiconductor memories, and if one of the nonvolatile semiconductor memories is expected to be nearing end of life, then the controller copies the data stored in that degraded nonvolatile semiconductor memory to another nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and then performs shutdown processing for the degraded nonvolatile semiconductor memory, as well as storage capacity reduction processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Hideyuki KOSEKI, Shigeo HOMMA
  • Patent number: 9846619
    Abstract: A source remote copy configuration in a source storage system is migrated to a destination storage system as a destination remote copy configuration. The destination primary storage apparatus of the destination storage system defines a virtual volume mapped to the primary volume provided by the source primary storage apparatus which is a storage area of the virtual volume; takes over a first identifier of the primary volume to the virtual volume; transfers, when the virtual volume receives an access request, the access request to the source primary storage apparatus to write data in the primary volume; and takes over the first identifier from the virtual volume to another primary volume provided by the destination primary storage apparatus, after completion of copy of data from primary volume of the source primary storage apparatus into primary volume of the destination primary storage apparatus and secondary volume of the destination secondary storage apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Taiki Kono, Hidenori Suzuki, Kunihiko Nashimoto, Shigeo Homma, Toru Suzuki, Tomohiro Kawaguchi, Hideo Saito, Azusa Jin, Hiroshi Nasu, Keishi Tamura, Shoji Sugino
  • Patent number: 9830258
    Abstract: A storage system monitors the first access frequency of occurrence which is the access frequency of occurrence from a host device during a first period, and the second access frequency of occurrence which is the access frequency of occurrence from a host device during a second period shorter than the first period. Along with performing data relocation among the tiers (levels) in the first period cycle based on the first access frequency of occurrence, the storage system performs a decision whether or not to perform a second relocation based on the first access frequency of occurrence and the second access frequency of occurrence, synchronously with access from a host device. Here the threshold value utilized in a decision on whether or not to perform the first relocation is different from the threshold value utilized in a decision on whether or not to perform the second relocation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Akutsu, Akira Yamamoto, Shigeo Homma, Masanobu Yamamoto, Yoshinori Ohira
  • Patent number: 9778986
    Abstract: The storage system according to the present invention comprises a controller, and multiple storage device constituting a RAID group. When storing write data to multiple discontinuous areas within stripes of a storage device, the storage system transmits a new data transmission command containing information for specifying the multiple discontinuous areas and a write data to the storage device, and thereafter, receives an intermediate parity generated from multiple write data and data before update of the multiple write data from the storage device, and then transmits the received intermediate parity and an intermediate parity transmission command to the storage device storing the parity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Yoshihara, Akira Yamamoto, Shigeo Homma, Junji Ogawa
  • Patent number: 9740420
    Abstract: A storage system comprises a storage apparatus and a storage device that is a basis for a storage area provided to the storage apparatus. The storage device determines whether or not a first format that is a format of data stored in the storage device and a second format that is a format of data utilized by the storage apparatus managing the data match with each other, and performs format conversion of either converting data in the first format to data in the second format or converting data in the second format to data in the first format in a case where the first format and the second format do not match with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuko Matsui, Shigeo Homma
  • Patent number: 9684591
    Abstract: A storage system comprises a first controller and a plurality of storage devices. The plurality of storage devices configure RAID, each of which includes one or more non-volatile memory chips providing storage space where data from a host computer is stored, and a second controller coupled to the non-volatile memory chips. In case where the first controller receives an update request to update first data to second data from the host computer, the second controller in a first storage device of the storage devices is configured to store the second data in an area different from an area where the first data has been stored, in the storage space of the first storage device; generate information that relates the first data and the second data; and generate an intermediate parity based on the first and the second data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Go Uehara, Shigeo Homma, Yoshiyuki Noborikawa
  • Publication number: 20160259687
    Abstract: The storage system according to the present invention comprises a controller, and multiple storage device constituting a RAID group. When storing write data to multiple discontinuous areas within stripes of a storage device, the storage system transmits a new data transmission command containing information for specifying the multiple discontinuous areas and a write data to the storage device, and thereafter, receives an intermediate parity generated from multiple write data and data before update of the multiple write data from the storage device, and then transmits the received intermediate parity and an intermediate parity transmission command to the storage device storing the parity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro YOSHIHARA, Akira YAMAMOTO, Shigeo HOMMA, Junji OGAWA
  • Publication number: 20160259675
    Abstract: A failure region is specified when a failure occurs in a non-volatile semiconductor memory. When a device controller reads data stored in a specific page in a plurality of non-volatile semiconductor memories to detect an uncorrectable error (UE) of the data stored in the specific page, the device controller executes a diagnosis process including specifying a specific storage circuit that is a storage circuit including the specific page, reading data stored in a part of blocks of the specific storage circuit, and specifying, on the basis of a result of reading data stored in the block, a failure region in the specific storage circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenta NINOSE, Takuji ITOU, Fumio YOSHIOKA, Takashi TSUNEHIRO, Go UEHARA, Shigeo HOMMA
  • Patent number: 9361033
    Abstract: A shared device unit, which comprises a storage device, is coupled to a plurality of storage systems. The shared device unit provides a plurality of storage areas, which are based on the storage device, to the plurality of storage systems. Each storage system stores allocation management information which comprises an ID of a storage area provided to thereof among the plurality of storage areas, and provides the storage area corresponded to the ID included in the allocation management information to the host computer coupled thereto among the plurality of host computers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Miho Imazaki, Shigeo Homma, Hiroaki Akutsu, Yoshiaki Eguchi, Akira Yamamoto, Junji Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20160019120
    Abstract: A source remote copy configuration in a source storage system is migrated to a destination storage system as a destination remote copy configuration. The destination primary storage apparatus of the destination storage system defines a virtual volume mapped to the primary volume provided by the source primary storage apparatus which is a storage area of the virtual volume; takes over a first identifier of the primary volume to the virtual volume; transfers, when the virtual volume receives an access request, the access request to the source primary storage apparatus to write data in the primary volume; and takes over the first identifier from the virtual volume to another primary volume provided by the destination primary storage apparatus, after completion of copy of data from primary volume of the source primary storage apparatus into primary volume of the destination primary storage apparatus and secondary volume of the destination secondary storage apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Taiki KONO, Hidenori SUZUKI, Kunihiko NASHIMOTO, Shigeo HOMMA, Toru SUZUKI, Tomohiro KAWAGUCHI, Hideo SAITO, Azusa JIN, Hiroshi NASU, Keishi TAMURA, Shoji SUGINO
  • Publication number: 20160011967
    Abstract: A storage system monitors the first access frequency of occurrence which is the access frequency of occurrence from a host device during a first period, and the second access frequency of occurrence which is the access frequency of occurrence from a host device during a second period shorter than the first period. Along with performing data relocation among the tiers (levels) in the first period cycle based on the first access frequency of occurrence, the storage system performs a decision whether or not to perform a second relocation based on the first access frequency of occurrence and the second access frequency of occurrence, synchronously with access from a host device. Here the threshold value utilized in a decision on whether or not to perform the first relocation is different from the threshold value utilized in a decision on whether or not to perform the second relocation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Hiroaki AKUTSU, Akira YAMAMOTO, Shigeo HOMMA, Masanobu YAMAMOTO, Yoshinori OHIRA
  • Publication number: 20160004615
    Abstract: A storage controller stores, for each of a plurality of storage devices, a usable capacity, which is a capacity usable by the storage controller in a logical storage area, configures a first RAID group using a first storage device group among the plurality of storage devices, and allocates, on the basis of a request from a host computer, one of a plurality of pages of the logical storage area in the first RAID group to a virtual volume. The storage controller reduces, when receiving first failure information indicating a failure in a first storage device in the first storage device group from the first storage device, a usable capacity of the first storage device on the basis of the first failure information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventors: Go UEHARA, Shigeo HOMMA, Koji SONODA
  • Publication number: 20150370484
    Abstract: Proposed are a storage apparatus and a data input/output method capable of improving the response performance of the overall storage apparatus. When a storage controller of a storage apparatus receives a first read command that designates a plurality of storage areas in the logical volume as a read destination, the storage controller identifies the storage media and address that are actually storing the data written into the storage area, creates, for each of the storage media, a second read command that designates a part or all of each of the identified addresses in the identified storage media as a read destination and sends each of the created second read commands to the corresponding storage media, and transfers, to the host computer, the data that was read from each of the addresses designated in the second read command and sent from each of the storage media that sent the second read command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro KAWAGUCHI, Akira YAMAMOTO, Shigeo HOMMA, Takashi NAGAO
  • Publication number: 20150363134
    Abstract: Access performance of a storage apparatus to which a deduplication technique is applied is enhanced. A storage apparatus includes: a plurality of storage media; a cache memory; a control unit for controlling inputting of data to, and outputting of data from, the storage media, wherein the control unit: provides a host system with a first storage area composed of storage areas of the plurality of storage media and a second storage area having the same performance characteristic as that of the storage media which provide the first storage area; and stores a first data row, which is deduplicated, in the first storage area and a second data row, which is created based on a data row that is the first data row before being deduplicated, in consecutive areas of physical areas composed of the second storage area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Kazuei HIRONAKA, Sadahiro SUGIMOTO, Shigeo HOMMA
  • Patent number: 9213497
    Abstract: A migration-destination primary storage apparatus (MD-PDKC) comprises a second PVOL and a second journal storage area storing a journal corresponding to write data for the second PVOL, and executes a data copy to the second PVOL from a first PVOL, which is in a migration-source primary storage apparatus (MS-PDKC) and forms a copy pair with an SVOL in a secondary storage apparatus (SDKC). After the data copy has been completed, the MD-PDKC acquires the latest write sequence information from the MS-PDKC, and upon receiving a write request for the second PVOL, writes the write-request write data to the second PVOL, creates a journal by using journal data corresponding to the write data and also by using update information showing write sequence information based on the acquired latest write sequence information, and writes the journal to the second journal storage area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Noda, Shigeo Homma, Tomohiro Kawaguchi, Hideo Saito, Kazuhide Sano, Shuji Kondo
  • Publication number: 20150339076
    Abstract: A storage system comprises a storage apparatus and a storage device that is a basis for a storage area provided to the storage apparatus. The storage device determines whether or not a first format that is a format of data stored in the storage device and a second format that is a format of data utilized by the storage apparatus managing the data match with each other, and performs format conversion of either converting data in the first format to data in the second format or converting data in the second format to data in the first format in a case where the first format and the second format do not match with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuko MATSUI, Shigeo HOMMA
  • Patent number: 9189391
    Abstract: Package controller of a flash package, upon receiving an update data write request with respect to a first logical storage area corresponding to a first LU that is treated as a backup target, manages a first physical storage area as a backup storage area in a state where pre-update data is maintained, allocates a second physical storage area to the first logical storage area, and writes the update data to the second physical storage area. The package controller, upon receiving an update data write request with respect to a second logical storage area corresponding to a second LU that is treated as a non-backup target, manages a third physical storage area allocated to the second logical storage area as an invalid storage area, and writes the update data to a fourth physical storage area newly allocated to the second logical storage area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Noborikawa, Shigeo Homma
  • Patent number: 9152337
    Abstract: A source remote copy configuration in a source storage system is migrated to a destination storage system as a destination remote copy configuration. The destination primary storage apparatus of the destination storage system defines a virtual volume mapped to the primary volume provided by the source primary storage apparatus which is a storage area of the virtual volume; takes over a first identifier of the primary volume to the virtual volume; transfers, when the virtual volume receives an access request, the access request to the source primary storage apparatus to write data in the primary volume; and takes over the first identifier from the virtual volume to another primary volume provided by the destination primary storage apparatus, after completion of copy of data from primary volume of the source primary storage apparatus into primary volume of the destination primary storage apparatus and secondary volume of the destination secondary storage apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Taiki Kono, Hidenori Suzuki, Kunihiko Nashimoto, Shigeo Homma, Toru Suzuki, Tomohiro Kawaguchi, Hideo Saito, Azusa Jin, Hiroshi Nasu, Keishi Tamura, Shoji Sugino