Patents by Inventor Tomohiro Kawaguchi

Tomohiro Kawaguchi 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: 10846023
    Abstract: When a real area is allocated to a write destination virtual area in a virtual volume, a storage device determines whether or not a size of compressed new data is larger than a size of the allocated real area. In a case where the determination result is true, the storage device determines whether or not there is one or more real areas having a size equal to or larger than the size of the compressed new data and including a garbage area that is a real area serving as garbage. In a case where the determination result is true, the storage device selects one or more real areas including the garbage area, allocates, instead of the allocated real area, the selected one or more real areas to the write destination virtual area, and manages the allocated real area as a garbage area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Tomohiro Kawaguchi, Yoshihiro Yoshii
  • Patent number: 10817209
    Abstract: Provided is a storage controller that reduces a reference number to duplicate data even if there is duplicate data. The storage controller includes a memory and processor and is connected to a server and physical storage device. The memory stores a VOL management table, an address translation table, and a generation management table; registers a first provision volume and a first additional writing volume in the VOL management table; registers a reference destination of a first address of the first provision volume as a second address of the first additional writing volume in the address translation table. The processor receives a request for replication of the first provision volume; registers the second provision volume and the third provision volume in the generation management table as the child generation of the first provision volume; and processes the request to the first provision volume as a request to the third provision volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Takaki Matsushita, Tomohiro Kawaguchi, Kazuei Hironaka
  • Patent number: 10776035
    Abstract: A storage system and storage control method are provided in which a plurality of volumes to be processed by a storage control unit are distributed and evacuated in a normal storage control unit without recovering redundancy of the storage control unit having decreased redundancy, and the storage control unit itself having the decreased redundancy is deleted after the evacuating is completed, and thus reservation information processing resources for guaranteeing recoverability of the redundancy become unnecessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenta Sato, Akira Deguchi, Tomohiro Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 10761767
    Abstract: A computer system includes a management computer, a first storage apparatus, and a second storage apparatus. A first logical device of the first storage apparatus and a second logical device of the second storage apparatus constitute a remote copy pair. The second logical device and a third logical device of the second storage apparatus constitute a copy pair. The second logical device and the third logical device have virtual IDs to be recognized by an issuer of an I/O request. The second storage apparatus interchanges the virtual IDs of the third logical device and the second logical device with reception of a command from the management computer as a trigger during processing of the I/O request from the issuer of the I/O request to the third logical device, thereby switching an access destination of the issuer of the I/O request from the third logical device to the second logical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Azusa Jin, Akira Deguchi, Tomohiro Kawaguchi, Hirotaka Nakagawa, Hiroshi Nasu
  • Patent number: 10762021
    Abstract: An information system connected to hosts and an information processing system manages a second ALU connected to the hosts via a second logical path, and second SLUs for receiving I/O requests from the hosts via the second logical path. A processor manages a first ALU connected to the hosts via a first logical path and first SLUs that receive I/O requests from the hosts via the first logical path, and builds up a first group including the first SLUs. A first SLU and a second SLU compose an HA pair, and the HA pair is provided to the hosts as one volume. The processor evaluates the state of the first logical path based on the pair state of the first SLU that composes the HA pair included in the first group so priorities with which the hosts issue I/Os to the first logical path can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakagawa, Akira Deguchi, Hiroshi Nasu, Tomohiro Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 10747624
    Abstract: In order to create, at another site, a backup of a volume at a specific time point while minimizing the response time required to update the volume, a first storage apparatus and a second storage apparatus transfer a journal in a first journal volume to the second storage apparatus, the second storage apparatus writes the transferred journal into a second journal volume, the second storage apparatus reads journals in the second journal volume in order of the update, the second storage apparatus reflects the read journals to a second data volume, the first storage apparatus creates, in the first journal volume, a journal including a marker when a specific condition is satisfied, and the second storage apparatus creates a snapshot of the second data volume upon detecting a marker in the read journal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Tomohiro Kawaguchi, Hiroshi Nasu
  • Publication number: 20200257457
    Abstract: With omission of a duplication process of compressed data, a cache access frequency is reduced to improve throughput. A storage system includes first and second control units and a storage drive. Upon receiving a data write command, the first control unit stores data to be subjected to the write command in a first cache area of the first control unit, and stores the data in a second cache area of the second control unit to perform duplication, and upon completion of the duplication, the first control unit transmits a response indicating an end of write, performs a predetermined process on the data to be subjected to the write command, stores the data in a buffer area, reads the data stored in the buffer area, and transmits the read data to the storage drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Matsugami, Yoshihiro Yoshii, Nobumitsu Takaoka, Tomohiro Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 10740250
    Abstract: A storage device allocates an address area of an address space to the first virtual address space in accordance with writing onto a first virtual address space. A controller manages an address area in the first virtual address space, in which address area a mapping to the real address space has been removed, as a usage prohibition area. When a use state of the first virtual address space reaches a predetermined criterion, the controller or the storage device adds new continuous address areas to the first virtual address space to expand the first virtual address space. The storage device allocates an area, in which a mapping to the first virtual address space has been removed, to the first virtual address space expanded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Tomohiro Kawaguchi, Nobumitsu Takaoka
  • Patent number: 10732901
    Abstract: Each of a storage apparatus having a primary volume and a storage apparatus having a secondary volume, upon reception of a write command, changes a data attribute of a data area allocated to an address designated by the write command, to a first attribute if the data attribute is other than the first attribute. In an offloaded data copy processing sequence, each of the storage apparatus changes a data attribute of a data area allocated to a copy source address to a second attribute if the data attribute is other than the second attribute. When an allocation information copy process is to be performed to allocate the data area to a copy destination address according to an offloaded data copy command, each of the storage apparatus discontinues the offloaded data copy processing sequence if the data attribute of the data area is the first attribute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Matsugami, Tomohiro Kawaguchi, Yoshihiro Yoshii
  • Patent number: 10725878
    Abstract: A storage system capable of dynamically securing free space when a certain storage apparatus is disused and reducing the influence on the system upon dynamically securing the free space without having to continuously secure, in a memory of another storage apparatus, free space capable of storing management information of the corresponding storage apparatus in preparation of a case where such storage apparatus is disused. Each storage apparatus comprises a memory including a management information storage area for storing management information and a cache area for storing cache information, and a processor which manages a status of the cache area. At least certain processors determine a storage apparatus to become a copy destination of the copy target management information. The storage apparatus of the copy destination releases at least a part of the cache area and stores the management information in the released cache area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Nagao, Sadahiro Sugimoto, Tomohiro Kawaguchi, Norio Simozono
  • Patent number: 10691564
    Abstract: An active control program and a passive control program included in the same program cluster in a plurality of storage nodes are each arranged in the storage nodes different from each other. Each of the storage nodes is configured to include a plurality of active or passive control programs. When any one of the plurality of the passive control programs is switched to active, a change of an operation status is made for the different passive control program operating in the storage node that includes the passive control program switched to active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Akiyoshi Tsuchiya, Tomohiro Kawaguchi, Tsukasa Shibayama
  • Patent number: 10656849
    Abstract: With omission of a duplication process of compressed data, a cache access frequency is reduced to improve throughput. A storage system includes first and second control units and a storage drive. Upon receiving a data write command, the first control unit stores data to be subjected to the write command in a first cache area of the first control unit, and stores the data in a second cache area of the second control unit to perform duplication, and upon completion of the duplication, the first control unit transmits a response indicating an end of write, performs a predetermined process on the data to be subjected to the write command, stores the data in a buffer area, reads the data stored in the buffer area, and transmits the read data to the storage drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuki Matsugami, Yoshihiro Yoshii, Nobumitsu Takaoka, Tomohiro Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20200150866
    Abstract: A storage system which stores a plurality of volumes and performs an I/O process on the volume includes a processor. The volume includes a first volume and a second volume which is copied from the first volume by snapshot. In a case where a write request is received, the processor determines whether a volume of a copy source related to a target volume of the write request is a volume of which a storage region is a valid region where a data amount reduction process is applied. Depending on a case where the volume of the copy source is a volume of which the storage region is a valid region or a case where the volume of the copy source is a volume of which the storage region is not a valid region, the processor switches and performs a process of creating the second volume related to the snapshot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Ai SATOYAMA, Tomohiro KAWAGUCHI, Takaki MATSUSHITA
  • Patent number: 10628088
    Abstract: The storage system defines, a RAID group having one or more logical devices, and manages the logical devices by assigning them to a pool. When a data write request is received from the host for the virtual volume, the storage system allocates an unused logical storage area in the pool to the virtual volume and writes the data to the storage device having the allocated logical storage area. The storage device compresses the data, stores it in the physical area, and manages the physical area in association with the logical storage region. A computer system may increase the amount of the physical area assigned to the pool when a physical usage amount of the physical area belonging to the pool exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and increase the amount of the logical storage area assigned to the pool when the logical usage amount exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Takaki Matsushita, Tomohiro Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20200104151
    Abstract: Provided is a resource allocation determination method for a VM/container, volume, and the like created as a new VM/container or volume without exceeding an upper limit of a computer resource of a node in an HCI environment. In order to determine allocation of at least one of a virtual machine, a container, and a volume in a system of the HCI environment, a use state of a computer resource shared by a virtual machine and a storage controller operating on each node is managed, and an allocation destination node of the new virtual machine, container, or volume is determined based on the use state without exceeding an upper limit of a computer resource of the allocation destination node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Tsukasa SHIBAYAMA, Akiyoshi TSUCHIYA, Tomohiro KAWAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20200104153
    Abstract: Provided is a resource allocation determination method for a VM/container, volume, and the like created as a new VM/container or volume without exceeding an upper limit of a computer resource of a node in an HCl environment. In order to determine allocation of at least one of a virtual machine, a container, and a volume in a system of the HCl environment, a use state of a computer resource shared by a virtual machine and a storage controller operating on each node is managed, and an allocation destination node of the new virtual machine, container, or volume is determined based on the use state without exceeding an upper limit of a computer resource of the allocation destination node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Tsukasa SHIBAYAMA, Akiyoshi TSUCHIYA, Tomohiro KAWAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20200097180
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a storage system includes a first storage device and a second storage device. In a case where the first storage device performs writing or updating of data on a first primary volume, the first storage device transmits the data to a second storage device based on a first replication pair. In a case where the first storage device creates or updates a second primary volume that is a snapshot of the first primary volume, the second storage device creates or updates a second secondary volume that is a snapshot of the first secondary volume configuring the first replication pair with the first primary volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuei HIRONAKA, Tomohiro KAWAGUCHI, Takaki MATSUSHITA
  • Publication number: 20200097204
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a storage control method is provided in which a plurality of volumes to be processed by a storage control unit are distributed and evacuated in a normal storage control unit without recovering redundancy of the storage control unit having decreased redundancy, and the storage control unit itself having the decreased redundancy is deleted after the evacuating is completed, and thus reservation information processing resources for guaranteeing recoverability of the redundancy become unnecessary and use efficiency of a physical server is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Kenta SATO, Akira DEGUCHI, Tomohiro KAWAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20200097179
    Abstract: Provided is a storage controller that reduces a reference number to duplicate data even if there is duplicate data. The storage controller includes a memory and processor and is connected to a server and physical storage device. The memory stores a VOL management table, an address translation table, and a generation management table; registers a first provision volume and a first additional writing volume in the VOL management table; registers a reference destination of a first address of the first provision volume as a second address of the first additional writing volume in the address translation table. The processor receives a request for replication of the first provision volume; registers the second provision volume and the third provision volume in the generation management table as the child generation of the first provision volume; and processes the request to the first provision volume as a request to the third provision volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Takaki MATSUSHITA, Tomohiro KAWAGUCHI, Kazuei HIRONAKA
  • Patent number: 10592268
    Abstract: The management computer has a memory which stores management information and management programs, and a CPU which refers to the management information and executes the management programs; the management information includes storage management information for allowing determination as to whether the plurality of storage resources can be paired in a redundant configuration, and couplable configuration management information for determining whether the plurality of storage resources and the plurality of server resources can be connected to each other; and when the CPU deploys a virtual machine, the CPU first determines, by reference to the storage management information, storage resources to be paired in a redundant configuration, then selects, by reference to the couplable configuration management information, server resources each of which can be connected to a respective one of the storage resources that are to be paired in a redundant configuration, and pairs the selected server resources in the redundant c
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nasu, Tomohiro Kawaguchi, Yoshinori Ohira, Shunji Kawamura