Hitachi Assigned Twelve Patents

Non-volatile storage addressing using multiple tables
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,378,131) developed by Kurotsuchi, Kenzo, Kodaira, Japan, and Miura, Seiji, Hachioji, Japan, for a “non-volatile storage addressing using multiple tables.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”The non-volatile storage solid state drive, (SSD) has non-volatile memory, NVM, random access memory, (RAM) capable of being accessed at a higher speed than this NVM, and a control unit for controlling accesses to the NVM and to the RAM. The control unit stores in the NVM an address translation table that translates a logical address given to access this NVM to a physical address after dividing it into multiple tables, and stores in the RAM the multiple address translation tables-sub on RAM that have been divided into multiple tables.“

The patent application was filed on January 18, 2013 (13/745,292).

Storage system
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,369,527) developed by Nishibori, Tatsuo, Saika, Nobuyuki, and Murotani, Akira, Tokyo, Japan, for a “file server, file server control method, and storage system.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”Disclosed is a storage system that includes a first node and a second node. The first node and the second node are connected to a client and a storage device. The first node includes a first memory for cache data, receives data from the client, stores the data into the first memory, and controls the storing the content of the data into the storage device from the first memory in accordance with an instruction from the second node. The second node includes a second memory for the same cache data as the first memory. If the content of data in the storage device or the content of data in the second memory before the storing of the data is the same as the content of the data in the second memory, the second node instructs the first node not to store the content of the data into the storage device.“

The patent application was filed on February 21, 2014 (14/424,874).

Maintenance or exchange of encryption function
in storage system and storage device
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,369,278) developed by Kawarasaki, Masahide, Shirogane, Tetsuya, and Nakayama, Shinichi, Tokyo, Japan, for a “method for maintenance or exchange of encryption function in storage system and storage device.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”In order to quickly perform maintenance or exchange of a controller of a storage device having an encryption function in a storage system, a first controller in a Ready state spoofs a second controller subjected to maintenance or exchange to acquire key information from a key management server and to store the information in a memory, and a second controller reads the key information from the memory of the first controller to store the information in an own memory to convert the second controller into a Ready state. Then, the first controller deletes acquired key information from an own memory to convert the controller into a Halt state.“

The patent application was filed on March 22, 2013 (14/241,757).

Storage system and cache control
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,367,469) developed by Ogawa, Junji, Sagamihara, Japan, and Suzuki, Akifumi, Yokohama, Japan, for a “storage system and cache control method .”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A cache memory comprises a cache controller and a nonvolatile semiconductor memory as a storage medium. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory comprises multiple blocks, which are data erase units, and each block comprises multiple pages, which are data write and read units. The cache controller receives data and attribute information of the data, and, based on the received attribute information and attribute information of the data stored in the multiple blocks, selects a storage-destination block for storing the received data, and writes the received data to a page inside the selected storage-destination block.“

The patent application was filed on January 31, 2013 (13/816,656).

Storage system and method
for efficiently utilizing storage capacity within storage system
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,367,265) developed by Naganuma, Yuki, Yokohama, Japan, Ikeda, Hirokazu, Yamato, Japan, Maki, Nobuhiro, Asano, Masayasu, Yokohama, Japan, and Kanno, Shinichiro, Odawara, Japan, for a “storage system and method for efficiently utilizing storage capacity within a storage system.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”In a storage system 1, a storage apparatus A having a first pool 1430 including segments as unit storage areas and a storage apparatus B having a second pool 1430 having the same configuration are communicably connected to each other. In the storage system, an external volume identifier is associated with a logical volume 1420 included in the first pool 1430, the external volume identifier being used by a controller 1500 in the storage apparatus B to identify and manage the logical volume 1420 as an external volume 1425 that is a virtual volume in the storage apparatus B. Moreover, a volume identifier 5110 of the logical volume 1420 included in the first pool 1430 is rewritten into the external volume identifier in order to enable the storage apparatus B to utilize the logical volume 1420 created from the first pool 1430.“

The patent application was filed on September 25, 2013 (14/036,276).

Managing error codes for storage systems
coupled with external storage systems
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,361,177) developed by Kawaguchi, Tomohiro, Cupertino, CA, and Yamamoto, Akira, Kanagawa, Japan, for a “methods and apparatus for managing error codes for storage systems coupled with external storage systems.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A system comprising a plurality of storage systems, which uses storage devices of multiple levels of reliability. The reliability as a whole system is increased by keeping the error code for the relatively low reliability storage disks in the relatively high reliability storage system. The error code is calculated using hash functions and the value is used to compare with the hash value of the data read from the relatively low reliability storage disks.“

The patent application was filed on February 24, 2014 (14/187,498).

Compound storage system and storage control
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,361,033) developed by Imazaki, Miho, Yokohama, Japan, Homma, Shigeo, Odawara, Japan, Akutsu, Hiroaki, Eguchi, Yoshiaki, Yokohama, Japan, Yamamoto, Akira, and Ogawa, Junji, Sagamihara, Japan, for a “compound storage system and storage control method.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”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.“

The patent application was filed on March 11, 2015 (14/645,024).

Computer realizing high-speed access and data protection
of storage device, computer system, and I/O request processing
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,354,815) developed by Hatasaki, Keisuke, Kawasaki, Japan, and Aikoh, Kazuhide, Yokohama, Japan, for a “computer realizing high-speed access and data protection of storage device, computer system, and I/O request processing method.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”In a computer, a logical partition for calculation in which an OS and an application operate and a logical partition for storage for providing a storage function are constructed. In the logical partition for calculation, a device corresponding to a storage device is provided, while the logical partition for storage provides a volume. A memory space that can be shared by the both logical partitions is prepared, and management information describing a sorting destination or a sorting method of an I/O request issued by an application is provided in the memory. If the logical partition for calculation receives an I/O request from the application, the partition refers to the management information and sorts the I/O request to the storage device or the logical partition for storage. The logical partition for storage processes the received I/O request by the storage function and transmits the result to the storage device.“

The patent application was filed on June 29, 2015 (14/753,273).

De-duplication in flash memory module
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,343,153) developed by Kawamura, Atsushi, Yokohama, Japan, and Ogawa, Junji, Sagamihara, Japan, for a “de-duplication in flash memory module.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”Data capacity efficiency is improved by de-duplicating data assigned with a code that is different for each data. A storage apparatus comprising a flash memory control device equipped with one or more flash memory modules, wherein the flash memory module comprises at least one flash memory chip for providing a storage area, and a controller for controlling writing/reading of data including user data and a guarantee code accompanying the user data to and from the storage area provided by the flash memory chip, wherein the controller respectively divides a plurality of the data having the common user data into the user data and the guarantee code, stores one of the user data in an area of a predetermined unit of the storage area, and links and stores each of the guarantee codes accompanying the plurality of user data in an area of a predetermined unit of the storage area.“

The patent application was filed on July 14, 2015 (14/798,888).

Storage system, storage controller and data compression
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,342,521) developed by Isobe, Daisuke, Odawara, Japan, for a “storage system, storage controller and data compression method.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”Provided are a storage system, a storage controller and a data compression method that will not deteriorate the performance of a storage system by adjusting the compression processing time required for compressing data. This storage controller includes a statistical information management unit for managing a throughput value decided based on statistical information of previously compressed file data as a system performance value, a mode setting unit for setting a compression mode of either a system performance priority mode that terminates compression of the file data and gives priority to system performance or a compression priority mode that gives priority to compression of the file data based on a comparison between a system performance target value preset as a target value and the system performance value, and a compression controller for compressing the file data based on the compression mode set with the mode setting unit.“

The patent application was filed on May 24, 2011 (13/114,969).

Nonvolatile semiconductor storage system
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,335,929) developed by Ishikawa, Atsushi, Minami-Ashigara, Japan, Sonoda, Koji, Chigasaki, Japan, Uehara, Go, Odawara, Japan, Ogawa, Junji, Sagamihara, Japan, and Koseki, Hideyuki, Machida, Japan, for a “nonvolatile semiconductor storage system.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A nonvolatile semiconductor storage system has multiple nonvolatile semiconductor storage media, a control circuit having a media interface group, (one or more interface devices) coupled to the multiple nonvolatile semiconductor storage media, and multiple switches. The media interface group and the multiple switches are coupled via data buses, and each switch and each of two or more nonvolatile chips are coupled via a data bus. The switch is configured so as to switch a coupling between a data bus coupled to the media interface group and a data bus coupled to any of multiple nonvolatile chips that are coupled to this switch. The control circuit partitions write-target data into multiple data elements, switches a coupling by controlling the multiple switches, and distributively sends the multiple data elements to multiple nonvolatile chips.“

The patent application was filed on December 17, 2014 (14/573,269).

Disk array apparatus
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,329,781) developed by Chikusa, Takashi, Yamaura, Satoru, Odawara, Japan, Tachibana, Toshio, Atami, Japan, Maki, Takehiro, Hadano, Japan, and Honma, Hirotaka, Chigasaki, Japan, for a “disk array apparatus.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A disk array apparatus using an SAS can transfer data without lowering a transfer efficiency of data even if rates of a plurality of physical links connected to a controller and storage device are different. A plurality of HDDs are connected to a controller through an expander. Data are transferred from the controller to the expander and then to HDD. In this connection, the controller and the expander transfers a set of transfer data in a plurality of the HDD-side physical links. The controller-side physical link integrates the transfer data, and multiplexes them to transfer. A plurality of HDDs-side physical links separates the transfer data to transfer in parallel.“

The patent application was filed on February 8, 2013 (13/762,520).