Hitachi Assigned Fourteen Patents

Distributed storage, node, and parity update method for distributed storage
Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (11467908) developed by Nakagawa, Kazushi, Hayasaka, Mitsuo, and Kamo, Yuto, Tokyo, Japan, for “distributed storage system, distributed storage node, and parity update method for distributed storage system.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A distributed storage places data units and parity units constituting a stripe formed by divided data into storage nodes in a distributed manner. In reference to determination formulas, either a full-stripe parity calculation method or an RPM parity calculation method is selected so as to minimize an amount of network traffic.”

The patent application was filed on 2020-03-03 (16/807724).

Storage system with multiple storage devices to store data
Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (11467907) developed by Yamamoto, Takahiro, Yamamoto, Akira, Agetsuma, Masakuni, Ohira, Yoshinori, and Ebara, Hiroto, Tokyo, Japan, for a “storage system with multiple storage devices to store data.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “This invention provides a storage system enabling it to properly rebuild a storage device involved in failure. In the storage system, a controller repairs data for which an access request has been issued, returns a reply to the source of the access request, and stores the repaired data. As regards data for which access is not requested, the controller executes rebuilding of storage regions corresponding to rebuild management units in priority-based order and changes priority for executing the rebuilding, based on access frequencies for a first period and access frequencies for a second period that is shorter than the first period.”

The patent application was filed on 2020-09-11 (17/018322).

Storage and control
Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (11467904) developed by Chiba, Takeru, Fujii, Hiroki, and Deguchi, Yoshiaki, Tokyo, Japan, for “storage system and control method of the same.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A storage system including a storage controller and a plurality of storage drives generates parity data from data. Data and parity data configure a stripe. A plurality of stripes configure a parity group allocated with a plurality of storage drives to store the parity group. A first parity group allows the number of storage drives allocated to the parity group to be equal to the number of data pieces configuring each stripe. A second parity group allows the number of storage drives allocated to the parity group to be larger than the number of data pieces configuring each stripe and allows data for each stripe to be distributed and stored in different combinations of storage drives. When the first parity group is converted to the second parity group, a storage drive is added so that it is allocated to the parity group. Data is moved to ensure a free area.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-03-15 (17/201151).

Storage controller replacement and firmware upgrade without service interruption
Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (11461032) developed by Tatsumi, Ryosuke, Yamamoto, Akira, Matsugami, Kazuki, and Shinozuka, Kenta, Tokyo, Japan, for “storage controller replacement and firmware upgrade without service interruption.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A storage system includes: a storage drive having a storage medium storing a data, and a plurality of storage control units having a processor, a memory, and a port to process the data input and output to and from the storage drive, in which information related to a list of the storage control units mounted on the storage system and a maximum number of the storage control units that can be mounted on the storage system is allowed to be stored, and in which, when the storage control unit is replaced, it is determined whether the configuration to be migrated from the storage control unit to be reduced to the storage control unit to be added is migrated directly or via another storage control unit based on the number of the mounted storage control units and the maximum number of the storage control units that can be mounted.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-09-13 (17/472837).

Storage and encryption processing
Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (11461506) developed by Monji, Hideaki, and Kiyota, Yuusaku, Tokyo, Japan, for “storage system and encryption processing method.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Encryption is enabled at a low load in a storage system. An encryption processing device 20 uses, as an expectation value for key validation, a value that is uniquely identified from a storage location address of encrypted text data in a storage drive. The encryption processing device 20 encrypts the expectation value and plain text data, respectively, using a same encryption key, substitutes a DIF according to the encrypted text data obtained by encrypting the plain text data, and stores the encrypted expectation value in the substituted DIF. Upon receiving a read request of the encrypted text data, the encryption processing device 20 decrypts the encrypted expectation value stored in the substituted DIF using a decryption key, and validates whether the encryption key and the decryption key are properly corresponding by comparing the decrypted expectation value and the expectation value identified from the address at the time of reading.”

The patent application was filed on 2020-09-23 (17/029340).

Storage and data compression
Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (11455122) developed by Mizushima, Nagamasa, Yoshihara, Tomohiro, and Shimada, Kentaro, Tokyo, Japan, for “storage system and data compression method for storage system.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Provided is a storage system in which a compression rate of randomly written data can be increased and access performance can be improved. A storage controller 22A includes a cache area 203A configured to store data to be read out of or written into a drive 29. The controller 22A groups a plurality of pieces of data stored in the cache area 203A and input into the drive 29 based on a similarity degree among the pieces of data, selects a group, compresses data of the selected group in group units, and stores the compressed data in the drive 29.”

The patent application was filed on 2020-08-14 (16/993888).

Storage and data management of switching access authority
Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (11455105) developed by Ogawa, Shugo, Matsugami, Kazuki, Tatsumi, Ryosuke, and Yamamoto, Akira, Tokyo, Japan, for “storage system and data management method of switching access authority.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Each controller moves authority for access processing to data in a logical area allocated to the controller between the controllers, for a first storage area in which there is data related to the logical areas of the plurality of controllers by moving the authority for the access processing from a first controller to a second controller. Each of the first controller and the second controller writes data after update related to a write request to the storage area allocated to the own controller and deletes data before update in the first storage area, and moves data for which the own controller has the authority for the access processing in the first storage area to another storage area allocated to the own controller while taking over the allocation of the first storage area in relocation processing of relocating data.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-03-08 (17/194579).

Backup system and method
Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (11449263) developed by Deguchi, Akira, and Matsugami, Kazuki, Tokyo, Japan, for “backup system and method.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A backup-source storage system extracts, as a pattern, forwarding target data to a backup-destination storage system among data written to a storage apparatus through a volume. The backup-source storage system determines whether the extracted pattern matches with a registered pattern in the backup-source storage system. When a result of the determination is false, the backup-source storage system registers the extracted pattern and forwards the forwarding target data to the backup-destination storage system. When the result of the determination is true, the backup-source storage system does not forward the forwarding target data.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-09-20 (17/478984).

Data transfer management
Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (11449629) developed by Nomura, Ken, and Hayasaka, Mitsuo, Tokyo, Japan, for “data transfer management system and data transfer management method.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Appropriate management of transfer of data generated in real time from an area where handling of data is regulated to the outside is enabled. A storage computer manages transfer of data from a transfer source belonging to an environment where handling of data is regulated to an external transfer destination. Data to be transferred is sequential transfer data sequentially transferred to the outside when the data is not wholly present in the environment. The storage computer includes a memory storing information and CPU connected to the memory and capable of performing predetermined processing. Permissibility of transfer of the data to be transferred to a transfer destination is determined by the CPU based on: personal information included in a data source on which the data to be transferred is based, contents of processing performed on the data source, and an execution result of the processing on the data source.”

The patent application was filed on 2019-09-05 (16/561873).

Storage and storage cost optimization
Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (11435924) developed by Akutsu, Hiroaki, Naruko, Takahiro, and Suzuki, Akifumi, Tokyo, Japan, for “storage system and storage cost optimization method.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “An object of the invention is to optimize a storage cost for data. There is provided a storage system including a storage device, a memory, and a processor configured to control input and output of data to and from the storage device. The processor monitors a storage amount that is at least one of a write amount (a total amount of data received as a write target) and a physical use amount (a total amount of data physically stored in the storage device), and a read amount (a total amount of data that is read), and calculates a fee as a storage cost that is a cost related to use of the storage device in a target period, based on a storage amount and a read amount in the target period in accordance with a monitoring result.”

The patent application was filed on 2020-03-09 (16/812683).

Multi controller storage and method of controlling
Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (11429316) developed by Tatsumi, Ryosuke, Yamamoto, Akira, and Matsugami, Kazuki, Tokyo, Japan, for “multi controller storage system and method of controlling multi controller storage system.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “In a multi controller storage system, hardware and software are updated without interruption. The storage system including a node has storage control units each including a processor, a memory, and a port, and a storage drive, and the storage control units each request data access and transmit and receive data with respect to a host computer via the ports. The processors process input and output data from the host computer, the memories store the control information in order to access the data stored in the storage drive, and the storage system transmits the control information stored in the memories to another node, stores the control information in the memories of the storage control units, and sets ports of the other node in consideration of a relationship between the storage control units and the ports of the nodes, if the other node can access data relating to the control information.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-03-11 (17/198665).

Data migration
Hitachi Systems Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (11422971) developed by Yamaguchi, Hiroshi, Tokyo, Japan, for “data migration system and data migration method.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “In an SDN environment, data is migrated after checking whether the data conforms to a legal system of a migration destination. A control device changes a communication setting between first and second servers based on migration destination information and migration source information received from the first server and SDN setting data on a communication setting of the SDN stored in advance. The first server receives data on the legal system and determines whether the data conforms to the legal system to thereby determine whether the data can be migrated, or not. The control device executes a change in the communication setting when it is determined that the migration is enabled from the first server. The first server transmits data stored in a first storage unit to the second server according to the changed communication setting and the data is stored in a second storage unit.”

The patent application was filed on 2016-06-06 (16/096308).

Storage device and data migration
Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (11416157) developed by Hironaka, Kazuei, and Deguchi, Akira, Tokyo, Japan, for “storage device and data migration method.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A storage device is connected to a migration source storage device that stores migration target data via a data line. A transportable external mass storage device that stores the migration target data migrated from the migration source storage device is connected to the storage device. The storage device references logical configuration information received from the migration source storage device via the data line and restores and stores the migration target data stored in the external mass storage device.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-02-01 (17/163624).

Data extracting apparatus, method, and recording medium
Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (11415958) developed by Ishii, Daisuke, and Ogata, Yuji, Tokyo, Japan, for “data extracting apparatus, data extracting method, and recording medium.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A data extracting apparatus comprises: a processor configured to execute a program, and a storage device configured to store the program, the data extracting apparatus being configured to access: configuration information that defines a work environment including a group of sensors, and a data extraction rule, which is used for extraction from the configuration information, and is defined for each event that indicates one of a change and abnormality of the work environment, and the processor being configured to execute: detection processing of detecting a specific event based on sensor data from the group of sensors, extraction processing of extracting related data related to the specific event from specific configuration information corresponding to an acquisition time of the sensor data out of the configuration information, based on a specific data extraction rule corresponding to the specific event, and output processing of outputting the related data.”

The patent application was filed on 2020-03-09 (16/812886).