# US 2014/0156963 A1 · System and method for controlling automated page-based tier management in storage systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0156963 A1 - Document ID: US20140156963A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/174,970 - Filed: 2014-02-07 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2008-09-24 - Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Intellectual Property Group - Applicants: Hitachi, Ltd., Intellectual Property Group - Inventors: Hiroshi Arakawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156963A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0605: {by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator} - G06F 3/0608: {Saving storage space on storage systems} - G06F 3/064: {Management of blocks} - G06F 3/0649: {Lifecycle management} - G06F 3/0665: {at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes} - G06F 3/067: {Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]} - G06F 3/0683: {Plurality of storage devices} - G06F 3/0685: {Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays} - G06F 12/0223: {User address space allocation, e.g. contiguous or non contiguous base addressing} - G06F 12/023: {Free address space management} - G06F 3/0641: {De-duplication techniques} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract System and method for automated page-based management in storage systems. The system includes host computers, file servers and a storage system having automated page-based management means. The storage system interface receives instructions to change the condition for decision for migration regarding particular parts or the whole volume. The host computer can control execution of the migration performed by the storage system by specifying areas or volumes with the condition via the interface. Highly optimized, appropriate data placement and data relocation in computer system can be achieved when the application, host computer or management computer can recognize or predict the usage of the data or files. The storage system having automated page-based management may include compression/decompression and a control method for the compression and decompression process. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A storage system comprising: a plurality of storage devices; and a controller being operable to manage a plurality of logical storage areas, each of the plurality of logical storage areas having the same fixed-length, and the controller being operable to manage a plurality of volumes including a volume to which at least one of the plurality of logical storage areas is allocated on a logical storage area basis in order to write data to the volume, so that the data can be written to at least one of the plurality of storage devices, the controller being operable to compress data and, if the data is compressed, to store the compressed data to a set of the plurality of logical storage areas allocated to the volume and to store uncompressed another data to another set of the plurality of logical storage areas allocated to the volume. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The storage system according to claim 1: wherein a portion of the compressed data is managed to be stored across at least two allocated logical storage areas of the set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The storage system according to claim 1: wherein the controller is operable to manage a relationship between the volume and the set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas, so that the compressed data can be read from the set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas based on the relationship. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The storage system according to claim 1: wherein the controller is operable to manage mapping information between the set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas and the volume to which at least a portion of the uncompressed data is to be stored before the compressing process, so that the at least a portion of the compressed data can be read as decompressed data from the volume based on the mapping information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The storage system according to claim 1: wherein the controller is operable to manage a storage pool having the plurality of logical storage areas and to allocate a storage area of the plurality of logical storage areas from the storage pool to the volume. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The storage system according to claim 1: wherein the controller is operable to manage a relationship between the volume and the set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas, and to manage another relationship between the volume and the another set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas storing the uncompressed another data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The storage system according to claim 1: wherein the controller is operable to manage storing the compressed data to the set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas beyond an edge between two allocated logical storage areas of the set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas. ### Claim 8 A storage system comprising: a plurality of storage devices; and a controller being operable to manage a plurality of logical storage areas, and a portion within a storage volume to which at least one of the plurality of logical storage areas is allocated on a logical storage area basis for writing data to the storage volume, so that the data can be stored to at least one of the plurality of storage devices, the controller being operable to compress data and, when compressed, to store the compressed data to some of the plurality of logical storage areas allocated to the storage volume and to store uncompressed another data to at least one another logical storage area of the plurality of logical storage areas allocated to the storage volume. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The storage system according to claim 8: wherein the controller is operable to manage mapping information between the some of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas storing the compressed data and the storage volume, so that the at least a portion of the compressed data can be read as decompressed data from the storage volume based on the mapping information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The storage system according to claim 8: wherein a portion of the compressed data is managed to be stored across at least two allocated logical storage areas of the some of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas storing the compressed data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The storage system according to claim 8: wherein the controller is operable to manage a relationship between the storage volume and the some of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas storing the compressed data, so that at least one portion of the compressed data can be read from the storage volume based on the relationship. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The storage system according to claim 8: wherein the controller is operable to manage a storage pool having the plurality of logical storage areas and to allocate the at least one of the plurality of logical storage areas from the storage pool to the portion of the storage volume on the logical storage area basis. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The storage system according to claim 8: wherein the controller is operable to manage a relationship between one or more portions of the storage volume and the some of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas storing the compressed data, if the compressing process is executed, and to manage another relationship between a portion of the plurality of portions of the storage volume and an allocated logical storage area of a plurality of allocated logical storage areas storing uncompressed data, if the compressing process is not executed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The storage system according to claim 8: wherein each of the some of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas storing the compressed data has the same fixed-length. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The storage system according to claim 8: wherein the controller is operable to manage storing the compressed data to the some of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas beyond an edge between two allocated logical storage areas of the some of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas. ### Claim 16 A storage system comprising: a controller being operable to manage a thin provisioned volume to which at least one of a plurality of logical storage areas is allocated if necessary, each of the plurality of logical storage areas being managed as a unit of allocation; and the controller being operable to compress data and, if the data is compressed, to store the compressed data to a set of the plurality of logical storage areas allocated to the thin provisioned volume and to store uncompressed another data to another set of the plurality of logical storage areas allocated to the thin provisioned volume. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The storage system according to claim 16: wherein a portion of the compressed data is managed to be stored across at least two allocated logical storage areas of the set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The storage system according to claim 16: wherein the controller is operable to manage a relationship between the thin provisioned volume and the set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas, so that the compressed data can be read from the set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas based on the relationship. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The storage system according to claim 16: wherein the controller is operable to manage mapping information between the set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas and the thin provisioned volume, so that the compressed data can be read as decompressed data from the thin provisioned volume based on the mapping information. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The storage system according to claim 16: wherein the controller is operable to manage a relationship between one or more portions of the thin provisioned volume and the set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas, if the compressing process is executed, and to manage another relationship between a portion of the plurality of portions of the thin provisioned volume and an allocated logical storage area of a plurality of allocated logical storage areas storing uncompressed data on the allocated logical storage area basis, if the compressing process is not executed. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The storage system according to claim 16: wherein each allocated logical storage area of the set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas has the same fixed-length. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The storage system according to claim 16: wherein the controller is operable to store the compressed data to the set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas beyond an edge between two allocated logical storage areas of the set of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas. ### Claim 23 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium in a storage system having a controller, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising code for: managing a plurality of logical storage areas and a storage volume to which at least one of the plurality of logical storage areas is allocated on a logical storage area basis so that data is written to the storage volume, when compression is to be performed, compressing data and storing the compressed data to some of the plurality of logical storage areas allocated to the storage volume and storing uncompressed another data to at least one logical storage area of the plurality of logical storage areas allocated to the storage volume. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 23, further comprising code for: managing a relationship between one or more portions of the storage volume and the some of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas storing the compressed data, when the compressing process is performed, and managing another relationship between a portion of the plurality of portions of the storage volume and an allocated logical storage area of a plurality of allocated logical storage areas storing uncompressed data on the allocated logical storage area basis, when the compressing process is not performed. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 23: wherein a portion of the compressed data is managed to be stored across at least two allocated logical storage areas of the some of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas storing the compressed data. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 23, further comprising code for: managing a relationship between the storage volume and the some of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas storing the compressed data, so that the compressed data can be read from the some of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas storing the compressed data based on the relationship. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 23, further comprising code for: managing mapping information between the some of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas storing the compressed data and the storage volume, so that at least a portion of the compressed data can be read as decompressed data from the storage volume based on the mapping information. ### Claim 28 (depends on 23) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 23, further comprising code for: managing a storage pool having the plurality of logical storage areas, and allocating the at least one of the plurality of logical storage areas from the storage pool to the storage volume on the logical storage area basis. ### Claim 29 (depends on 23) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 23, wherein each allocated logical storage area of the some of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas storing the compressed data has the same fixed-length. ### Claim 30 (depends on 23) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 23, further comprising code for: storing the compressed data to the some of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas beyond an edge between two allocated logical storage areas of the some of the plurality of allocated logical storage areas.