STORAGE SYSTEM AND DATA MANAGEMENT METHOD IN STORAGE SYSTEM

• US 20090172141A1
• Filed: 03/21/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Akira, Iwasaki, Masaaki, Kumazawa, Kiyotake, Kodama, Shoji, Iwami, Naoko
• Granted Patent: US 8,239,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/489 using time information

Abstract

Provided is a storage center including a storage subsystem for storing content data to be used by the user'"'"'s home server, and a center server for controlling the storage subsystem. The center server aggregates the content recording reservation requests sent from several home servers, obtains content data from a content server and stores the content data in the storage subsystem at a designated recording start time, and notifies the user'"'"'s home server that the recording reservation is complete.

Claims

1. A storage center comprising:

a storage subsystem configured to store content data to be used by home servers of users; and

a center server configured to control the storage subsystem;

wherein the center server includes;

a center-side data management table configured to manage the content data concerning each of the users; and

a content management table configured to manage information concerning users who have access to the content data stored in the storage subsystem,

wherein the center server receives a content recording reservation request sent from some of the home servers and registers the content recording reservation request in the content management table, obtains content data designated in the content recording reservation request from a content provider and stores the content datain the storage subsystem at a recording start time designated in the content recording reservation request, updates the center-side data management table concerning the user of the home server that sent the content recording reservation request, and sends a message showing that the content data has been stored in accordance with the content recording reservation request to the home server that sent the content recording reservation request in order to synchronize a home server-side data management table retained in the home server that sent the content recording reservation request and the center-side data management table.

2. The storage center according to claim 1, wherein, based on a data storage request sent from one of the home servers, the center server receives and stores data in the storage subsystem according to the data storage request, and according to the data transfer request sent from the one of the home servers, reads the data accompanying with the data transfer request from the storage subsystem and sends the data to the one home server.

3. The storage center according to claim 2, wherein the center server retains a content list distributed from the content provider, and sends the content list to the home server according to a content list transfer request sent from the home server.

4. The storage center according to claim 2, wherein the center server receives a content purchase request sent from the one of the home servers, obtains the content data of the content data designated in the content purchase request and stores the content data in the storage subsystem, updates the center-side data management table concerning the user of the home server that sent the content purchase request, and sends a message showing that the content data is available in accordance with the content purchase request to the home server that sent the content purchase request in order to synchronize a home server-side data management table retained in the home server that sent the content purchase request and the center-side data management table.

5. The storage center according to claim 4,

wherein the center server refers to the content management table and determines whether the content data according to the content purchase request has been previously stored in the storage subsystem,

wherein, if the center server determines that the content data is not stored in the storage subsystem, the center server sends a content data transfer request to the content provider and obtain the content data from the content provider, and

wherein, if the center server determines that the content data has been previously stored in the storage subsystem, the center server sends a message showing that the content data is available to the home server that sent the content purchase request without obtaining the designated content data from the content provider.

6. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of home servers configured to be connectable to a digital device via a home network; and

a storage center configured to be connectable to each of the plurality of home servers via an external network,

wherein at least one of the home servers includes;

a storage apparatus configured to store content data to be processed by the digital device; and

a home server-side data management table configured to manage the content data,

wherein the storage center includes;

a storage subsystem configured to store content data to be used by the at least one of the home servers; and

a center server configured to control the storage subsystem,

wherein the center server includes;

a center-side data management table configured to manage the content data concerning each of the users, and

a content management table configured to manage information concerning users who have access to the content data stored in the storage subsystem,

wherein the center server receives a content recording reservation request sent from some of the home servers and registers the content recording reservation request in the content management table, obtains the content data designated in the content recording reservation request from a content provider and stores the designated content data in the storage subsystem at a recording start time designated in the content recording reservation request, updates the center-side data management table concerning the user of the home server that sent the content recording reservation request, and sends a message showing that the content data has been stored according to the content recording reservation request to the home server that sent the content recording reservation request,

wherein the home server updates the home server-side data management table based on the message showing the storage of the content data.

7. The storage system according to claim 6,

wherein, based on a first data storage request sent from the digital device, the at least one of home servers determines whether the storage apparatus has capacity for storing the content data according to the first data storage request, and, when the at least one of the home servers determines that the storage apparatus does not have the capacity, the at least one of the home servers sends a second data storage request for storing prescribed content data stored in the storage apparatus to the center server, and deletes the prescribed content data from the storage apparatus in order to secure the capacity.

8. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein, based on the second data storage request sent from the at least one of the home servers, the center server receives content data according to the second data storage request and stores the content data in the storage subsystem.

9. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein, according to a data transfer request sent from the at least one of the home servers, the center server reads content data according to the data transfer request from the storage subsystem and sends the content data to the at least one of the home servers.

10. The storage system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one of the home servers stores the content data sent from the center server in the storage apparatus.

11. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein the center server retains a content list distributed from the content provider, and sends the content list to the at least one of the home servers according to a content list transfer request sent from the at least one of the home servers.

12. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein the center server receives a content purchase request sent from one of the home servers, obtains the content data designated in the content purchase request and stores the content data in the storage subsystem, updates the center-side data management table concerning the user of the home server that sent the content purchase request, and sends a message showing that the content data is available in accordance with the content purchase request to the home server that sent the content purchase request in order to synchronize a home server-side data management table retained in the home server that sent the content purchase request and the center-side data management table.

13. The storage system according to claim 12,

wherein the center server refers to the content management table and determines whether the content data accompanying with the content purchase request has been previously stored in the storage subsystem,

wherein, when the center server determines that the content data is not stored in the storage subsystem, the center server sends a transfer request of the content data to the content provider and obtains the content data from the content provider, and

wherein, when the center server determines that the content data has been previously stored in the storage subsystem, the center server sends a message showing that the content data is available to the home server that sent the content purchase request without further obtaining the content data from the content provider.

14. A data management method in a storage system including home servers each having a storage apparatus and connecting a digital device via a home network, and a storage center connected to each of the home servers via an external network and having a storage subsystem and a center server configured to control the storage subsystem, the method comprising:

sending, by at least one of the home servers, a content recording reservation request to the center server;

receiving, by the center server, a content recording reservation request sent from the at least one of the home servers;

registering, by the center server, the received content recording reservation request in a content management table;

obtaining, by the center server, content data designated in the content recording reservation request from a content provider and storing the content data in the storage subsystem at a recording start time designated in the content recording reservation request;

updating, by the center server, the center-side data management table concerning the user of the at least one of the home servers that sent the content recording reservation request;

sending, by the center server, a message showing that the content data has been stored according to the content recording reservation request to the at least one of the home servers that sent the content recording reservation request; and

updating, by the at least one of the home servers, a home server-side data management table based on the message showing the storage of the content data.

15. The data management method in a storage system according to claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, by the center server, a content purchase request sent from at least one of the home servers, obtaining the content data designated in the content purchase request, and storing the content data in the storage subsystem;

updating, by the center server, the center-side data management table concerning the user of the at least one of the home servers that sent the content purchase request;

sending, by the center server, a message showing that the content data is available in accordance with the content purchase request to the at least one of the home servers that sent the content purchase request; and

updating, by the at least one of the home servers, the home server-side data management table based on the message showing that the content data is available.