How Microsoft Organizes Data in Multi-Tier Storage Systems
A method for organizing computer data into three specific tiers—log, hash, and journal stores—to make writing and reading data faster and more efficient.
Original patent title: “File storage system including tiers”
A method for organizing computer data into three specific tiers—log, hash, and journal stores—to make writing and reading data faster and more efficient. Granted to Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC in 2017 with 21 claims and 4 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2035.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a way to manage data storage by moving information through three distinct stages. First, incoming data is written into a 'log store,' which acts as a quick, temporary landing zone. Periodically, these logs are converted into a 'hash store,' where metadata is organized using a specific structure that includes hash portions and offsets. Finally, multiple hash stores are merged into a 'journal store,' which acts as a more permanent, indexed archive. By using this tiered approach, the system reduces the amount of work the storage hardware has to do when writing data, which improves overall speed and efficiency.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover simple file systems that write directly to a disk without a tiered log-to-hash-to-journal conversion process.
- Does not cover storage systems that do not utilize the specific metadata and hash-offset structure defined in claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1.
- Does not cover data storage that relies solely on traditional relational database indexing methods without the defined multi-tier conversion steps.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The system uses a specific conversion process that calculates disk offsets for metadata before writing, allowing it to merge multiple smaller data stores into a larger, indexed journal without needing to rewrite the entire data set from scratch.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Cloud-based storage backends
High-performance solid-state drive (SSD) controllers
Enterprise-grade database storage engines
Why it matters
The bigger picture
As data centers handle massive amounts of information, 'write amplification'—where a small change requires writing a large amount of data—becomes a major bottleneck. This patent provides a specific architectural solution to minimize that overhead. It is significant for cloud infrastructure providers like Microsoft Azure who need to maximize the throughput of solid-state drives (SSDs).
Filed
June 16, 2015
Granted
November 21, 2017
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Microsoft continues to utilize these types of tiered storage architectures within their Azure cloud services to manage massive, high-velocity data streams. Other major cloud infrastructure providers and database companies also research similar log-structured merge-tree (LSM) variations to optimize their storage backends.
Market impact
This patent reflects the industry-wide shift toward log-structured storage systems, which are now standard in modern cloud environments. By optimizing how data is moved between tiers, it helps companies reduce the wear and tear on expensive SSD hardware while maintaining high performance for users.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a way to manage data storage by moving information through three distinct stages. First, incoming data is written into a 'log store,' which acts as a quick, temporary landing zone. Periodically, these logs are converted into a 'hash store,' where metadata is organized using a specific structure that includes hash portions and offsets. Finally, multiple hash stores are merged into a 'journal store,' which acts as a more permanent, indexed archive. By using this tiered approach, the system reduces the amount of work the storage hardware has to do when writing data, which improves overall speed and efficiency.
The clever bit
The system uses a specific conversion process that calculates disk offsets for metadata before writing, allowing it to merge multiple smaller data stores into a larger, indexed journal without needing to rewrite the entire data set from scratch.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover simple file systems that write directly to a disk without a tiered log-to-hash-to-journal conversion process.
- Does not cover storage systems that do not utilize the specific metadata and hash-offset structure defined in claim 1.
- Does not cover data storage that relies solely on traditional relational database indexing methods without the defined multi-tier conversion steps.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
14/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
14/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$62K – $200K
Midpoint $125K · 8.9 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
21 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Nightingale, E., Jamsandekar, M., Shamis, A., & Edara, P. (2017). How Microsoft Organizes Data in Multi-Tier Storage Systems (U.S. Patent No. 9,824,092). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9824092/file-storage-system-including-tiers
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Microsoft Organizes Data in Multi-Tier Storage Systems cover?
A method for organizing computer data into three specific tiers—log, hash, and journal stores—to make writing and reading data faster and more efficient.
Who owns patent US 9824092?
Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC owns this patent, granted in 2017.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on June 16, 2035, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 9824092 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 4 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
As data centers handle massive amounts of information, 'write amplification'—where a small change requires writing a large amount of data—becomes a major bottleneck. This patent provides a specific architectural solution to minimize that overhead. It is significant for cloud infrastructure providers like Microsoft Azure who need to maximize the throughput of solid-state drives (SSDs).
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover simple file systems that write directly to a disk without a tiered log-to-hash-to-journal conversion process.
Same assignee
More from Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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