# 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. - **Patent:** US 9824092 - **Original title:** File storage system including tiers - **Owner:** Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC - **Granted:** 2017 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 4 - **Field:** software, consumer_electronics, semiconductors ## What it does 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. ## 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. ## 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. ## Real-world examples 1. Cloud-based storage backends 2. High-performance solid-state drive (SSD) controllers 3. Enterprise-grade database storage engines ## Why it matters 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). ## 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. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9824092/file-storage-system-including-tiers **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US9824092 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How IBM's Storage Controllers Keep Data Backups in the Right Order](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5682513/cache-queue-entry-linking-for-dasd-record-updates) — A method for storage controllers to track and sequence data updates in a specific order, ensuring that remote backups remain consistent with the original data during a system failure. - [How Virtual Machines Keep Their Data Separate on Shared Storage](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9760393/azure-machine-learning) — A method for virtual machines to store data in isolated, non-mixed logical storage units to improve security and management efficiency within a shared physical storage pool. - [How to Keep Backup Data in the Correct Order](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9811430/aws-codepipeline) — A method for ensuring that backup data arrives at a secondary storage location in the exact same sequence it was created at the primary location to prevent data corruption. - [How Operating Systems Display Cloud File Status Icons](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10402375/microsoft-365-subscription) — A system for Windows or other operating systems to show synchronization status icons for files stored in various cloud services like OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive. - [How Multi-Level Cell Memory Stores More Data in Less Space](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5903495/semiconductor-device-and-memory-system) — Toshiba's 1999 patent describes a method for storing multiple bits of data in a single memory cell by precisely controlling voltage levels during programming.