US Patent 10372371 Dynamic data relocation using cloud based ranks

An example method for dynamic data relocation using cloud based ranks comprises monitoring accesses to data stored on a plurality of local ranks of an enterprise storage system; identifying data which has not been accessed for a predetermined amount of time based on the monitored accesses; and moving the data which has not been accessed for the predetermined amount of time to one or more cloud based ranks of the enterprise storage system, wherein each cloud based rank comprises storage space on one or more cloud storage devices, the storage space on the one or more cloud storage devices mapped to corresponding virtual local addresses that are grouped as a virtual local rank.