Patents Assigned to Rackspace US, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20140280433
    Abstract: A cloud computing system including an image server is disclosed. The image server comprises an endpoint communicatively coupled to a data store, a peer-to-peer endpoint, and a peer-to-peer client. The peer-to-peer endpoint is configured to receive a request for a portion of a data file from a requestor. The image server is configured to determine a location of the portion of the data file within the data store and retrieve the portion of the data file from the data store in response to the request for the portion, and the peer-to-peer client is configured to provide the retrieved portion of the data file to the requestor via the peer-to-peer endpoint. In some examples, the requested data file includes a system image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Antony Messerli, Paul Voccio
  • Publication number: 20140280805
    Abstract: An example system for managing an application deployment in a cloud computing environment includes a configuration engine to receive an architectural declarative description of an application, a set of environments in which to deploy an instance of the application, and a user input that is specific to the instance. The architectural declarative description includes a declarative multi-node description for an application deployment. The configuration engine determines a desired state of the application deployment in accordance with the architectural declarative description. The example system includes a plurality of target deployment engines and a target selection engine to select a set of target deployment engines based on an environment. The set of target deployment engines communicates with one or more service providers to determine the available resources in the environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventor: Ziad Sawalha
  • Publication number: 20140280852
    Abstract: A REST-based event distribution system is described, with particular applicability to the distribution of distributed filesystem notifications over a high-latency best-effort network such as the Internet. In one embodiment, event channels are mapped to URL spaces and created and distributed through the use of HTTP POST and GET requests. The system is optimized for short polling by clients; an event history is maintained to buffer messages and maintain the idempotence of requests. In another embodiment, the events are registered as a SIP event pack allowing for the distribution of filesystem events.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Rackspace US, Inc .
    Inventor: Kurt Evan Griffiths
  • Publication number: 20140280738
    Abstract: An example system for bridging between networks includes a first server that launches a first virtual machine in a first network. The system includes a first network controller that is coupled to the first network and sends a request for a bridge between the first network and a second network. The system also includes a second server that launches a second virtual machine in the second network. The system further includes a second network controller that is coupled to the second network, receives the request for the bridge, and in response to the request, creates the bridge between the first and second networks. The bridge enables the first virtual machine in the first network to communicate with the second virtual machine in the second network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Kölker, Matthew Charles Dietz
  • Publication number: 20140279862
    Abstract: A system for providing network control and resource management includes a database storing a plurality of network resources. The system also includes a network controller that receives a request for a network resource. The network controller may include an resource manager that determines, based on the request, a set of available network resources from the plurality of network resources. The resource manager may provide the set of available network resources to a client and update the database based on providing the set of available network resources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Charles Dietz, Jason Kölker, Trey Eugene Morris
  • Publication number: 20140268528
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a rack adapter apparatus. The rack adapter apparatus includes a shelf configured to be mounted in a rack frame having a front opening of a first width and a rear opening of the first width, the shelf being further configured to support a computing device thereon, the computing device having a second width less than then first width and having a back-side port disposed thereon, the back-side port facing the rear opening when the computing device is supported by the shelf and the shelf is mounted in the rack frame. The rack adapter apparatus also includes a pass-through jack having a front port facing the front opening and a rear port facing the rear opening, the front and rear ports being electrically coupled, and the rear port being configured to be communicatively coupled to the back-side port of the computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason Mick
  • Publication number: 20140277819
    Abstract: A rack management method and system is disclosed. The method includes detecting the presence of a computing device releasably mounted in a frame, the detecting based on an electrical connection established between a configuration bar disposed in a rear portion of the frame and the computing device, and determining a physical location of the computing device within the frame based on the electrical connection. The method also includes retrieving management information about the computing device from a profile storage disposed within the computing device via the electrical connection and storing the management information in a management table, the management table associating the computing device with the physical location within the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Mick, Dale Lee Bracey
  • Publication number: 20140277784
    Abstract: A rack management method and system is disclosed. The method includes detecting the presence of a computing device releasably mounted in a frame, the detecting based on an electrical connection established between a configuration bar disposed in a rear portion of the frame and the computing device, and determining a physical location of the computing device within the frame based on the electrical connection. The method also includes retrieving management information about the computing device from a profile storage disposed within the computing device via the electrical connection and storing the management information in a management table, the management table associating the computing device with the physical location within the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Mick, Dale Lee Bracey
  • Patent number: 8839249
    Abstract: Embodiments of an event-driven process management and automation system are disclosed. Such system may be particularly appropriate for a multi-tenant environment so that a single process handling flow may be generated for a given process. Because in a multi-tenant environment many different entities may desire to customize or optimize this process handling flow for their particular usage, modifications to the process flow may be easily handled by a non-technical user to realize process modification without incurring additional development costs. Using a multi-level hierarchical inheritance model in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a process may be standardized, with focused customization available on a macro and/or micro level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: David Mills, Christopher Brown, Clayton Scott
  • Patent number: 8832818
    Abstract: A multi-tenant data center environment includes a dedicated domain having at least one dedicated server associated with a client and a cloud domain having at least one cloud server associated with the client. The cloud server may have a public interface to a public network and a private interface to a private network. In turn, a network device is coupled between the dedicated domain and the public network, and is further coupled to the cloud server via the private network. A controller of the data center may be used to determine presence of the cloud server, and configure the network device to allow certain traffic to pass directly to the dedicated domain, while preventing other traffic from this direct path, based on access controls of the network device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Kuehl
  • Patent number: 8812911
    Abstract: A system includes a platform server with a software platform on which platform targeting applications (PTAs) execute. An update server may be coupled to the platform server to provide an update to this software platform. Responsive to notification to independent software vendors of the PTAs, results of regression testing performed on at least some of the PTAs can be received in a test server, which may enable commitment of the update based on at least some of the results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventor: James Lee Plamondon
  • Publication number: 20140222949
    Abstract: Several different embodiments of a massively scalable object storage system are described. The object storage system is particularly useful for storage in a cloud computing installation whereby shared servers provide resources, software, and data to computers and other devices on demand. In several embodiments, the object storage system includes a ring implementation used to associate object storage commands with particular physical servers such that certain guarantees of consistency, availability, and performance can be met. In other embodiments, the object storage system includes a synchronization protocol used to order operations across a distributed system. In a third set of embodiments, the object storage system includes a metadata management system. In a fourth set of embodiments, the object storage system uses a structured information synchronization system. Features from each set of embodiments can be used to improve the performance and scalability of a cloud computing object storage system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Barton, Will Reese, John A. Dickinson, Jay B. Payne, Charles B. Thier, Gregory Holt
  • Patent number: 8800011
    Abstract: In one embodiment a method for receiving a request from a user to update a pointer record of a domain name system (DNS) in a DNS service includes issuing a query from the DNS service to a resource of a first service of the data center from the DNS service using a uniform resource indicator (URI) of the request corresponding to the resource, receiving a list of Internet protocol (IP) addresses in the DNS service from the first service, determining whether an IP address received in the request corresponds to one of the IP addresses of the list, and if so, enabling the user to update the pointer record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith Bray, Daniel Morris, Randall Burt
  • Publication number: 20140215444
    Abstract: A system and methods are provided for function-specific tracing of a program. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a trace profile identifying one or more functions of a target program, wherein the trace profile identifies one or more functions to trace and depth of tracing for each function to be traced, loading the trace profile and the target program, identifying traced functions in the target program based on the trace profile, patching the target program to call a trace parameter for one or more functions, wherein traced functions are declared at runtime, and observing function calls for traced functions of the application. In this regard, individual functions are traced and debugged on a function-by-function basis without modifying the code or pre-arranging functions so they are traceable. As such, the scope of tracing may be dynamically limited to yield only information that is desired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Voccio, Matthew Charles Dietz
  • Publication number: 20140215443
    Abstract: A system and methods are provided for distributed tracing in a distributed application. In one embodiment, a method includes observing a plurality of messages sent and received among components of the distributed application, generating a probabilistic model of a call flow from observed messages of the distributed system, and constructing a call flow graph based on the probabilistic model for the distributed application. Distributed tracing may include observing messages by performing the subscription-based observation techniques and operations to receive, message traces describing messages being communicated among components of the distributed application. In this regard, the tracing service may merge message traces from different instrumentation points with message traces obtained by observing message queues to generate a probabilistic model and call flow graph.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Voccio, Matthew Charles Dietz
  • Publication number: 20140211665
    Abstract: A system and methods are provided for generating a billing feed for a distributed network system and reselling resources of the distributed network system. In one embodiment, a method includes observing a plurality of messages sent and received among components of the distributed network system, generating a call flow graph based on the plurality of messages of the distributed network system, and outputting a billing feed for the distributed network based on the call flow graph, to provide a billing feed including one or more billable events. billable events may be are based on one or more of received requests, underlying resource usage, time of usage, scope of usage. In this regard, the system may provide for one or more models of reselling resources of a distributed network system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Voccio, Matthew Charles Dietz
  • Patent number: 8775375
    Abstract: An improved scalable object storage system includes methods and systems allowing multiple clusters to work together. In one embodiment, there is a multi-cluster synchronization system between two or more clusters. The multi-cluster synchronization system uses variable compression to optimize the transfer of information between the clusters. Compression is used not only to minimize the total number of bytes sent between the two clusters, but to dynamically vary the size of the objects sent across the wire to optimize for higher throughput after considering packet loss, TCP windows, and block sizes. This includes both the packaging of multiple small files together into one larger compressed file, saving on TCP and header overhead, but also the chunking of large files into multiple smaller files that are less likely to have difficulties due to intermittent network congestion or errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Lee Holt, Clay Gerrard, David Patrick Goetz, Michael Barton
  • Patent number: 8751639
    Abstract: A REST-based event distribution system is described, with particular applicability to the distribution of distributed filesystem notifications over a high-latency best-effort network such as the Internet. In one embodiment, event channels are mapped to URL spaces and created and distributed through the use of HTTP POST and GET requests. The system is optimized for short polling by clients; an event history is maintained to buffer messages and maintain the idempotence of requests. In another embodiment, the events are registered as a SIP event pack allowing for the distribution of filesystem events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventor: Kurt Evan Griffiths
  • Patent number: 8724322
    Abstract: A cooling system for computer systems is disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes providing a flow of liquid coolant through conduits positioned within a server system, and spraying the liquid coolant via at least one outlet mechanism of each of the conduits. The outlet mechanisms are adapted to be placed in close proximity to a corresponding target component of one of the servers, to cool the target component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventor: Jordan Rinke
  • Patent number: 8712975
    Abstract: Several different embodiments of a massively scalable object storage system are described. The object storage system is particularly useful for storage in a cloud computing installation whereby shared servers provide resources, software, and data to computers and other devices on demand. In several embodiments, the object storage system includes a ring implementation used to associate object storage commands with particular physical servers such that certain guarantees of consistency, availability, and performance can be met. In other embodiments, the object storage system includes a synchronization protocol used to order operations across a distributed system. In a third set of embodiments, the object storage system includes a metadata management system. In a fourth set of embodiments, the object storage system uses a structured information synchronization system. Features from each set of embodiments can be used to improve the performance and scalability of a cloud computing object storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Barton, Will Reese, John A. Dickinson, Jay B. Payne, Charles B. Thier, Gregory Holt