Patents by Inventor Christopher Harry Austen

Christopher Harry Austen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7844866
    Abstract: The exemplary embodiments provide a computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer-usable program code for reporting operating system faults on an Intelligent Platform Management Interface compliant server. In response to receiving an alert for an operating system fault, the alert for the operating system fault is converted into an IPMI event. The IPMI event is stored in an internal event log. An IPMI system event record is created for the IPMI event. The IPMI event is sent to a host management controller in order to enable monitoring of the operating system fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Garry Michael Kump, Kanisha Patel, Christopher T. Schnorr
  • Publication number: 20090089624
    Abstract: The exemplary embodiments provide a computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer-usable program code for reporting operating system faults on an Intelligent Platform Management Interface compliant server. In response to receiving an alert for an operating system fault, the alert for the operating system fault is converted into an IPMI event. The IPMI event is stored in an internal event log. An IPMI system event record is created for the IPMI event. The IPMI event is sent to a host management controller in order to enable monitoring of the operating system fault.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Garry Michael Kump, Kanisha Patel, Christopher T. Schnorr
  • Patent number: 7055071
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing error logs. A request is received from a partition within a plurality of partitions in the logical partitioned data processing system to access error information. A determination is made as to whether the error information is located in a buffer. The error information is retrieved from a non-volatile memory in response to the error information being absent in the buffer. The retrieved error information retrieved from the non-volatile memory is stored in the buffer. This error information is stored in the buffer only for a selected period of time. After that period of time, this error information is deleted or removed from the buffer. In this manner, outdated error information is not returned to the plurality of partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Alongkorn Kitamorn, Douglas Wayne Oliver, David R. Willoughby
  • Patent number: 6971002
    Abstract: A method, system, and product within a logically partitioned computer system including multiple, different partitions are disclosed for booting a partition using one of multiple, different firmware images. These multiple, different firmware images are stored in the computer system. One of the partitions is rebooted utilizing one of the firmware images without rebooting other ones of the partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Van Hoa Lee, David R. Willoughby
  • Patent number: 6915460
    Abstract: A service processor surveillance mechanism is provided for multiple partitions. Each partition stores its own official response. The surveillance routine checks to see if it has enough time for the service processor to respond to its previous probe. If sufficient time has not passed, the surveillance code returns to the calling function with the partition's official response. If sufficient time has passed, the surveillance code reads the surveillance byte in nonvolatile random access memory. The surveillance code then determines the current state of the service processor and determines whether the official response needs to be updated. If the surveillance code updates the official response, the partition's official response is set to the updated official response and returns the partition's official response. If the official response has not changed since the last time the partition probed the surveillance byte, then the surveillance code returns a neutral value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Douglas Wayne Oliver
  • Patent number: 6845470
    Abstract: A method and system for identifying a source of a corrupt data in a memory in a multiprocessor computer system. When a computer program stores corrupt data causing a program failure or a system crash, the corrupt data and its address are identified. The multiprocessor computer system is shut down, and the corrupt data is cleared from the memory. Before fully re-booting the multiprocessor computer system, a processor is selected from the multiprocessor computer system to load and run monitor code designed to monitor the location where the corrupt data was stored. The program that previously stored the corrupt data is restarted, and the selected processor detects any re-storage of the corrupt data in the same memory address. All processors in the computer system are then immediately suspended. The registers of all processors suspected of storing corrupt data are inspected to determine the source of the corrupt data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Van Hoa Lee, Milton Devon Miller, II, Douglas Wayne Oliver
  • Patent number: 6842870
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer implemented instructions for reporting errors to a plurality of partitions. Responsive to detecting an error log, an error type for the error log is identified. If the error log is identified as a regional error log, an identification of each partition to receive the error log is made. Then, the error log is reported to each partition that has been identified to receive the error log.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Douglas Wayne Oliver, Paul Henry Prahl, III, Mark Walz Wenning
  • Patent number: 6834363
    Abstract: A method for prioritizing bus errors for a computing system is provided. A subsystem test is executed on a first subsystem from a plurality of subsystems on a bus system, wherein the subsystem test on the bus system is specific to the first bus subsystem. An output is received in response to executing the subsystem test. In response to the output indicating an error on the first subsystem, a severity level is assessed based on the error. For all subsystems from the plurality of subsystems on the bus system, a subsystem test is executed on each remaining subsystem, wherein each subsystem test on the bus system is specific to each remaining subsystem. An output is received in response to executing each subsystem test. In response to the output indicating an error on any of the remaining subsystems, a severity level is assessed based on the error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Michael Anthony Perez, Mark Walz Wenning
  • Publication number: 20040139368
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing error logs. A request is received from a partition within a plurality of partitions in the logical partitioned data processing system to access error information. A determination is made as to whether the error information is located in a buffer. The error information is retrieved from a non-volatile memory in response to the error information being absent in the buffer. The retrieved error information retrieved from the non-volatile memory is stored in the buffer. This error information is stored in the buffer only for a selected period of time. After that period of time, this error information is deleted or removed from the buffer. In this manner, outdated error information is not returned to the plurality of partitions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Alongkorn Kitamorn, Douglas Wayne Oliver, David R. Willoughby
  • Patent number: 6701464
    Abstract: A method system for reporting error logs in a logical partition computer system is disclosed. Error logs reported for the computer system are stored in an error log partition. An event scan routine is instantiated for each of the logical partitions that make requests to read new error logs in the error log partition. In response to receiving a request from each of the event scan routines, the new error log is retrieved for the respective event scan routines. Once it has been determined that each of the logical partitions have read the new error log, the new error log is marked as ready for deletion in the error log partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Douglas Wayne Oliver, Mark Walz Wenning
  • Publication number: 20030163758
    Abstract: A method and system for identifying a source of a corrupt data in a memory in a multiprocessor computer system. When a computer program stores corrupt data causing a program failure or a system crash, the corrupt data and its address are identified. The multiprocessor computer system is shut down, and the corrupt data is cleared from the memory. Before fully re-booting the multiprocessor computer system, a processor is selected from the multiprocessor computer system to load and run monitor code designed to monitor the location where the corrupt data was stored. The program that previously stored the corrupt data is restarted, and the selected processor detects any re-storage of the corrupt data in the same memory address. All processors in the computer system are then immediately suspended. The registers of all processors suspected of storing corrupt data are inspected to determine the source of the corrupt data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2002
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Van Hoa Lee, Milton Devon Miller, Douglas Wayne Oliver
  • Publication number: 20030056155
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer implemented instructions for reporting errors to a plurality of partitions. Responsive to detecting an error log, an error type for the error log is identified. If the error log is identified as a regional error log, an identification of each partition to receive the error log is made. Then, the error log is reported to each partition that has been identified to receive the error log.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2001
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Douglas Wayne Oliver, Paul Henry Prahl, Mark Walz Wenning
  • Publication number: 20030033512
    Abstract: A method, system, and product within a logically partitioned computer system including multiple, different partitions are disclosed for booting a partition using one of multiple, different firmware images. These multiple, different firmware images are stored in the computer system. One of the partitions is rebooted utilizing one of the firmware images without rebooting other ones of the partitions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2001
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Van Hoa Lee, David R. Willoughby
  • Publication number: 20020199138
    Abstract: A service processor surveillance mechanism is provided for multiple partitions. Each partition stores its own official response. The surveillance routine checks to see if it has enough time for the service processor to respond to its previous probe. If sufficient time has not passed, the surveillance code returns to the calling function with the partition's official response. If sufficient time has passed, the surveillance code reads the surveillance byte in nonvolatile random access memory. The surveillance code then determines the current state of the service processor and determines whether the official response needs to be updated. If the surveillance code updates the official response, the partition's official response is set to the updated official response and returns the partition's official response. If the official response has not changed since the last time the partition probed the surveillance byte, then the surveillance code returns a neutral value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2001
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Douglas Wayne Oliver
  • Publication number: 20020178404
    Abstract: A method for prioritizing bus errors for a computing system is provided. A subsystem test is executed on a first subsystem from a plurality of subsystems on a bus system, wherein the subsystem test on the bus system is specific to the first bus subsystem. An output is received in response to executing the subsystem test. In response to the output indicating an error on the first subsystem, a severity level is assessed based on the error. For all subsystems from the plurality of subsystems on the bus system, a subsystem test is executed on each remaining subsystem, wherein each subsystem test on the bus system is specific to each remaining subsystem. An output is received in response to executing each subsystem test. In response to the output indicating an error on any of the remaining subsystems, a severity level is assessed based on the error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Publication date: November 28, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Michael Anthony Perez, Mark Walz Wenning
  • Publication number: 20020124215
    Abstract: A method system for reporting error logs in a logical partition computer system is disclosed. Error logs reported for the computer system are stored in an error log partition. An event scan routine is instantiated for each of the logical partitions that make requests to read new error logs in the error log partition. In response to receiving a request from each of the event scan routines, the new error log is retrieved for the respective event scan routines. Once it has been determined that each of the logical partitions have read the new error log, the new error log is marked as ready for deletion in the error log partition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2001
    Publication date: September 5, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Harry Austen, Douglas Wayne Oliver, Mark Walz Wenning