Patents by Inventor Diane L. Knipfer

Diane L. Knipfer 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: 8510746
    Abstract: A set of data structures defines resource relationships and locations for a set of resources to form defined resource relationships and defined locations for the set of resources. A receiver obtains, from an unsecure device, replaceable unit data and characterization data for a current resource in the set of resources. A writer merges obtained replaceable unit data for a current resource with obtained characterization data for the current resource for each resource of the set of resources to form a set of data files.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Priti Bavaria, Diane L. Knipfer, Srinivas Kolluri
  • Patent number: 8423584
    Abstract: Creating a device tree is provided. It is determined whether more than one version of a resource for a data processing system exists in a resource location code array table. In response to determining that more than one version of the resource for the data processing system does exist in the resource location code array table, it is determined which version of the resource was installed in the data processing system. A presence detection procedure is performed for the resource in the data processing system. It is determined whether the resource is present in the data processing system. In response to determining that the resource is present in the data processing system, an entry is created in a device tree for the resource based on the determined version of the resource. The device tree is cached in firmware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Priti Bavaria, Andrew J. Geissler, Diane L. Knipfer
  • Patent number: 8261050
    Abstract: Selectively recollecting vital product data during an initial program load at data processing system power on is provided. In response to receiving an input to power on a data processing system, a resource location code array table is accessed within a set of selected tables for the data processing system based on machine type. The selected set of tables is located in firmware within a service processor. An entry for a resource in the resource location code array table is read to determine whether the entry includes a no recollect tag. Then, in response to determining that the entry for the resource in the resource location code array table does include a no recollect tag, vital product data for the resource is not recollected during the initial program load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Priti Bavaria, Douglas M. Boecker, Diane L. Knipfer
  • Publication number: 20090282229
    Abstract: A system for creating a device tree. First, it is determined whether more than one version of a resource for a data processing system exists in a resource location code array table. In response to determining that more than one version of the resource for the data processing system does exist in the resource location code array table, it is determined which version of the resource was installed in the data processing system. Then, a presence detection procedure is performed for the resource in the data processing system. Afterward, it is determined whether the resource is present in the data processing system. In response to determining that the resource is present in the data processing system, an entry is created in a device tree for the resource based on the determined version of the resource. Finally, the device tree is cached in firmware.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Priti Bavaria, Andrew J. Geissler, Diane L. Knipfer
  • Publication number: 20090282416
    Abstract: A system for selectively recollecting vital product data during an initial program load at data processing system power on. In response to receiving an input to power on a data processing system, a resource location code array table is accessed within a set of selected tables for the data processing system based on machine type. The selected set of tables is located in firmware within a service processor. An entry for a resource in the resource location code array table is read to determine whether the entry includes a no recollect tag. Then, in response to determining that the entry for the resource in the resource location code array table does include a no recollect tag, vital product data for the resource is not recollected during the initial program load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Priti Bavaria, Douglas M. Boecker, Diane L. Knipfer
  • Patent number: 6427198
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system, method, and program for determining the configuration of a computer system having a planar board, a planar bus, and attached planar devices. A read operation is performed on planar configuration memory indicating addresses for each planar device capable of being attached to the planar board. A read command is then sent to the address of each planar device indicated in the planar configuration memory to determine if each planar device is available. A configuration memory for each available planar device is read to determine configuration information and if there are addresses of attached devices accessible through the planar device. A read command is then sent to the address of each attached device indicated in the configuration memory of the planar device to determine configuration information for each attached device and if there are further attached devices accessible through the attached device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Neil Clair Berglund, Diane L. Knipfer, David Otto Lewis
  • Patent number: 5307483
    Abstract: A computer program synchronization instruction is employed to synchronize multiple processing devices sharing main storage through a common interface. The processors execute the synchronization instruction in turn, and all except the final processor are forced into a temporary holdoff condition and execute no further computer program instructions. The final processor to execute the synchronization program becomes a master, releasing itself and the "slave" devices simultaneously to resume executing instructions. In order to force contentions between processors, a selected delay may be entered into the instruction stream of at least one of the processing devices. The delay can be incremented each time the synchronization instruction is executed, if desired. The forced contentions permit a testing of various serialization mechanisms designed to resolve contentions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1994
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventors: Diane L. Knipfer, Lynn A. McMahon, Charlotte B. Metzger
  • Patent number: 5109512
    Abstract: In connection with an information processing network in which multiple processing devices have individual cache memories and also share a main storage memory, a process is disclosed for allocating multiple data operations or tasks for subsequent execution by the processing devices. A plurality of task dispatching elements (TDE) forming a task dispatching queue are scanned in an order of descending priority, for either a specific affinity to a selected one of the processing devices, or a general affinity to all of the processing devices. TDEs with specific affinity are assigned immediately if the selected processor is available, while TDEs of general affinity are reserved. TDEs with a specific affinity are bypassed if the selected processor is not available, or reserved if a predetermined bypass threshold has been reached. Following the primary scan a secondary scan, in an order of ascending priority, assigns any reserved tasks to the processing devices still available, without regard to processor affinity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1992
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James E. Bahr, Michael J. Corrigan, Diane L. Knipfer, Lynn A. McMahon, Charlotte B. Metzger