Patents by Inventor Eric R. Kern

Eric R. Kern 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: 11954693
    Abstract: A method for dynamic test suite creation from event communications from customers includes receiving an event communication from a customer about an adverse event. The customer receives support for computing equipment over a management network from a support provider and the adverse event is regarding the computing equipment. The method includes analyzing the event communication using natural language processing to identify a potential cause of the adverse event and selecting one or more tests from a test library based on the identified potential cause of the adverse event. Each test of the tests is configured to test a portion of the computing equipment to lead to identification of a cause of the adverse event. The method includes automatically initiating the selected one or more tests through the management network and analyzing test results from execution of the selected one or more tests to identify a cause the adverse event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Lenovo Global Technology (United States) Inc.
    Inventors: Paola Martinez Morales, Eric R. Kern, Robert Furda, Asmaa El Andaloussi, Firoz Rangwalla, Brian E. Finley
  • Patent number: 11949523
    Abstract: A method for data storage metering and billing includes receiving, at an owner server on a periodic basis, storage utilization data. The storage utilization data includes one or more measurements of data storage usage for data storage at a customer location of a customer where the customer location is remote from the owner server. The method includes calculating, from the storage utilization data, average storage utilization data that includes an average of the storage utilization data from the customer location for a billing period. The method includes calculating billing information for the average storage utilization data for the billing period where the billing information is calculated from the average storage utilization data and a calculated storage billing rate, and providing, to the customer, access to the billing information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Lenovo Global Technology (United States) Inc.
    Inventors: Brian E. Finley, Robert Furda, Eric R. Kern, Asmaa El Andaloussi, Paola Martinez Morales
  • Publication number: 20230281637
    Abstract: A method for dynamic test suite creation from event communications from customers includes receiving an event communication from a customer about an adverse event. The customer receives support for computing equipment over a management network from a support provider and the adverse event is regarding the computing equipment. The method includes analyzing the event communication using natural language processing to identify a potential cause of the adverse event and selecting one or more tests from a test library based on the identified potential cause of the adverse event. Each test of the tests is configured to test a portion of the computing equipment to lead to identification of a cause of the adverse event. The method includes automatically initiating the selected one or more tests through the management network and analyzing test results from execution of the selected one or more tests to identify a cause the adverse event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventors: Paola Martinez Morales, Eric R. Kern, Robert Furda, Asmaa El Andaloussi, Firoz Rangwalla, Brian E. Finley
  • Publication number: 20230246856
    Abstract: A method for data storage metering and billing includes receiving, at an owner server on a periodic basis, storage utilization data. The storage utilization data includes one or more measurements of data storage usage for data storage at a customer location of a customer where the customer location is remote from the owner server. The method includes calculating, from the storage utilization data, average storage utilization data that includes an average of the storage utilization data from the customer location for a billing period. The method includes calculating billing information for the average storage utilization data for the billing period where the billing information is calculated from the average storage utilization data and a calculated storage billing rate, and providing, to the customer, access to the billing information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Brian E. Finley, Robert Furda, Eric R. Kern, Asmaa El Andaloussi, Paola Martinez Morales
  • Publication number: 20230245184
    Abstract: A method for allocation metering for virtual machines and containers includes gathering virtual structure (“VS”) allocation data for one or more virtual structures running on one or more servers at a customer location of a customer. a virtual structure includes a virtual machine (“VM”) or a container. The VS allocation data is for a virtual structure of the one or more virtual structures that include allocation of virtual resources for the virtual structure. The customer leases computing resources from an owner. The method includes periodically transmitting VS allocation data to an owner server of the owner over a management network different than a computer network servicing workloads of the virtual structures. The owner server is located off-premises from the customer location. Billing information is calculated at the owner server from the VS allocation data and includes a cost for virtual resources allocated to the virtual structures for the billing period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Eric R. Kern, Robert Furda, Brian E. Finley, Firoz Rangwalla, Paola Martinez Morales, Asmaa El Andaloussi
  • Publication number: 20230237547
    Abstract: A method for collecting metering data of on-premises computing resources without a network connection includes generating a unique signature at an off-premises server with a billing system configured to process metering data for a remote server at an on-premises site and to generate a bill based on the metering data. The off-premises server is not connected via a data network to an on-premises site with the remote server. The method includes inputting the unique signature at the on-premises site, encrypting the metering data of the remote server using the unique signature, downloading the encrypted metering data to a portable storage device at the on-premises site, and decrypting, by the off-premises server, the encrypted metering data using the unique signature. The portable storage device is disconnected from a server at the on-premises site when connected to the off-premises server. The method includes uploading the metering data using the off-premises server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Prashant Bhosale, Eric R. Kern, Robert Furda, Jeffery J. Van Heuklon
  • Patent number: 9476929
    Abstract: Propagating pin corrections through physically mating devices including bending one of a plurality of connectors of a first mating device; and mating the first mating device having the bent connector with an unmodified second mating device; wherein the mating of the first mating device and the unmodified second mating device bends a connector corresponding to the bent connector of the first mating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Keith M. Campbell, Eric R. Kern, Caroline M. Metry
  • Patent number: 9367362
    Abstract: Administration of virtual machine affinity in a cloud computing environment, where the cloud computing environment includes a plurality of virtual machines (‘VMs’), the VMs composed of modules of automated computing machinery installed upon cloud computers disposed within a data center, the cloud computing environment also including a cloud operating system and a data center administration server operably coupled to the VMs, including installing, by the cloud operating system on at least one VM, an indicator that at least two of the VMs have an affinity requirement to be installed upon separate cloud computers; communicating, by at least one of the VMs, the affinity requirement to the data center administration server; and moving by the data center administration server the VMs having the affinity requirement to separate cloud computers in the cloud computing environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Eric R. Kern
  • Patent number: 9288147
    Abstract: Dynamically balancing resources in a server farm, where the server farm includes servers organized in functional server groups with the servers in each functional server group assigned a same type of data processing task, the servers operatively coupled to data storage through a packet switching fabric, the servers operatively coupled to a system management server, and the balancing of resources includes: monitoring, by a resource balancing module of the system management server, CPU utilization in at least one of the functional server groups; identifying, by the resource balancing module in dependence upon the monitored CPU utilization, an overburdened functional server group, the overburdened functional server group's CPU utilization exceeding a CPU overburden threshold; and increasing, by the resource balancing module, CPU resources of the overburdened functional server group, including moving a transfer server from a source functional server group into the overburdened functional server group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric R. Kern, William G. Pagan
  • Patent number: 9003007
    Abstract: Administration of virtual machine affinity in a data center, where the data center includes a plurality of virtual machines (‘VMs’), each VM being a module of automated computing machinery installed upon a computer in the data center and characterized by a Universally Unique Identifier (‘UUID’), at least two of the VMs having an affinity requirement to be installed on separate computers, the data center further including a data center administration server operably coupled to the VMs, including communicating, by at least one of the VMs having an affinity requirement to the data center administration server, the UUIDs of the VMs having an affinity requirement; and moving by the data center administration server the VMs having an affinity requirement to separate computers in the data center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Eric R. Kern
  • Patent number: 8958784
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for telephone call co-processing in a mobile telephony environment. In an embodiment of the invention, a method of telephone call co-processing in a mobile telephony environment is provided. The method includes monitoring a resource state of a selected mobile telephone, such as cellular network signal strength or battery charge. The method additionally includes detecting weakness of the resource state sufficient to inhibit the maintenance of a telephone call in the selected mobile telephone. Finally, the method includes, in response to detecting weakness of the resource state, identifying a different mobile telephone proximate to the selected mobile telephone and utilizing the different mobile telephone to process a telephone call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jordan Chin, Eric R. Kern, Luke D. Remis, Sarah E. Smith, Timothy M. Wiwel
  • Patent number: 8898416
    Abstract: A computer program product and system for managing allocation of storage in a switch utilizing flow control are provided. The switch includes a plurality of ports and an internal storage divided into a plurality of storage units. The computer program product and system provide for monitoring an average number of storage units used by each of the plurality of ports over a predetermined time period, setting a threshold for the average number of storage units used by each of the plurality of ports, and allocating one or more available storage units assigned to a first port to a second port in response to storage allocation management being enabled for the second port and the average number of storage units used by the second port exceeding the threshold for the second port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William E. Atherton, Marcus A. Baker, Eric R. Kern
  • Patent number: 8868628
    Abstract: Sharing computer data among computers, including identifying by a user through a user interface on a first computer at least one object of a file system to be shared through a second computer; creating by a sharing file system generator on the first computer a sharing file system; installing by the sharing file system generator in the sharing file system the object to be shared; and exposing the object to be shared from the sharing file system to a second computer through a Universal Serial Bus (‘USB’) connection between the first computer and the second computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric R. Kern, Shane M. Lardinois
  • Publication number: 20140245595
    Abstract: Propagating pin corrections through physically mating devices including bending one of a plurality of connectors of a first mating device; and mating the first mating device having the bent connector with an unmodified second mating device; wherein the mating of the first mating device and the unmodified second mating device bends a connector corresponding to the bent connector of the first mating device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: KEITH M. CAMPBELL, ERIC R. KERN, CAROLINE M. METRY
  • Patent number: 8769812
    Abstract: Propagating pin corrections through physically mating devices including bending one of a plurality of connectors of a first mating device; and mating the first mating device having the bent connector with an unmodified second mating device; wherein the mating of the first mating device and the unmodified second mating device bends a connector corresponding to the bent connector of the first mating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Keith M. Campbell, Eric R. Kern, Caroline M. Metry
  • Publication number: 20130295929
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for telephone call co-processing in a mobile telephony environment. In an embodiment of the invention, a method of telephone call co-processing in a mobile telephony environment is provided. The method includes monitoring a resource state of a selected mobile telephone, such as cellular network signal strength or battery charge. The method additionally includes detecting weakness of the resource state sufficient to inhibit the maintenance of a telephone call in the selected mobile telephone. Finally, the method includes, in response to detecting weakness of the resource state, identifying a different mobile telephone proximate to the selected mobile telephone and utilizing the different mobile telephone to process a telephone call.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jordan Chin, Eric R. Kern, Luke D. Remis, Sarah E. Smith, Timothy M. Wiwel
  • Patent number: 8572612
    Abstract: Autonomic scaling of virtual machines in a cloud computing environment, the cloud computing environment including virtual machines (‘VMs’), the VMs installed upon cloud computers disposed within a data center, also including a cloud operating system and a data center administration server operably coupled to the VMs, including deploying, by the cloud operating system, an instance of a VM, flagging the instance of a VM for autonomic scaling; monitoring, by the cloud operating system, one or more operating characteristics of the instance of the VM; deploying, by the cloud operating system, an additional instance of the VM if a value of an operating characteristic exceeds a first predetermined threshold value, including executing a portion of the data processing workload on the additional instance of the VM; and terminating operation of the additional instance of the VM if a value of an operating characteristic declines below a second predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Eric R. Kern
  • Patent number: 8458324
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for dynamically balancing resources in a server farm, the server farm comprising a plurality of servers organized in functional server groups with the servers in each functional server group assigned a same type of data processing task, the servers operatively coupled to data storage through a packet switching fabric, the servers operatively coupled to a system management server, the methods, apparatus, and products including: monitoring, by a resource balancing module of the system management server, CPU utilization in at least one of the functional server groups; identifying, by the resource balancing module in dependence upon the monitored CPU utilization, an overburdened functional server group, the overburdened functional server group's CPU utilization exceeding a CPU overburden threshold; and increasing, by the resource balancing module, CPU resources of the overburdened functional server group, including moving a transfer server from a source functional se
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric R. Kern, William G. Pagan
  • Patent number: 8380826
    Abstract: Migrating port-specific operating parameters during blade server failover including querying, by a system management server of a data center, a switch for port-specific operating parameters of a first port, the data center comprising blade servers coupled for data communications to one another and to the system management server by a network, the system management server comprising a computer subsystem that automates server management processes in the data center, the switch comprising a data communications component of the network, the switch comprising ports, the ports comprising physical points of connection between the switch and blade servers, each port having associated port-specific operating parameters, the switch connected at the first port to a failing blade server; and assigning, by the system management server, the port-specific operating parameters to a second port in a same switch or another switch connected at the second port to a replacement blade server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory W. Dake, Eric R. Kern, Andrew B. McNeill, Jr., Norman C. Strole, Theodore B. Vojnovich
  • Patent number: 8255508
    Abstract: Administration of virtual machine affinity in a data center, where the data center includes a plurality of virtual machines (‘VMs’), each VM being a module of automated computing machinery installed upon a computer in the data center and characterized by a Universally Unique Identifier (‘UUID’), at least two of the VMs having an affinity requirement to be installed on separate computers, the data center further including a data center administration server operably coupled to the VMs, including communicating, by at least one of the VMs having an affinity requirement to the data center administration server, the UUIDs of the VMs having an affinity requirement; and moving by the data center administration server the VMs having an affinity requirement to separate computers in the data center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Eric R. Kern