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).
-
Publication number: 20100115509Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for power optimization via virtualization opportunity determination. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for power optimization via virtualization opportunity determination can be provided. The method can include monitoring power utilization in individual server hosts in a cluster and determining a set of the server hosts in the cluster demonstrating low power utilization. The method also can include selecting a subset of server hosts in the set and migrating each VM in non-selected server hosts in the set to the subset of server hosts. Finally, the method can include powering down the non-selected server hosts.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2008Publication date: May 6, 2010Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Eric R. Kern, William G. Pagan, Marc V. Stracuzza
-
Publication number: 20100083010Abstract: Power management for clusters of computers, a cluster including a configuration of computers operating in a power management domain, one or more of the computers of the cluster having a power requirement that differs from power requirements of other computers in the cluster, data processing operations on the cluster effecting a processing load on the computers in the cluster, including selecting, from a plurality of configurations of computers capable of supporting a plurality of processing loads at a plurality of power levels, a configuration of computers capable of supporting the processing load at a lowest power level, the lowest power level defined by comparison among configurations capable of supporting the processing load; and reconfiguring the cluster according to the selected configuration.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2008Publication date: April 1, 2010Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Eric R. Kern, William G. Pagan
-
Publication number: 20100067181Abstract: A computer with a fully integrated virtual keyboard projector and a display projector. The computer includes a base having a CPU, a video card and memory, a screen pivotally mounted to one side of the base, and a display projector mounted to an opposite side of the base and angled to project a computer generated image onto the screen. Further, the computer includes a keyboard projector mounted to the opposite side of the base to project a keyboard onto a surface adjacent to the opposite side of the base. Further, the computer includes another display projector mounted to the opposite side of the base and digitally synchronized with the first display projector for projecting a superimposed image.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2008Publication date: March 18, 2010Applicant: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Courtney S. Bair, Eric R. Kern
-
Patent number: 7673132Abstract: An aggregated server blade system includes a plurality of individual server blades and a management module which can be designated as a bootable device. A boot list maintained and executed in each server blade includes a management module entry in its list of bootable devices. In response to the management module entry being selected or otherwise made active as the bootable device for a particular blade, an alternative bootable-devices list maintained on the management module is referenced and the boot process proceeds according to the alternative list.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2007Date of Patent: March 2, 2010Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Simon C. Chu, Richard A. Dayan, Eric R. Kern, William J. Piazza
-
Patent number: 7657688Abstract: Method, apparatus, and computer program products for dynamically allocating lanes to a plurality of PCI Express connectors are disclosed that include identifying whether a PCI Express device is installed into each PCI Express connector, and assigning a portion of the lanes to each PCI Express connector having a PCI Express device installed into the PCI Express connector. Dynamically allocating lanes to a plurality of PCI Express connectors may also include identifying a device type for each PCI Express device installed into the plurality of PCI Express connectors. Dynamically allocating lanes to a plurality of PCI Express connectors may also include creating allocation rules that specify the allocation of lanes to the plurality of PCI Express connectors. Dynamically allocating lanes to a plurality of PCI Express connectors may also include receiving user allocation preferences that specify the allocation of lanes to the plurality of PCI Express connectors.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2008Date of Patent: February 2, 2010Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: William E. Atherton, Marcus A. Baker, Eric R. Kern
-
Publication number: 20090260047Abstract: A system and method for providing redundant video signals from a server blade in a blade center. A blade center is described that includes a capture system for capturing a video stream off a PCI-x bus in a server blade and delivering the pair of video streams to a midplane in the blade center; and a switch module that inputs the pair of video streams and generates an unroutable video signal and a routable video signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2008Publication date: October 15, 2009Inventors: Gerhard N. Buckler, Eric R. Kern, Johnny Nieves
-
Patent number: 7574534Abstract: Identifying an operating system running on a computer system. In one aspect of the invention, an enumeration pattern is collected, the enumeration pattern describing an enumeration of a device that has been performed between the device and the operating system running on a host computer system. The type of the operating system running on the host computer system is identified based on the collected enumeration pattern.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2006Date of Patent: August 11, 2009Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Joseph E. Bolan, Robert K. Christner, Simon C. Chu, Peter T. Donovan, Eric R. Kern
-
Publication number: 20090161667Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for remotely booting computing nodes in a switching domain, the switching domain capable of connecting to other switching domains through a network switch, that include: receiving, in the switch, a wakeup request packet that requests activation of one or more computing nodes in the switching domain, the wakeup request packet having a process port value specifying physical ports on the switch to which the one or more computing nodes are physically connected; identifying, by the switch, a network address for each computing node in dependence upon the physical port on the switch to which each computing node to be activated is physically connected; generating, by the switch, a wakeup packet for each computing node in dependence upon the identified network address for that computing node; and transmitting, by the switch to each computing node to be activated, the wakeup packet for that computing node.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2007Publication date: June 25, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINESS CORPORATIONInventors: Eric R. Kern, William G. Pagan, Norman C. Strole
-
Publication number: 20090157851Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2007Publication date: June 18, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Gregory W. Dake, Eric R. Kern, Andrew B. McNeill, JR., Norman C. Strole, Theodore B. Vojnovich
-
Publication number: 20090158081Abstract: Failover of blade servers in a data center including powering off a failing blade server by a system management server through a blade server management module (‘BSMM’) managing the failing blade server, the failing blade server characterized by a machine type, one or more network addresses, and one or more storage addresses, the addresses being virtual addresses; identifying, by the system management server from a pool of standby blade servers, a replacement blade server, the replacement blade server managed by a BSMM; assigning, by the system management server through the BSMM managing the replacement blade server, the one or more network addresses and the one or more storage addresses of the failing blade server to the replacement blade server, including enabling in the replacement blade server the assigned addresses; and powering on the replacement blade server by the system management server through the BSMM managing the replacement blade server.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2007Publication date: June 18, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Gregory W. Dake, Eric R. Kern, Andrew B. McNeill, JR., Martin J. Tross, Theodore B. Vojnovich, Ben-Ami Yassour
-
Publication number: 20090154980Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a design for controlling shared access of a media tray is disclosed. The design structure includes operations that include monitoring communications between a virtualized media tray and a computing device currently connected to the virtualized media tray; receiving an access request from a requesting computing device not currently connected to the virtualized media tray; determining, in dependence upon the monitored communications between the virtualized media tray and the computing device currently connected to the virtualized media tray, to switch connection of the virtualized media tray from the computing device currently connected to the virtualized media tray to the requesting computing device; and switching connection of the virtualized media tray from the computing device currently connected to the virtualized media tray to the requesting computing device.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2008Publication date: June 18, 2009Inventors: CANDICE L. COLETRANE, Eric R. Kern, Chambrea Little, Robyn A. McGlotten
-
Publication number: 20090157840Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products for controlling shared access of a media tray are disclosed that include monitoring communications between a virtualized media tray and a computing device currently connected to the virtualized media tray; receiving an access request from a requesting computing device not currently connected to the virtualized media tray; determining, in dependence upon the monitored communications between the virtualized media tray and the computing device currently connected to the virtualized media tray, to switch connection of the virtualized media tray from the computing device currently connected to the virtualized media tray to the requesting computing device; and switching connection of the virtualized media tray from the computing device currently connected to the virtualized media tray to the requesting computing device.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2007Publication date: June 18, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Candice L. Coletrane, Eric R. Kern, Chambrea L. Kittrell, Robyn A. McGlotten
-
Publication number: 20090089567Abstract: Applying firmware updates to servers in a data center, the servers including one or more active servers and a standby server, each server mapped to separate remote computer boot storage, including applying the firmware updates to the standby server; selecting an active server for firmware updating; powering off the selected active server by the system management server; remapping the standby server to the remote computer boot storage for the selected active server; rebooting the standby server from the remote computer boot storage for the selected active server, designating the standby server as an active server; remapping the selected active server to the remote computer boot storage formerly mapped to the standby server; and rebooting the selected active server from the remote boot storage formerly mapped to the standby server, designating the selected active server as a standby server.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2007Publication date: April 2, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: JAMES F. BOLAND, IV, SIMON C. CHU, GREGORY W. DAKE, ERIC R. KERN
-
Patent number: 7512830Abstract: A method and system for a failover management module for a server blade chassis. A virtual out-of-band network connects management modules in different server blade chassis. Upon a detection of a failure of the management module(s) in a first server blade chassis, a management module in a second server blade chassis takes over control of the first server blade chassis.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2004Date of Patent: March 31, 2009Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Simon C. Chu, Richard A. Dayan, Brandon J. Ellison, Eric R. Kern
-
Publication number: 20090077370Abstract: Failover of blade servers in a data center, including powering off by a system management server a failing blade server, the failing blade server characterized by a machine type, the failing blade server mapped to remote computer boot storage administered through a Storage Management Initiative—Specification (‘SMI-S’) provider; identifying, by the system management server by use of the SMI-S provider from a pool of standby blade servers, a replacement blade server; remapping by the system management server through the SMI-S provider the remote computer boot storage of the failing blade server to the replacement blade server; and powering on the replacement blade server by the system management server.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2007Publication date: March 19, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Katherine Barabash, James F. Boland, IV, Eric R. Kern, Irit Loy, William J. Vanca
-
Publication number: 20090077166Abstract: A system for obtaining location information of a server. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention cause a node to obtain correlation of a first address of at least one target server with a second address of the at least one target server based on the second address of the at least one target server and a plurality of addresses similar in type to the first address. Embodiments further retrieve the correlation from the node. As a result, a client may access the correlated location information and communicate directly with the target server.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2008Publication date: March 19, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Simon C. Chu, Richard A. Dayan, Eric R. Kern, Phuong T. Nguyen
-
Publication number: 20090049216Abstract: Method, apparatus, and computer program products for dynamically allocating lanes to a plurality of PCI Express connectors are disclosed that include identifying whether a PCI Express device is installed into each PCI Express connector, and assigning a portion of the lanes to each PCI Express connector having a PCI Express device installed into the PCI Express connector. Dynamically allocating lanes to a plurality of PCI Express connectors may also include identifying a device type for each PCI Express device installed into the plurality of PCI Express connectors. Dynamically allocating lanes to a plurality of PCI Express connectors may also include creating allocation rules that specify the allocation of lanes to the plurality of PCI Express connectors. Dynamically allocating lanes to a plurality of PCI Express connectors may also include receiving user allocation preferences that specify the allocation of lanes to the plurality of PCI Express connectors.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2008Publication date: February 19, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: William E. Atherton, Marcus A. Baker, Eric R. Kern
-
Publication number: 20090031014Abstract: An aggregated server blade system includes a plurality of individual server blades and a management module which can be designated as a bootable device. A boot list maintained and executed in each server blade includes a management module entry in its list of bootable devices. In response to the management module entry being selected or otherwise made active as the bootable device for a particular blade, an alternative bootable-devices list maintained on the management module is referenced and the boot process proceeds according to the alternative list.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2007Publication date: January 29, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Simon C. Chu, Richard A. Dayan, Eric R. Kern, William J. Piazza
-
Patent number: 7480757Abstract: A method for dynamically allocating lanes to a plurality of PCI Express connectors is disclosed that may comprise identifying whether a PCI Express device is installed into each PCI Express connector, identifying historic data traffic for each PCI device installed into the plurality of PCI Express connectors, and assigning a portion of the lanes to each PCI Express connector having a PCI Express device installed into the PCI Express connector. The method may also comprise identifying a device type for each PCI Express device installed into the plurality of PCI Express connectors. Moreover, the method may comprise creating allocation rules that specify the allocation of lanes to the plurality of PCI Express connectors. Furthermore, the method may comprise receiving user allocation preferences that specify the allocation of lanes to the plurality of PCI Express connectors.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2006Date of Patent: January 20, 2009Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: William E. Atherton, Marcus A. Baker, Eric R. Kern
-
Publication number: 20080279461Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to video scaling and compression and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for pre-distribution image scaling for screen size. In one embodiment of the invention, a compressed video delivery method can be provided. The method can include determining a display size for a target computing platform, pre-scaling video imagery to comport with the display size of the target computing platform, compressing the pre-scaled video imagery, and transmitting the compressed, pre-scaled video imagery to the target computing platform over a computer communications network.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2007Publication date: November 13, 2008Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Logan S. Gabriel, Eric R. Kern, Paul K. Scrutton, David R. Woodham, Tong Yu