Patents by Inventor Roger P. Wattenhofer

Roger P. Wattenhofer 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: 8112452
    Abstract: A serverless distributed file system manages the storage of files and directories using one or more directory groups. The directories may be managed using Byzantine-fault-tolerant groups, whereas files are managed without using Byzantine-fault-tolerant groups. Additionally, the file system may employ a hierarchical namespace to store files. Furthermore, the directory group may employ a plurality of locks to control access to objects (e.g., files and directories) in each directory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Atul Adya, Gerald Cermak, John R. Douceur, Marvin M. Theimer, Roger P. Wattenhofer, William J. Bolosky
  • Publication number: 20090132552
    Abstract: A serverless distributed file system manages the storage of files and directories using one or more directory groups. The directories may be managed using Byzantine-fault-tolerant groups, whereas files are managed without using Byzantine-fault-tolerant groups. Additionally, the file system may employ a hierarchical namespace to store files. Furthermore, the directory group may employ a plurality of locks to control access to objects (e.g., files and directories) in each directory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Atul Adya, William J. Bolosky, Gerald Cermak, John R. Douceur, Marvin M. Theimer, Roger P. Wattenhofer
  • Patent number: 7505970
    Abstract: A serverless distributed file system manages the storage of files and directories using one or more directory groups. The directories may be managed using Byzantine-fault-tolerant groups, whereas files are managed without using Byzantine-fault-tolerant groups. Additionally, the file system may employ a hierarchical namespace to store files. Furthermore, the directory group may employ a plurality of locks to control access to objects (e.g., files and directories) in each directory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Atul Adya, William J. Bolosky, Gerald Cermak, John R. Douceur, Marvin M. Theimer, Roger P. Wattenhofer
  • Patent number: 7299250
    Abstract: File availability in distributed file storage systems is improved by initially placing replicas of a file or other object on different ones of multiple devices using a first process. Subsequently, the placement of the replicas is improved by evaluating whether any replicas of a first file can be swapped with any replicas of a second file without a reduction in the combined file availability of the first and second files, and swapping a replica of the first file with a replica of the second file if the swapping results in no reduction in the combined file availability of the first and second files.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John R. Douceur, Roger P. Wattenhofer
  • Patent number: 7240060
    Abstract: A serverless distributed file system manages the storage of files and directories using one or more directory groups. The directories may be managed using Byzantine-fault-tolerant groups, whereas files are managed without using Byzantine-fault-tolerant groups. Additionally, the file system may employ a hierarchical namespace to store files. Furthermore, the directory group may employ a plurality of locks to control access to objects (e.g., files and directories) in each directory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Atul Adya, William J. Bolosky, Gerald Cermak, John R. Douceur, Marvin M. Theimer, Roger P. Wattenhofer
  • Patent number: 7200618
    Abstract: File availability in distributed file storage systems is improved by initially placing replicas of a file or other object on different ones of multiple devices using a first process. Subsequently, the placement of the replicas is improved by evaluating whether any replicas of a first file can be swapped with any replicas of a second file without a reduction in the combined file availability of the first and second files, and swapping a replica of the first file with a replica of the second file if the swapping results in no reduction in the combined file availability of the first and second files.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John R. Douceur, Roger P. Wattenhofer
  • Patent number: 7062490
    Abstract: A serverless distributed file system manages the storage of files and directories using one or more directory groups. The directories may be managed using Byzantine-fault-tolerant groups, whereas files are managed without using Byzantine-fault-tolerant groups. Additionally, the file system may employ a hierarchical namespace to store files. Furthermore, the directory group may employ a plurality of locks to control access to objects (e.g., files and directories) in each directory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Atul Adya, William J. Bolosky, Gerald Cermak, John R. Douceur, Marvin M. Theimer, Roger P. Wattenhofer
  • Patent number: 7020665
    Abstract: File availability in distributed file storage systems is improved by initially placing replicas of a file or other object on different ones of multiple devices using a first process. Subsequently, the placement of the replicas is improved by evaluating whether any replicas of a first file can be swapped with any replicas of a second file without a reduction in the combined file availability of the first and second files, and swapping a replica of the first file with a replica of the second file if the swapping results in no reduction in the combined file availability of the first and second files.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John R. Douceur, Roger P. Wattenhofer
  • Patent number: 6990080
    Abstract: The following description provides direction-based topology control to a distributed wireless multi-hop network. The network includes multiple potentially mobile nodes. Each node sends a discovery message in all directions. Each node discovers a set of neighboring nodes using a set of incoming signals from the neighboring nodes that are responsive to the discovery message. Responsive to receiving the incoming messages, each node makes a local decision about a substantially optimal transmission power with which to communicate with at least a portion of the discovered neighboring nodes. The decisions are based on the incoming signals and are also independent of positional information (e.g., latitude and longitude). Each node in the network maintains communications with the decided portion of nodes to provide connectivity between each of the nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Paramvir Bahl, Li Li, Yi-Min Wang, Roger P. Wattenhofer
  • Publication number: 20030172089
    Abstract: File availability in distributed file storage systems is improved by initially placing replicas of a file or other object on different ones of multiple devices using a first process. Subsequently, the placement of the replicas is improved by evaluating whether any replicas of a first file can be swapped with any replicas of a second file without a reduction in the combined file availability of the first and second files, and swapping a replica of the first file with a replica of the second file if the swapping results in no reduction in the combined file availability of the first and second files.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Inventors: John R. Douceur, Roger P. Wattenhofer
  • Publication number: 20020044533
    Abstract: The following description provides direction-based topology control to a distributed wireless multi-hop network. The network includes multiple potentially mobile nodes. Each node sends a discovery message in all directions. Each node discovers a set of neighboring nodes using a set of incoming signals from the neighboring nodes that are responsive to the discovery message. Responsive to receiving the incoming messages, each node makes a local decision about a substantially optimal transmission power with which to communicate with at least a portion of the discovered neighboring nodes. The decisions are based on the incoming signals and are also independent of positional information (e.g., latitude and longitude). Each node in the network maintains communications with the decided portion of nodes to provide connectivity between each of the nodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2001
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Inventors: Paramvir Bahl, Li Li, Yi-Min Wang, Roger P. Wattenhofer