Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Marc A. Ehrlich
  • Patent number: 6775789
    Abstract: Timing facilities are used to provide sequence values that are unique across operating system images. A sequence value includes various components, including timing information and selected information. The selected information is used to provide a sequence value that is unique across a plurality of operating system images. Additionally, the sequence value can include, for instance, a processor identifier component and a placeholder component. The placeholder component ensures that the sequence value is an increasing value, even when the physical clock used to provide the timing information wraps back to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David Arlen Elko, Jeffrey M. Nick, Ronald M. Smith, Sr., Charles F. Webb
  • Patent number: 6766437
    Abstract: Instruction and data registers of processors of a multiprocessing computing system are joined and forked to allow processing in multiple modes of operation. When joined, the registers of the processors each contain a same piece of information, hence generating single instruction and data streams. In contrast, when forked, the registers of the processors contain different pieces of information, thereby generating multiple instruction and data streams. Additionally, information may be stored into partitions of memory and fetched and broadcast by processors local to the particular memory sections thereby resulting in a faster cycle time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony S. Coscarella, Joseph L. Temple, III
  • Patent number: 6704753
    Abstract: A method of storage management in document databases wherein residence times are assigned to individual documents on entry to the database. Two different residence times are preferably assigned to the document. The first residence time (residual time) is defined as the time span between storage of the document in the document management system (DMS) and the time at which the document may be relocated for the first time. The second residence time (keep time) is defined as the time span between recall of the relocated document to the DMS and time at which it may be relocated again. A further feature of the invention subsists in the fact that the second residence time is only stipulated if the document is recalled to the first storage means following relocation. Assignment of the residual and keep time is effected on entry of the document into the DMS. Residence times can be assigned by the user or also by a program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Groetzner, Udo Guenthner, Heinrich Streckeisen
  • Patent number: 6687766
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for fibre channel control units to execute commands locally when a channel sends a repeat execute indicator in conjunction with certain other field settings, wherein the control unit will repeat and chain control words until certain predefined conditions occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel F. Casper, Robert J. Dugan, John R. Flanagan, Catherine C. Huang, Louis W. Ricci
  • Patent number: 6681238
    Abstract: This invention describes a method and system for virtualizing an internal capability of a computing system; specifically, the invention describes a method and system for establishing a virtual machine containing a programmed hardware-machine function that is normally executed natively as proprietary internal code in its own hardware environment, a Central Electronics Complex (CEC) or logical partition of a CEC. The code resides in a separate hardware domain of the CEC called the Service Element (SE). The IBM VM/ESA (VM) operating system requests the SE to transfer a copy of the code into a virtual machine that VM has initialized, where the machine function is provided (in the current embodiment) as an isolated and encapsulated part of a virtual Parallel Sysplex system comprising multiple virtual CECs in a testing environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, Jr., Eugene P. Hefferon, Casper A. Scalzi, Richard P. Tarcza
  • Patent number: 6675149
    Abstract: A method, system and program product for matching the an information technology enhancement project with the resource and priorities of an enterprise is presented herein. A set of objectives for the information technology resources is defined and prioritized as to their importance to the enterprise. The information technology resources for the enterprise are partitioned into segments along a predetermined common property such as geography or skill-base. Each segment is compared to a set of desire information technology characteristics and a score for each characteristic is assigned to each segment and summed providing a total characteristic score for each segment. The total characteristic score is weighted in light of the prioritized objects by virtue of a correlation created between the objectives and the characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Ruffin, Joseph L. Temple, III, Carlos A. Ordonez, Eva L. Yan, Allen H. Preston, Timothy I. Morrison
  • Patent number: 6644974
    Abstract: A system and method for providing education that includes a database of educational material and a user interface. When prompted by a user through the user interface, the system provides a specific educational session from the database that is directed to satisfying a present business need/solution (e.g., a need for a specific legally binding written document with a customer or supplier). With the invention, the educational session produces a completed version of the legally binding written document. The user interface preferably includes a decision tree providing options for the user to select from different computerized educational sessions relating only to the present business need/solution. While the database includes educational material relating to many business needs/solutions, the decision tree limits user access to only those educational sessions relating to the present business need/solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Debra M. Adams, Dillon B. Edwards
  • Patent number: 6643763
    Abstract: Method, system and program storage device are provided for implementing a register pipe between processing engines of a multiprocessor computing system. A register pipe includes at least one first register of a first processing engine and at least one second register of a second processing engine. Data is transferred between the first processing engine and the second processing engine through the register pipe without passing through memory. In one embodiment, general purpose registers within the first processing engine and within the second processing engine are employed to implement the register pipe. A control mechanism is provided within each processing engine to dynamically enable or disable the register pipe coupling any two processing engines of the multiprocessor computer system. A technique for broadcasting to multiple register pipes and for implementing barrier synchronization using a register pipe addressed to a processing engine itself are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William J. Starke, Joseph L. Temple, III
  • Patent number: 6615281
    Abstract: Synchronization “states” of programmable length imposed on processing nodes are disclosed, the last of which contains an event requiring action by fully synchronized nodes. The nodes are shifted between the states using a shared timing source to ensure synchronization for the event. The first state is a “non-impending event” state where the nodes continue their routine processing; the second state is an “impending event state” closer to the event, and within which nodes “wait” for the event by suspending their routine processing. In the third state, immediately preceding the final, event state, any non-waiting nodes are interrupted for the impending event. The present invention therefore allows some node autonomy during the first state within which the nodes poll at their leisure, and during the second, “wait” state, but during the third, interrupt state, any nodes not yet arriving by polling are interrupted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph L. Temple, III
  • Patent number: 6609165
    Abstract: The present invention provides fibre channel networks the ability to use extended link service commands, previously confined to networks including a fabric controller, in a direct attach, point-to-point configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Giles R. Frazier
  • Patent number: 6598152
    Abstract: Enables a processor to quickly recover reliable use of a multi-cycle index used in a branch prediction mechanism for certain types of flush events occurring in the processor pipeline, whether the flush event occurs for a non-branch instruction or for a branch instruction contained in the same dispatch group. A GHV (global history vector) value is used in the generation of a multi-cycle index required for locating a prediction in a GBHT (global branch history table) for the instruction associated with the GHV value. The GHV value is captured in a BIQ (branch information queue) element representing each branch instruction selected for execution of a program. The BIQ element also captures an associated GHV count when the GHV value is captured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Balaram Sinharoy
  • Patent number: 6587833
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and program product for determining a required processing capacity to accommodate a computational workload migration from a first computer system to a second computer system is described herein. A processing benchmark for the workload on the first computer system is determined along with a scaling factor for converting the processing benchmark to the second computer system. An adjusted processing benchmark is then determined for the workload on the second computer system and is multiplied by the number of computers in the second system on which the workload is to be run to provide a total processing benchmark for workloads on the second computer system. From the total processing benchmark a mean and maximum utilization factor may be derived to determine the average and peak use of the workload during a predetermined time period. A skew factor may further be derived to represent the excess capacity required on the first system due to the imbalance of the workload across multiple computers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Ruffin, Joseph L. Temple, III
  • Patent number: 6570885
    Abstract: Defines and handles segments in messages to place pauses and interruptions within the communication of a message between transmitted segments of the message. A port cache of the destination node of each transmitted message obtains a message control block (MCB) which is used to control the reception of inbound segments within each message sent or received by the node. Each MCB stays in the cache only while its message is being communicated to the port and may be castout between segments in its message when there is no empty cache entry to receive a MCB for a current message being communicated but not having its MCB in the cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas Anthony Gregg
  • Patent number: 6557008
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for optimizing an IT environment, the method incorporating relational databases in conjunction with unique data acquisition and querying techniques providing a flexible query feedback of IT software, hardware and network parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph L. Temple, III, Luis I. Hernandez, Rachmil Jacobovits, Donald Jue, Timothy I. Morrison, Peter A. Nagel, James S. O'Higgins, Christopher D. Pratt, William D. Reeder, Michael Ruffin, Jack A. Silver, Robert E. Vik, II
  • Patent number: 6526387
    Abstract: A method, system and program product for determining the value to an enterprise of a proposed technology modification is presented herein. The information technology resources of an enterprise are partitioned into segments along any number of various lines such as business process, geography, etc. The partitioning creates one or more sets of partitioned segments. Within a given segment the resources are profiled in accordance with the information technology priorities of the enterprise and mapped against the complexity of the proposed modification to derive an opportunity score. The opportunity scores for the profiled segments are examined to determine if the partitioning has been effective and if not, the process is repeated. Once an effective partitioning has been effected the opportunity scores of the segments indicate a measure of the respective value of the proposed modification within each segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Ruffin, Joseph L. Temple, III, Kristin R. Jayaram, Timothy I. Morrison, Allen H. Preston
  • Patent number: 6499066
    Abstract: The present invention provides fiber channel networks the ability to use extended link service commands to convey implementation dependent information between ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Giles R. Frazier
  • Patent number: 6490689
    Abstract: A physical clock is expanded to enhance its precision. Existing instructions are capable of using the enhanced physical clock. Execution of an instruction begins, which places a value of the expanded physical clock in a physical clock field of a clock representation. The physical clock field is, however, unable to accommodate the value provided by the expanded physical clock. Thus, that value encroaches upon another predefined field of the clock representation. Completion of the instruction is therefore delayed such that the value provided by the expanded physical clock can be accommodated in the clock representation and a correct value for the another predefined field can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David Arlen Elko, Jeffrey M. Nick, Ronald M. Smith, Sr., Charles F. Webb
  • Patent number: 6487580
    Abstract: A management facility for managing concurrently executable computer processes. The management facility includes a registration mechanism, which enables a plurality of interdependent processes to be considered a part of a topology of logically dependent execution groups, and a termination synchronization mechanism that synchronizes the completion of termination for the processes within the topology. Termination synchronization prevents a process within the topology from completely terminating, even if it has entered normal termination, until all of the processes within the topology have normally terminated. If one of the processes within the topology has abnormally terminated, then notification of this abnormal termination can be propagated to all of the processes within the topology of logically dependent execution groups, since none of them have completely terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Roman Anthony Bobak, David Lee Meck, John Thomas Schmidt, Mythili Venkatakrishnan
  • Patent number: 6449714
    Abstract: Each of plural rows in an aligned Instruction cache (AIC) contains a plurality of aligned sectors, each sector having space for a block of sequentially-addressed instructions in an executing program. A “fetch history table” (FHT) contains FHT sets of FHT entries for specifying execution sequences of the sectors in associated AIC rows. Each FHT entry in a FHT set specifies an AIC row and a sector sequence arrangement to be outputted from that row. In this manner, each FHT entry can associate itself with any row in the AIC and is capable of specifying any output order among the sectors in its associated row. Unique fields are selected in each instruction address for locating an associated FHT set, and for associating the instruction address with an AIC sector through a unique “sector distribution table” (SDT) to locate the sector which starts with the instruction having this instruction address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Balaram Sinharoy
  • Patent number: 6330585
    Abstract: This invention relates to concept of transferring information in a program storage device and a computer program device readable by a digital processing apparatus and a program means on the program storage device and including instructions executable by the digital processing apparatus for performing method steps for transferring of information in a network computing system. The method steps include: sending packets of data consecutively to and from said main storage; transferring execution of certain channel functions to said control unit so that certain commands can be combined with said data packets in one sequence; and sending only one start data command and only one end command notification before and after a plurality of data packets is transferred respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel F. Casper, Joseph C. Elliott