Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Stephen R. Tkacs
  • Patent number: 8086801
    Abstract: A load instruction that accesses data cache may be off natural alignment, which causes a cache line crossing to complete the access. The illustrative embodiments provide a mechanism for loading data across multiple cache lines without the need for an accumulation register or collection point for partial data access from a first cache line while waiting for a second cache line to be accessed. Because the accesses to separate cache lines are concatenated within the vector rename register without the need for an accumulator, an off-alignment load instruction is completely pipeline-able and flushable with no cleanup consequences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Hrusecky, David S. Ray, Bruce J. Ronchetti, Shih-Hsiung S. Tung
  • Patent number: 8086826
    Abstract: An information handling system includes a processor with an issue unit (IU) that may perform instruction dependency tracking for successive instruction issue operations. The IU maintains non-shifting issue queue (NSIQ) and shifting issue queue (SIQ) instructions along with relative instruction to instruction dependency information. A mapper maps queue position data for instructions that dispatch to issue queue locations within the IU. The IU may test an issuing producer instruction against consumer instructions in the IU for queue position (QPOS) and register tag (RTAG) matches. A matching consumer instruction may issue in a successive manner in the case of a queue position match or in a next processor cycle in the case of a register tag match.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mary Douglass Brown, William Elton Burky, Dung Quoc Nguyen, Balaram Sinharoy
  • Patent number: 8082315
    Abstract: A remote update programming idiom accelerator identifies a remote update programming idiom in an instruction sequence of a thread running on a processing unit of a data processing system. The remote update programming idiom includes a read operation for reading data from a storage location at a remote node, at least one update operation for performing an update operation on the data to form result data, and a write operation for writing the result data to the storage location at the remote node. The remote update programming idiom accelerator transmits the remote update programming idiom to a remote node to perform an operation on data at the remote node. A remote update programming idiom accelerator at the remote node receives the remote update programming idiom and performs the update as a local operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi K. Arimilli, Satya P. Sharma, Randal C. Swanberg
  • Patent number: 8065372
    Abstract: The invention relates to a message brokering system for connecting a client in a local publish/subscribe messaging system to a remote message broker. The system comprises a message broker in said local publish/subscribe messaging system and a metabroker application means representing said remote message broker. The local message broker comprises publish/subscribe means for proxying messages between the client and the metabroker application means. The metabroker application means comprises publish/subscribe means for proxying messages between the local broker and the remote broker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew David Reynolds, Christopher Edward Sharp, Andrew James Stanford-Clark
  • Patent number: 8051228
    Abstract: An integrated processor design includes physical interface macros supporting heterogeneous electrical properties. The processor design comprises a plurality of processing cores and a plurality of physical interfaces to connect to a memory interface, a peripheral component interconnect express (PCI Express or PCIe) interface for input/output, an Ethernet interface for network communication, and/or a serial attached SCSI (SAS) interface for storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi K. Arimilli, Daniel M. Dreps, Edward J. Seminaro
  • Patent number: 8046574
    Abstract: Boot code is partitioned into a plurality of boot code partitions. Processors of a multiprocessor system are selected to be boot processors and are each provided with a boot code partition to execute in a predetermined boot code sequence. Each processor executes its boot code partition in accordance with the boot code sequence and signals to a next processor the successful and uncompromised execution of its boot code partition. If any of the processors does not signal successful completion and/or uncompromised execution of its boot code partition, the boot operation fails. The processors may be arranged, with regard to the boot operation, in a daisy chain, ring, or master/slave arrangement, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jason N. Dale, Jonathan J. DeMent, Clark M. O'Niell, Christopher J. Spandikow
  • Patent number: 8046573
    Abstract: One of the processors of a multiprocessor system is chosen to be a boot processor. The other processors of the multiprocessor system execute masking code that generates electromagnetic and/or thermal signatures that mask the electromagnetic and/or thermal signatures of the actual boot processor. Such masking may involve running the same boot code as the boot processor but without obtaining access to security information, such as the security key for accessing the system. The electromagnetic and/or thermal signatures generated by the execution of the masking code preferably approximate the electromagnetic and/or thermal signatures of the actual boot code executing on the boot processor. In this way, it is difficult to distinguish which processor is the actual boot processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jason N. Dale, Jonathan J. DeMent, Clark M. O'Niell, Steven L. Roberts
  • Patent number: 8037380
    Abstract: To ensure integrity of non-volatile flash, the controller programs the non-volatile memories with background test patterns and verifies the non-volatile memories during power on self test (POST) operation. In conjunction with verifying the non-volatile memories, the controller may routinely run diagnostics and report status to the storage controller. As part of the storage controller power up routines, the storage controller issues a POST command to the controller via an I2C register that is monitored by the storage controller. The storage controller may determine that the non-volatile flash is functional without any defects, and the controller may remove power from the non-volatile flash to extend its reliability. Periodically, in the background, the controller may run diagnostic routines to detect any failures associated with the volatile memory and the controller itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian J. Cagno, John C. Elliott, Robert A. Kubo, Gregg S. Lucas
  • Patent number: 8037293
    Abstract: Pervasive logic is provided that includes a random event generator. The random event generator randomly selects which processor of a plurality of processors in the multiprocessor system is to be a boot processor for the multiprocessor system. A corresponding configuration bit for the randomly selected processor is set to identify the processor as a boot processor. Based on the setting of the configuration bits for each processor in the plurality of processors, a selection of a security key is made. The security key is then used to decrypt the boot code for booting the multiprocessor system. Only the randomly selected boot processor is able to select the correct security key for correctly decrypting the boot code, which it then executes to bring the system to an operational state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jason N. Dale, Jonathan J. DeMent, Clark M. O'Niell, Christopher J. Spandikow
  • Patent number: 8024773
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided to automatically retrieve zoning best practices from a centralized repository and to ensure that automatically generated zones do not violate these best practices. A user selects a set of hosts and storage controllers. The user also selects a guidance policy for creating the zone, and also selects a set of validation policies that must be enforced on the zone. If the user selects a guidance policy and a validation policy combination that is incompatible, the mechanism allows the user to change either the selected guidance policy or the set of validation policies. If the user has selected consistent-zoning as a guidance policy, then the mechanism automatically selects a guidance policy that does not violate the known validation policies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Kevin Butler, Pi-Wei Chin, Scott Joseph Colbeck, Kaladhar Voruganti
  • Patent number: 8024574
    Abstract: A system for secure communication is provided. A random value generator is configured to generate a random value. A message validation code generator is coupled to the random value generator and configured to generate a message validation code based on a predetermined key, a message, and the random value. A one-time pad generator is coupled to the random number generator and configured to generate a one-time pad based on the random value and the predetermined key. And a masked message generator is coupled to the one-time pad generator and configured to generate a masked message based on the one-time pad and the message. A protected message envelope generator is coupled to the random value generator, the message validation code generator, and the masked message generator, and is configured to generate a protected message envelope based on the random value, the message validation code, and the masked message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Brokenshire, Harm Peter Hofstee, Mohammad Peyravian
  • Patent number: 8019078
    Abstract: A phone call mute notification applies an aural effect to the user's speech, other parties' speech, non-speech, or combinations thereof. The phone call mute notification does not render speech unintelligible and may provide a constant indication that the phone call mute function is active. Furthermore, the phone call mute notification does not serve as a distraction to the user, because the aural effect may be applied to speech itself rather than drawing the attention of the user away from the speech.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy R. Chavez, Jacob D. Eisinger, Jennifer E. King, William A. Reichert, III
  • Patent number: 8015379
    Abstract: A wake-and-go mechanism is configured to issue a look-ahead load command on a system bus to read a data value from a target address and perform a comparison operation to determine whether the data value at the target address indicates that an event for which a thread is waiting has occurred. In response to the comparison resulting in a determination that the event has not occurred, the wake-and-go engine populates the wake-and-go storage array with the target address. In response to the comparison resulting in a determination that the event has occurred, the wake-and-go engine issues a load command on the system bus to read the data value from the target address with data exclusivity and determines whether the wake-and-go engine obtains a lock for the target address. Responsive to obtaining the lock for the target address, the wake-and-go engine holds the lock for the thread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi K. Arimilli, Satya P. Sharma, Randal C. Swanberg
  • Patent number: 8014883
    Abstract: An audio broadcast creation client applies the concept of style sheets to audio data intended for audio broadcasts. The creation client associates style sheet elements to sections of the audio broadcast. An audio broadcast rendering engine applies the style sheet elements at runtime to alter or enhance sections of the audio broadcast. Different style sheets may be applied to the same raw audio broadcast data to alter the end result. A template is provided for generating audio broadcasts. The user may record the appropriate audio files and refer to these audio files in fields of the audio broadcast template.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Lawrence Jania, Darren Mark Shaw
  • Patent number: 8010530
    Abstract: Mechanisms for representing multiple locales in metadata models are provided. The mechanisms comprise a locale repository for storing locale information used to display multilingual metadata, and a display module for displaying the metadata model. The locale repository has locale references for representing locales, and multiple values of locale sensitive objects in a metadata model for representing locale values of the objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Charles Mike Potter
  • Patent number: 8006155
    Abstract: A general purpose computational resource is provided for performing general purpose operations of a system. A special purpose computational resource is coupled to the general purpose computational resource. The special purpose computational resource is provided for: storing test patterns, a description of integrated circuitry, and a description of hardware for testing the integrated circuitry; and executing software for simulating an operation of the described hardware's testing of the described integrated circuitry in response to the test patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew E. Fernsler, Tilman Gloekler, Sanjay Gupta, Christopher J. Spandikow, Todd Swanson
  • Patent number: 7996524
    Abstract: An embedded device communicates with another device via an external proxy server acting for the embedded device to control communication. The embedded device includes a communication device capable of communicating with the proxy server, a storage unit storing a state of communication with the other device, an updating unit, a response unit responding to the task with a result of the updating of the communication state that has been performed in accordance with the control request, and a control instruction unit transmitting, to the proxy server by means of the communication device, an instruction for changing a state of communication with the other device in the proxy server to the communication state stored in the storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Aoki, Munetaka Ohtani
  • Patent number: 7996509
    Abstract: Mechanisms for performing zoning of devices, such as Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) devices, for example, in a storage area network (SAN) in which all host systems of the SAN are automatically mapped to all of the storage systems are provided. Mechanisms for automatically mapping backend storage enclosures to appropriate storage system controllers on the SAN are provided. The zoning is automatically performed based on whether ports/phys are coupled to host systems, storage systems, and whether there are storage system controllers associated with the storage systems. Based on the automatic zoning, mapping of the storage devices of the storage systems to the host systems may be automatically performed via zone permission tables. By automating the zoning, users that do not necessarily have a detailed knowledge of the storage device communication protocol or SANs may configure the SAN even if it utilizes a complex and large architecture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Beverley Basham, Andrew Gary Hourselt, Kelly Louise McWaters, Ashaki Ayanna Ricketts, Teresa Shen Swingler
  • Patent number: 7991839
    Abstract: Mechanisms for communication between host systems using a socket connection and shared memories are provided. With such socket-based communication, a work queue in the host systems may be used to listen for incoming socket initialization requests. A first host system that wishes to establish a socket communication connection with a second host system may generate a socket initialization request work queue element in its work queue and may inform the second host system that the socket initialization request work queue element is available for processing. The second host system may then accept or deny the request. If the second host system accepts the request, it returns the second half of the socket's parameters for use by the first host system in performing socket based communications between the first and second host systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas M. Freimuth, Renato J. Recio, Claudia A. Salzberg, Steven M. Thurber, Jacobo A. Vargas
  • Patent number: D643434
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William J. Grady, IV, Jason E. Minyard, Jeffrey J. Smith