Patents Examined by Jack A. Lane
  • Patent number: 7620775
    Abstract: This invention is a system and method for managing one or more data storage networks using a new architecture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew D. Waxman
  • Patent number: 7620783
    Abstract: In one embodiment taught herein, a memory module selectively uses its write data mask input as a status output on which it provides status signaling to an associated memory controller. The memory module configures its data mask input as a status output at one or more times not conflicting with write operations. Correspondingly, the memory controller configures its write data mask output as a status input at such times, for receipt of status signaling from the memory module. In one embodiment, the memory module maintains a status register related to one or more operating conditions of the module, such as temperature, and signals status information changes to the memory controller by driving the module's data mask input. In response to such signaling, the memory controller initiates a read of the module's status register to obtain updated status information, and takes appropriate action, such as by changing the module's refresh rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Barry Joe Wolford, James Edward Sullivan, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7620774
    Abstract: This invention is a system and method for managing one or more data storage networks using a new architecture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew D. Waxman
  • Patent number: 7613898
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system comprises one or more input/output (I/O) devices; an I/O memory management unit (IOMMU) coupled to receive memory requests sourced by the I/O devices and configured to provide address translation for the memory requests; and a virtual machine monitor (VMM) configured to manage one or more virtual machines on the system, wherein the VMM is configured to virtualize the IOMMU, providing one or more virtual IOMMUs for use by one or more virtual machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Haertel, Mark D. Hummel, Geoffrey S. Strongin, Andrew W. Lueck, Mitchell Alsup
  • Patent number: 7610456
    Abstract: Methods for identifying devices may include receiving by one or more memory devices, one or more of a plurality of read memory device ID commands. The one or more memory devices may respond to the received one or more of the plurality of read memory device ID commands. The response may include identification information corresponding to the one or more memory devices. The one or more of a plurality of read memory device ID commands may correspond to one or more of a plurality of supported memory devices. At least one access protocol may be utilizing for performing reading, erasing, and/or writing to the one or more memory devices, if the response identifies the one or more memory devices as one of the one or more of the plurality of supported memory devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Xiaogang Zhu, Jonathan F. Lee
  • Patent number: 7606990
    Abstract: A storage system including a snapshot volume arranged to provide each of a plurality of snapshot generations to the host as a virtual volume and to store data having an identical content in one storage area, and in that a management unit is arranged to: determine, when the host sends a request to create the original volume as a new volume of a designated generation, whether the designated generation is a generation of the copy volume or not; overwrite data in the copy volume for a block address of the designated generation indicating the snapshot volume if the generation of the copy volume is different from the designated generation; and change mapping information of the copy volume to the mapping information of the original volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ai Satoyama, Yoshiaki Eguchi, Takahiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 7606976
    Abstract: A technique for managing power consumption of a cache memory system dynamically adjusts the size of the cache memory system according to an energy level of an energy storage device. In at least one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus includes a dynamically scalable cache memory circuit including at least one cache memory circuit having an effective cache size selectable from a plurality of cache sizes. The apparatus includes a control circuit responsive to an energy level indicator of at least an approximate energy level of an energy storage device configured to provide energy to the dynamically scalable cache memory circuit. The control circuit is configured to select the effective cache size based at least in part on the energy level indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Preetham Raghuvanshi
  • Patent number: 7606988
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a dynamic memory buffer bank policy. Embodiments include a hub device for selecting a bank page policy. The hub device includes an input command stream interface and a bank page policy module. The input command stream interface detects commands from a memory controller that are directed to one or more memory devices that are connected to the hub device. The bank page policy module independently analyzes the commands to determine access patterns to the memory devices and for dynamically selecting between an open bank page policy and a closed bank page policy for the memory devices based on the analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin C. Gower, Dustin J. VanStee
  • Patent number: 7603510
    Abstract: A semiconductor storage device including a first latch circuit for latching stored data and a storage cell part including a plurality of second latch circuits that operate with inverted logic from the first latch circuit and receives the stored data from the first latch circuit to output the received data using the second latch circuit selected in accordance with a selection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Satoshi Chiba
  • Patent number: 7603526
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing dynamic memory pre-fetch. Embodiments include a hub device including an input command stream interface and an adaptive pre-fetch logical unit (APLU). The input command stream interface detects commands from a memory controller directed to one or more memory devices that are connected to the hub device. The APLU independently analyzes the commands to determine access patterns to the memory devices. The APLU also dynamically selects between enabling a pre-fetch function and disabling the pre-fetch function for the memory devices based on the results of the analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dustin J. VanStee, Kevin C. Gower
  • Patent number: 7600088
    Abstract: A storage system includes a local storage array and a remote storage array. The local storage array has a host interface configured to communicate with an external host, a local storage device coupled to the host interface, and a portal device coupled to the host interface. The remote storage array has a remote storage device. The portal device of the local storage array includes local circuitry configured to communicate with (i) the external host through the host interface of the local storage array and (ii) the remote storage device of the remote storage array through a communications pathway. The portal device is configured to behave as a local disk to the external host to enable the external host to perform data mirroring operations between the local storage device and the remote storage device through the host interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventors: Roy Clark, Robert P. Ng
  • Patent number: 7600081
    Abstract: A processing system comprises a multiport memory module having N ports, N data communication buses, and N hardware acceleration modules that communicate with a respective one of the N ports on a respective one of the N data communication buses. A first one of the N hardware acceleration modules performs a first processing task on data and transmits the data to the multiport memory module on a first one of the N data communication buses. A second one of the N hardware acceleration modules receives the data from the multiport memory module on a second one of the N data communication buses and performs a second processing task on the data. N is an integer greater than one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventor: Sehat Sutardja
  • Patent number: 7600093
    Abstract: A method for retrieving information from a storage unit, the method includes: receiving, by an input output memory management unit second-level translation information representative of a partition of a storage unit address space; receiving, by a input output memory management unit, a direct memory access request that comprises a consumer identifier and a second memory address that was first-level translated by a communication circuit translation entity; performing, by the input output memory management unit, a second-level translation of the second memory address such as to provide a third memory address, in response to the identity of the consumer; and accessing the storage unit using the third memory address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shmuel Ben-Yehuda, Orran Yaakov Krieger, Jon David Mason, James Xenidis
  • Patent number: 7600079
    Abstract: A method comprises, while a first device has ownership of a data unit, a second device issuing a request to perform a memory write of said data unit. The method further comprises a memory controller performing the memory write without changing ownership to the second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Blaine D. Gaither, Judson E. Veazey, Patrick Knebel
  • Patent number: 7596674
    Abstract: A system and method for automatically managing the storage of data in a storage service provider's (SSP's) storage system in compliance with regulatory requirements receives a request from a user for storing the user's data at the SSP. The SSP provides an interface which gathers information from the user and determines relevant regulations and data classes for the user's data. Based on the gathered information, the SSP issues a request for data management parameters corresponding to the determined regulation and data class from a data management regulation site. The SSP receives the relevant data management parameters and allocates storage space for storing the user's data in accordance with the data management parameters received from the data management regulation site. Additionally, if a regulation relevant to the user's data is changed or updated, the invention provides the user with the option of automatically migrating the user's data to the updated parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Murase
  • Patent number: 7594094
    Abstract: A move data facility is provided that enables optional specifications to be indicated to flexibly control the move operation. Data may be moved from any address space to any other address space without modifying the operating system to support such a move. A single instruction is used, for instance, to perform the move. Additional specifications may also be indicated to control the move.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Dan F. Greiner
  • Patent number: 7587571
    Abstract: An integrated circuit comprising a first terminal for exchanging signals; an evaluation unit coupled to the first terminal, the evaluation unit evaluating a signal level applied to the first terminal to determine whether or not the signal level corresponds to a predetermined signal level; and a switching unit coupled to the first terminal and to the evaluation unit, the switching unit admitting signal exchange via the first terminal if the evaluation unit does not determine the predetermined signal level, the switching unit cutting off signal exchange via the first terminal if the evaluation unit determines the predetermined signal level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Qimonda AG
    Inventors: Thomas Hein, Aaron John Nygren, Rex Kho
  • Patent number: 7587559
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining memory module power requirements in a memory system. Embodiments include a memory system with a physical memory and a memory controller. The physical memory includes a plurality of memory devices. The memory controller is in communication with the physical memory and has a logical memory for storing power usage characteristics associated with the physical memory. The power usage characteristics are generated in response to a current operating environment of the memory system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Brittain, Warren E. Maule, Karthick Rajamani, Eric E. Retter, Robert B. Tremaine
  • Patent number: 7587553
    Abstract: When associating a plurality of logical devices with one logical volume, the storage controller of the present invention improves the responsive performance thereof by determining the position for allocating the logical devices in accordance with the pattern of access made from the host. One logical volume is constituted by a plurality of logical devices. The control section computes the performance indicator (load) of each logical device in accordance with the pattern of access to the logical volume from the host. The control section computes the performance indicator of each RAID group for the case where each logical device is allocated on the basis of the performance indicator of each logical device. The control section determines a RAID group to allocate each logical device, so that the variance of the performance indicator of the RAID group becomes minimum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Aoki
  • Patent number: 7584325
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for providing a redundant array of inexpensive disks (“RAID”) storage subsystem within a processor blade enclosure. A first RAID controller blade is included and configured to fit in a processor blade enclosure. At least one processor in communication with the first RAID controller blade is included. A disk enclosure blade is provided that includes a plurality of hard disk drives. The disk enclosure blade is configured to fit in the processor blade enclosure and the hard disk drives are in communication with the first RAID controller blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William Gavin Holland, Shah Mohammed Rezaul Islam, Carl Evan Jones, Robert Akira Kubo, Gregg Steven Lucas, Andrew Boyce McNeill, Jr., Kenneth Robert Schneebeli, Theodore Brian Vojnovich