Patents by Inventor Alex Stephen Howell

Alex Stephen Howell 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).

  • Apparatus and method for storage cluster control
    Patent number: 9104323
    Abstract: Input/output (I/O) I/O target selection is achieved within a data storage system having clustered nodes of initiators, I/O targets, and grouped storage logical units. A state definition component defines access states for each combination of one or more combinations of a node, an I/O target, and a storage logical unit. A profiler component produces an access state profile for each I/O target. A rank criteria compiler compiles rank criteria as a basis for best-fit identification of I/O targets for a logical unit (LU) group. A best-fit identifier is responsive to the profile component and the rank criteria compiler and identifies a ranked best-fit order of I/O targets for an LU group. A target selector selects an I/O target for an LU group from the ranked best-fit order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric John Bartlett, Alex Stephen Howell, William James Scales
  • Apparatus and method for storage cluster control
    Publication number: 20090049210
    Abstract: Input/output (I/O) I/O target selection is achieved within a data storage system having clustered nodes of initiators, I/O targets, and grouped storage logical units. A state definition component defines access states for each combination of one or more combinations of a node, an I/O target, and a storage logical unit. A profiler component produces an access state profile for each I/O target. A rank criteria compiler compiles rank criteria as a basis for best-fit identification of I/O targets for a logical unit (LU) group. A best-fit identifier is responsive to the profile component and the rank criteria compiler and identifies a ranked best-fit order of I/O targets for an LU group. A target selector selects an I/O target for an LU group from the ranked best-fit order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Inventors: Eric John Bartlett, Alex Stephen Howell, William James Scales