Patents by Inventor Andrew P. Davies

Andrew P. Davies 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: 10296494
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for managing a global namespace for a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in a cloud storage system; the cloud controllers ensure data consistency for the stored data, and each cloud controller caches portions of the distributed filesystem. Furthermore, a global namespace for the distributed filesystem is also split across these cloud controllers, with each cloud controller “owning” (e.g., managing write accesses for) a distinct portion of the global namespace and maintaining a set of namespace mappings that indicate which portion of the namespace is assigned to each cloud controller. During operation, an initial cloud controller receives a request from a client system to access a target file in the distributed system. This initial cloud controller uses the namespace mappings for the global namespace to determine a preferred cloud controller that will handle the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Panzura, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew P. Davis, Richard Sharpe, Allan Burrington
  • Patent number: 10287517
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing C2 and C3 hydrocarbons, comprising a) subjecting a mixed hydrocarbon stream to first hydrocracking in the presence of a first hydrocracking catalyst to produce a first hydrocracking product stream; and b) subjecting the first hydrocarbon product stream to C4 hydrocracking optimized for converting C4 hydrocarbons into C3 hydrocarbons in the presence of a C4 hydrocracking catalyst to obtain a C4 hydrocracking product stream comprising C2 and C3 hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: SABIC GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Arno Johannes Maria Oprins, Andrew P. Davies, Andrew Mark Ward, Kae Shin Wong, Luis Aramburo, Maikel Van Iersel
  • Patent number: 10287518
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing LPG and BTX, comprising a) subjecting a mixed hydrocarbon feedstream to first hydrocracking in the presence of a first hydrocracking catalyst to produce a first hydrocracking product stream; b) separating the first hydrocracking product stream to provide at least a light hydrocarbon stream comprising at least C2 and C3 hydrocarbons, a middle hydrocarbon stream comprising C4 and/or C5 hydrocarbons and a heavy hydrocarbon stream comprising at least C6+ hydrocarbons and c) subjecting the heavy hydrocarbon stream to second hydrocracking to produce a second hydrocracking product stream comprising BTX, wherein the second hydrocracking is more severe than the first hydrocracking, wherein at least part of the middle hydrocarbon stream is recycled back to the first hydrocracking in step a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: SABIC GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Arno Johannes Maria Oprins, Andrew P. Davies, Andrew Mark Ward, Kae Shin Wong, Luis Aramburo, Maikel Van Iersel
  • Patent number: 10174263
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing C2 and C3 hydrocarbons, comprising a) subjecting a mixed hydrocarbon feedstream to first hydrocracking in the presence of a first hydrocracking catalyst to produce a first hydrocracking product stream; b) separating the first hydrocracking product stream to provide a light hydrocarbon stream comprising C4? hydrocarbons and c) subjecting the light hydrocarbon stream to C4 hydrocracking in the presence of a C4 hydrocracking catalyst to obtain a C4 hydrocracking product stream comprising C2 and C3 hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: SABIC GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Arno Johannes Maria Oprins, Andrew P. Davies, Andrew Mark Ward, Kae Shin Wong, Luis Aramburo, Maikel Van Iersel
  • Patent number: 10168912
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for optimizing caching performance for a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers ensure data consistency for the stored data, and cloud controllers cache portions of the distributed filesystem on hard drives with rotating disk platters. The outside portions of these disk platters have higher I/O bandwidth than the inside portions of the disk platters. During operation, a cloud controller determines that a hot subset of cached data is likely to be accessed frequently by clients, and stores this hot subset to an outside portion of a disk platter. The cloud controller further determines that a cold subset of cache data is less likely to be accessed by clients, and stores the cold subset on an inside portion of a disk platter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Panzura, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew P. Davis, John Richard Taylor
  • Patent number: 10087378
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing LPG and BTX, comprising a) subjecting a mixed hydrocarbon stream to first hydrocracking in the presence of a first hydrocracking catalyst to produce a first hydrocracking product stream; b) separating the first hydrocracking product stream to provide at least a light hydrocarbon stream comprising at least C2 and C3 hydrocarbons, a middle hydrocarbon stream consisting of C4 and/or C5 hydrocarbons and a heavy hydrocarbon stream comprising at least C6+ hydrocarbons and c) subjecting the heavy hydrocarbon stream to second hydrocracking in the presence of a second hydrocracking catalyst to produce a second hydrocracking product stream comprising BTX, wherein the second hydrocracking is more severe than the first hydrocracking, d) wherein at least part of the middle hydrocarbon stream is subjected to C4 hydrocracking optimized for converting C4 hydrocarbons into C3 hydrocarbons in the presence of a C4 hydrocracking catalyst to produce a C4 hydrocracking product strea
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: SABIC GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Arno Johannes Maria Oprins, Andrew Mark Ward, Andrew P. Davies, Kae Shin Wong, Luis Aramburo, Maikel Van Iersel
  • Publication number: 20180025025
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for managing a global namespace for a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in a cloud storage system; the cloud controllers ensure data consistency for the stored data, and each cloud controller caches portions of the distributed filesystem. Furthermore, a global namespace for the distributed filesystem is also split across these cloud controllers, with each cloud controller “owning” (e.g., managing write accesses for) a distinct portion of the global namespace and maintaining a set of namespace mappings that indicate which portion of the namespace is assigned to each cloud controller. During operation, an initial cloud controller receives a request from a client system to access a target file in the distributed system. This initial cloud controller uses the namespace mappings for the global namespace to determine a preferred cloud controller that will handle the request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Applicant: Panzura, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew P. Davis, Richard Sharpe, Allan Burrington
  • Patent number: 9852149
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for transferring and caching a cloud file in a cloud controller. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers cache and ensure data consistency for the stored data. During operation, a cloud controller receives a client request for a data block of a target file that is stored in the distributed filesystem but not currently cached in the cloud controller. The cloud controller initiates a request to a cloud storage system for a cloud file containing the requested data block. While receiving the cloud file from the cloud storage system, the cloud controller uses a set of block metadata in the portion of the cloud file that has already been received to determine the portions of the cloud file that should be downloaded to and cached in the cloud controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Panzura, Inc.
    Inventors: John Richard Taylor, Randy Yen-pang Chou, Andrew P. Davis
  • Publication number: 20170349843
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing C2 and C3 hydrocarbons, comprising a) subjecting a mixed hydrocarbon feedstream to first hydrocracking in the presence of a first hydrocracking catalyst to produce a first hydrocracking product stream; b) separating the first hydrocracking product stream to provide a light hydrocarbon stream comprising C4? hydrocarbons and c) subjecting the light hydrocarbon stream to C4 hydrocracking in the presence of a C4 hydrocracking catalyst to obtain a C4 hydrocracking product stream comprising C2 and C3 hydrocarbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: Arno Johannes Maria Oprins, Andrew P. Davies, Andrew Mark Ward, Kae Shin Wong, Luis Aramburo, Maikel Van Iersel
  • Publication number: 20170342334
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing LPG and BTX, comprising a) subjecting a mixed hydrocarbon stream to first hydrocracking in the presence of a first hydrocracking catalyst to produce a first hydrocracking product stream; b) separating the first hydrocracking product stream to provide at least a light hydrocarbon stream comprising at least C2 and C3 hydrocarbons, a middle hydrocarbon stream consisting of C4 and/or C5 hydrocarbons and a heavy hydrocarbon stream comprising at least C6+ hydrocarbons and c) subjecting the heavy hydrocarbon stream to second hydrocracking in the presence of a second hydrocracking catalyst to produce a second hydrocracking product stream comprising BTX, wherein the second hydrocracking is more severe than the first hydrocracking, d) wherein at least part of the middle hydrocarbon stream is subjected to C4 hydrocracking optimized for converting C4 hydrocarbons into C3 hydrocarbons in the presence of a C4 hydrocracking catalyst to produce a C4 hydrocracking product strea
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Arno Johannes Maria Oprins, Andrew Mark Ward, Andrew P. Davies, Kae Shin Wong, Luis Aramburo, Maikel Van Iersel
  • Patent number: 9824095
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that uses overlay metadata in a cloud controller to generate incremental snapshots for a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems. More specifically, the cloud controllers cache and ensure data consistency for the data stored in the cloud storage systems, with each cloud controller maintaining a metadata hierarchy that reflects the current state of the distributed filesystem. During operation, a cloud controller receiving new data from a client: (1) stores the new data in the cloud controller; (2) creates a metadata entry for the new data in the locally maintained metadata hierarchy; (3) updates the overlay metadata to point to the metadata entry and the new data stored in the cloud controller; and (4) then uses the overlay metadata to generate an incremental snapshot for the new data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Panzura, Inc.
    Inventors: John Richard Taylor, Randy Yen-pang Chou, Andrew P. Davis
  • Patent number: 9811532
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for executing a cloud command for a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers ensure data consistency for the stored data, and each cloud controller caches portions of the distributed filesystem. During operation, a cloud controller presents a distributed-filesystem-specific capability to a client system as a file in the distributed filesystem (e.g., using a file abstraction). Upon receiving a request from the client system to access and/or operate upon this file, the client controller executes an associated cloud command. More specifically, the cloud controller initiates a specially-defined operation that accesses additional functionality for the distributed filesystem that exceeds the scope of individual reads and writes to a typical data file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: PANZURA, INC.
    Inventors: Brian Christopher Parkison, Andrew P. Davis, John Richard Taylor, Randy Yen-pang Chou
  • Patent number: 9804928
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for restoring an archived file in a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers ensure data consistency for the stored data, and each cloud controller caches portions of the distributed filesystem. Furthermore, cloud controllers may archive infrequently-accessed files in an archival cloud storage system. During operation, a cloud controller receives a request from a client system to access an archived file, and restores this archived file from the archival cloud storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Panzura, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew P. Davis, Brian Christopher Parkison, John Richard Taylor
  • Patent number: 9805054
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for managing a global namespace for a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in a cloud storage system; the cloud controllers ensure data consistency for the stored data, and each cloud controller caches portions of the distributed filesystem. Furthermore, a global namespace for the distributed filesystem is also split across these cloud controllers, with each cloud controller “owning” (e.g., managing write accesses for) a distinct portion of the global namespace and maintaining a set of namespace mappings that indicate which portion of the namespace is assigned to each cloud controller. During operation, an initial cloud controller receives a request from a client system to access a target file in the distributed system. This initial cloud controller uses the namespace mappings for the global namespace to determine a preferred cloud controller that will handle the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: PANZURA, INC.
    Inventors: Andrew P. Davis, Richard Sharpe, Allan Burrington
  • Patent number: 9805056
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for synchronizing file updates between two cloud controllers of a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in the cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers ensure data consistency for the stored data, and each cloud controller caches portions of the distributed filesystem. During operation, a cloud controller receives a request from a client to access a file in the distributed filesystem. The cloud controller sends a synchronization update request for the file to a second cloud controller and in response receives a synchronization update for the file from the second cloud controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: PANZURA, INC.
    Inventors: Brian Christopher Parkison, Andrew P. Davis, John Richard Taylor
  • Patent number: 9792298
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for managing metadata and data storage for a cloud controller in a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems. More specifically, the cloud controllers cache and ensure data consistency for the data stored in the cloud storage systems, with each cloud controller maintaining (e.g., storing) in a local storage device: (1) one or more metadata regions containing a metadata hierarchy that reflects the current state of the distributed filesystem; and (2) cached data for the distributed filesystem. During operation, the cloud controller receives an incremental metadata snapshot that references new data written to the distributed filesystem. The cloud controller stores updated metadata from this incremental metadata snapshot in one of the metadata regions on the local storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Panzura, Inc.
    Inventors: John Richard Taylor, Randy Yen-pang Chou, Andrew P. Davis
  • Publication number: 20170235485
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for optimizing caching performance for a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers ensure data consistency for the stored data, and cloud controllers cache portions of the distributed filesystem on hard drives with rotating disk platters. The outside portions of these disk platters have higher I/O bandwidth than the inside portions of the disk platters. During operation, a cloud controller determines that a hot subset of cached data is likely to be accessed frequently by clients, and stores this hot subset to an outside portion of a disk platter. The cloud controller further determines that a cold subset of cache data is less likely to be accessed by clients, and stores the cold subset on an inside portion of a disk platter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Applicant: Panzura, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew P. Davis, John Richard Taylor
  • Patent number: 9679040
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide techniques for performing deduplication for a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers cache and ensure data consistency for the stored data. During operation, a cloud controller receives an incremental metadata snapshot that references new data that was added to the distributed filesystem by a remote cloud controller. The cloud controller extracts a set of deduplication information from this incremental metadata snapshot. Upon receiving a subsequent client write request (e.g., a file write that includes one or more data blocks), the cloud controller uses the extracted deduplication information to determine that one or more data blocks in the client write request have already been written to the distributed filesystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: PANZURA, INC.
    Inventors: Andrew P. Davis, John Richard Taylor, Randy Yen-pang Chou
  • Patent number: 9678968
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for deleting a file from a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers store metadata for the distributed filesystem, and cache and ensure data consistency for the data stored in the cloud storage systems. During operation, a cloud controller receives a request from a client to delete a file from the distributed filesystem. The cloud controller updates a user view of the distributed filesystem to present the appearance of the target file being deleted to the client, and then initiates a background deletion operation to delete the target file without negatively affecting the performance of the other users of the distributed filesystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: PANZURA, INC.
    Inventors: John Richard Taylor, Randy Yen-pang Chou, Andrew P. Davis
  • Patent number: RE49154
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing LPG and BTX, comprising a) subjecting a mixed hydrocarbon stream to first hydrocracking in the presence of a first hydrocracking catalyst to produce a first hydrocracking product stream; b) separating the first hydrocracking product stream to provide at least a light hydrocarbon stream comprising at least C2 and C3 hydrocarbons, a middle hydrocarbon stream consisting of C4 and/or C5 hydrocarbons and a heavy hydrocarbon stream comprising at least C6+ hydrocarbons and c) subjecting the heavy hydrocarbon stream to second hydrocracking in the presence of a second hydrocracking catalyst to produce a second hydrocracking product stream comprising BTX, wherein the second hydrocracking is more severe than the first hydrocracking, d) wherein at least part of the middle hydrocarbon stream is subjected to C4 hydrocracking optimized for converting C4 hydrocarbons into C3 hydrocarbons in the presence of a C4 hydrocracking catalyst to produce a C4 hydrocracking product strea
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: SABIC GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Arno Johannes Maria Oprins, Andrew Mark Ward, Andrew P. Davies, Kae Shin Wong, Luis Aramburo, Maikel Van Iersel