Patents by Inventor Bret Wayne Holley

Bret Wayne Holley 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: 9104575
    Abstract: A method for recovering from an error in a multi-core storage-system component is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes detecting an error in a first core of a multi-core component. The method determines whether the error was one of (1) detected by the first core; and (2) detected by a core other than the first core. In the event the error was detected by the first core and the error is recoverable, the first core recovers from the error without substantially impacting operation of other cores in the multi-core component. In the event the error was detected by a core other than the first core and the error is recoverable, a core other than the first core recovers from the error without substantially impacting operation of other cores in the multi-core component. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bret Wayne Holley, Ashwani Kumar, Tiep Quoc Pham
  • Patent number: 8108732
    Abstract: A method to minimize performance degradation during communication path failure in a data processing system, comprising a host computer, a storage controller, and a plurality of physical communication paths in communication with the host computer and the storage controller, where the method establishes a threshold communication path error rate, and determines an (i)th actual communication path error rate for an (i)th physical communication path, wherein that (i)th communication path is one of the plurality of physical communication paths. If the (i)th actual communication path error rate is greater than the threshold communication path error rate, the method discontinues use of the (i)th physical communication path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Juan Alonso Coronado, Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley, Clarisa Valencia
  • Patent number: 8069364
    Abstract: A system and method for recovering from logical path failures is set forth. More specifically, when a host detects a logical path failure, the host enters a path discovery mode of operation. If the host continues to detect a logical path failure while operating in the logical path discovery mode of operation, the host removes the logical path from a logical path mask, and the host does not use the removed logical path again. Additionally, the system and method facilitates recovery of the failed logical paths by using a plurality of logical path masks. A first mask is referred to as an intermediate failure logical path mask and a second mask is referred to as a permanent failure logical path mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Juan Alonso Coronado, Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley, Daniel J. Perkin, Dinh Hai Le
  • Patent number: 8005082
    Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, in which a logical path is established between a control unit and a channel over a fiber channel connection. Code for persistent information unit pacing is loaded into the control unit and the channel. An indicator is set in node descriptors of the control unit and the channel to indicate concurrent enablement of persistent pacing while retaining the established logical path between the control unit and the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley, Matthew Joseph Kalos, Louis William Ricci
  • Patent number: 7996643
    Abstract: A storage control unit detects a change in a configuration of a plurality of logical subsystems included in the storage control unit. The storage control unit sends a notification, wherein the notification indicates the change in the configuration of the plurality of logical subsystems. The storage control unit receives data transfer requests directed at available logical subsystems in the storage control unit, wherein the available logical subsystems are determined based on the configuration of the plurality of logical subsystems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Juan Alonso Coronado, Bret Wayne Holley, Marilyn Quinones
  • Patent number: 7941545
    Abstract: Provided are a system and article of manufacture for establishing and requesting status on a computational resource. An operation is performed to establish a computational resource, wherein the computational resource is not available until the establish operation is completed. A determination is made as to whether a status request to determine status of the computational resource is pending before the establish operation has completed. Indication is made to resubmit the status request if there is a status request for the computational resource pending before the establish operation has completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Steven Bayus, Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley
  • Publication number: 20100086077
    Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, in which a logical path is established between a control unit and a channel over a fibre channel connection. Code for persistent information unit pacing is loaded into the control unit and the channel. An indicator is set in node descriptors of the control unit and the channel to indicate concurrent enablement of persistent pacing while retaining the established logical path between the control unit and the channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley, Matthew Joseph Kalos, Louis William Ricci
  • Patent number: 7668980
    Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein a primary storage control unit receives an information unit from a remote host over a fiber channel connection, wherein persistent information unit pacing is implemented over the fiber channel connection. Information is maintained on how many large writes have been received at the primary storage control unit over at least one logical path established over the fiber channel connection between the primary storage control unit and the remote host, wherein a large write is an input/output (I/O) operation for which a number of data information units that are processed exceeds a default value of an information unit pacing credit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley, Matthew Joseph Kalos
  • Publication number: 20100023802
    Abstract: A system and method for recovering from logical path failures is set forth. More specifically, when a host detects a logical path failure, the host enters a path discovery mode of operation. If the host continues to detect a logical path failure while operating in the logical path discovery mode of operation, the host removes the logical path from a logical path mask, and the host does not use the removed logical path again. Additionally, the system and method facilitates recovery of the failed logical paths by using a plurality of logical path masks. A first mask is referred to as an intermediate failure logical path mask and a second mask is referred to as a permanent failure logical path mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Inventors: Juan Alonso Coronado, Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley, Daniel J. Perkin, Dinh Hai Le
  • Publication number: 20090319822
    Abstract: A method to minimize performance degradation during communication path failure in a data processing system, comprising a host computer, a storage controller, and a plurality of physical communication paths in communication with the host computer and the storage controller, where the method establishes a. threshold communication path error rate, and determines an (i)th actual communication path error rate for an (i)th physical communication path, wherein that (i)th communication path is one of the plurality of physical communication paths. If the (i)th actual communication path error rate is greater than the threshold communication path error rate, the method discontinues use of the (i)th physical communication path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Juan Alonso Coronado, Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley, Clarisa Valencia
  • Publication number: 20090144464
    Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein a primary storage control unit receives an information unit from a remote host over a fibre channel connection, wherein persistent information unit pacing is implemented over the fibre channel connection. Information is maintained on how many large writes have been received at the primary storage control unit over at least one logical path established over the fibre channel connection between the primary storage control unit and the remote host, wherein a large write is an input/output (I/O) operation for which a number of data information units that are processed exceeds a default value of an information unit pacing credit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley, Matthew Joseph Kalos
  • Publication number: 20080263083
    Abstract: A storage control unit detects a change in a configuration of a plurality of logical subsystems included in the storage control unit. The storage control unit sends a notification, wherein the notification indicates the change in the configuration of the plurality of logical subsystems. The storage control unit receives data transfer requests directed at available logical subsystems in the storage control unit, wherein the available logical subsystems are determined based on the configuration of the plurality of logical subsystems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Juan Alonso Coronado, Bret Wayne Holley, Marlyn Quinones
  • Publication number: 20080215741
    Abstract: Provided are a system and article of manufacture for establishing and requesting status on a computational resource. An operation is performed to establish a computational resource, wherein the computational resource is not available until the establish operation is completed. A determination is made as to whether a status request to determine status of the computational resource is pending before the establish operation has completed. Indication is made to resubmit the status request if there is a status request for the computational resource pending before the establish operation has completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark Steven Bayus, Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley
  • Patent number: 7409519
    Abstract: A storage control unit detects a change in a configuration of a plurality of logical subsystems included in the storage control unit. The storage control unit sends a notification, wherein the notification indicates the change in the configuration of the plurality of logical subsystems. The storage control unit receives data transfer requests directed at available logical subsystems in the storage control unit, wherein the available logical subsystems are determined based on the configuration of the plurality of logical subsystems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Juan Alonso Coronado, Bret Wayne Holley, Marlyn Quinones
  • Patent number: 7395337
    Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for establishing and requesting status on a computational resource. An operation is performed to establish a computational resource, wherein the computational resource is not available until the establish operation is completed. A determination is made as to whether a status request to determine status of the computational resource is pending before the establish operation has completed. Indication is made to resubmit the status request if there is a status request for the computational resource pending before the establish operation has completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Steven Bayus, Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley
  • Patent number: 7114112
    Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for simulating I/O requests to test a system coupled to an adaptor having a port used for transmitting and receiving I/O requests to the system. A user test command is received indicating an I/O test object. The adaptor processes the I/O test object indicated in the user test command to generate a sequence of simulated I/O requests and transmits the generated simulated I/O requests to the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy Alan Griffin, Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley, Lawrence Carter Blount
  • Publication number: 20040260993
    Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for simulating I/O requests to test a system coupled to an adaptor having a port used for transmitting and receiving I/O requests to the system. A user test command is received indicating an I/O test object. The adaptor processes the I/O test object indicated in the user test command to generate a sequence of simulated I/O requests and transmits the generated simulated I/O requests to the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2003
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: Timothy Alan Griffin, Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley, Lawrence Carter Blount
  • Publication number: 20040044773
    Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for establishing and requesting status on a computational resource. An operation is performed to establish a computational resource, wherein the computational resource is not available until the establish operation is completed. A determination is made as to whether a status request to determine status of the computational resource is pending before the establish operation has completed. Indication is made to resubmit the status request if there is a status request for the computational resource pending before the establish operation has completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2002
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Steven Bayus, Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley
  • Patent number: 6349350
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system, method, and program for managing I/O operations transmitted from a computer system to a processing unit. The processing unit manages access to a storage device and executes the I/O operation against the storage device. The processing unit receives indication that a request to connect between the processing unit and the computer system failed. Upon receiving a subsequent I/O operation from the computer system after receiving indication that the connect request failed, the processing unit returns busy to the computer system initiating the subsequent I/O operation in response to receiving indication that the connect request failed. The connect request is retried after returning busy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley, James Lincoln Iskiyan
  • Patent number: 5920695
    Abstract: A method for establishing bilateral communications over a single ESCON link coupling a pair of control units. The method steps include (a) permitting link address acquisition between directly connected link-level facilities that simultaneously assume the role of a master control unit in a peer-to-peer remote copy (PPRC) configuration, (b) resolving conflicting device-level frames that initiate a path to a device (also termed an I/O connection), and (c) dynamically determining the role assumed by a link-level facility (master or slave) when a single logical path is shared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Roger Gregory Hathorn, Bret Wayne Holley, James Lincoln Iskiyan, William Frank Micka