Patents by Inventor David Blair Whitworth

David Blair Whitworth 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: 9733991
    Abstract: Data operations, requiring a lock, are batched into a set of operations to be performed on a per-core basis. A global lock for the set of operations is periodically acquired, the set of operations is performed, and the global lock is freed so as to avoid excessive duty cycling of lock and unlock operations in the computing storage environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin John Ash, Michael Thomas Benhase, Lokesh Mohan Gupta, Kenneth Wayne Todd, David Blair Whitworth
  • Patent number: 9086888
    Abstract: A method for processing instructions. The instructions are processed by a processor unit while using a first table in a plurality of tables to predict a set of instructions needed by the processor unit after processing of a conditional instruction. An identification is formed that a rate of success in correctly predicting the set of instructions when using the first table is less than a threshold number. A sequence of the instructions being processed by the processor unit is searched for an instruction that matches a marker in a set of markers for identifying when to use the plurality of tables. An identification that the instruction that matches the marker is formed. A second table from the plurality of tables referenced by the marker is identified. The second table is used in place of the first table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wen-Tzer T. Chen, Diane G. Flemming, William A. Maron, Mysore Sathyanarayana Srinivas, David Blair Whitworth
  • Publication number: 20140156979
    Abstract: A method for processing instructions. The instructions are processed by a processor unit while using a first table in a plurality of tables to predict a set of instructions needed by the processor unit after processing of a conditional instruction. An identification is formed that a rate of success in correctly predicting the set of instructions when using the first table is less than a threshold number. A sequence of the instructions being processed by the processor unit is searched for an instruction that matches a marker in a set of markers for identifying when to use the plurality of tables. An identification that the instruction that matches the marker is formed. A second table from the plurality of tables referenced by the marker is identified. The second table is used in place of the first table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wen-Tzer T. Chen, Diane G. Flemming, William A. Maron, Mysore Sathyanarayana Srinivas, David Blair Whitworth
  • Patent number: 8719504
    Abstract: For a plurality of input/output (I/O) operations waiting to assemble complete data tracks from data segments, a process, separate from a process responsible for the data assembly into the complete data tracks, is initiated for waking a predetermined number of the waiting I/O operations. A total number of I/O operations to be awoken at each of an iterated instance of the waking is limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin John Ash, Michael Thomas Benhase, Lokesh Mohan Gupta, David Blair Whitworth
  • Publication number: 20140082231
    Abstract: For a plurality of input/output (I/O) operations waiting to assemble complete data tracks from data segments, a process, separate from a process responsible for the data assembly into the complete data tracks, is initiated for waking a predetermined number of the waiting I/O operations. A total number of I/O operations to be awoken at each of an iterated instance of the waking is limited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin John ASH, Michael Thomas BENHASE, Lokesh Mohan GUPTA, David Blair WHITWORTH
  • Publication number: 20140082296
    Abstract: Data operations, requiring a lock, are batched into a set of operations to be performed on a per-core basis. A global lock for the set of operations is periodically acquired, the set of operations is performed, and the global lock is freed so as to avoid excessive duty cycling of lock and unlock operations in the computing storage environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin John ASH, Michael Thomas BENHASE, Lokesh Mohan GUPTA, Kenneth Wayne TODD, David Blair WHITWORTH
  • Patent number: 8589926
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer usable program product for adjusting processor utilization data in polling environments are provided in the illustrative embodiments. An amount of a computing resource consumed during polling performed by the polling application over a predetermined period is received at a processor in a data processing system from a polling application executing in the data processing system. The amount forms a polling amount of the computing resource. Using the polling amount of the computing resource, another amount of the computing resource consumed for performing meaningful task is determined. The other amount forms a work amount of the computing resource. Using the work amount of the computing resource, an adjusted utilization of the computing resource is computed over a utilization interval. The data of the adjusted utilization is saved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jimmy Ray Hill, Bret Ronald Olszewski, Luc Rene Smolders, David Blair Whitworth
  • Patent number: 8453122
    Abstract: A symmetric multi-processor SMP system includes an SMP processor and operating system OS software that performs automatic SMP lock tracing analysis on an executing application program. System administrators, users or other entities initiate an automatic SMP lock tracing analysis. A particular thread of the executing application program requests and obtains a lock for a memory address pointer. A subsequent thread requests the same memory address pointer lock prior to the particular thread release of that lock. The subsequent thread begins to spin waiting for the release of that address pointer lock. When the subsequent thread reaches a predetermined maximum amount of wait time, MAXSPIN, a lock testing tool in the kernel of the OS detects the MAXSPIN condition. The OS performs a test to determine if the subsequent thread and address pointer lock meet the list of criteria set during initiation of the automatic lock trace method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Diane Garza Flemming, Eric Philip Fried, Greg R. Mewhinney, David Blair Whitworth
  • Patent number: 8230238
    Abstract: A method for determining power consumption in a data storage system is provided. The method comprises determining data access patterns for at least a first storage device in a storage system based on operations performed by the first storage device; and calculating power consumption for the storage system by interpolating costs associated with the operations performed by the first storage device, wherein the cost associated with each operation is determined based on: (1) various levels of activities for the first storage device and a mix of workload characteristics, and (2) predetermined power consumption measurements obtained from one or more benchmarks for same operations performed by a second storage device in a test environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Miriam Allalouf, Michael E. Factor, Ronen Itshak Kat, Lee Charles LaFrese, Dalit Naor, David Blair Whitworth
  • Publication number: 20100287319
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer usable program product for adjusting processor utilization data in polling environments are provided in the illustrative embodiments. An amount of a computing resource consumed during polling performed by the polling application over a predetermined period is received at a processor in a data processing system from a polling application executing in the data processing system. The amount forms a polling amount of the computing resource. Using the polling amount of the computing resource, another amount of the computing resource consumed for performing meaningful task is determined. The other amount forms a work amount of the computing resource. Using the work amount of the computing resource, an adjusted utilization of the computing resource is computed over a utilization interval. The data of the adjusted utilization is saved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jimmy Ray Hill, Bret Ronald Olszewski, Luc Rene Smolders, David Blair Whitworth
  • Publication number: 20100050008
    Abstract: A method for determining power consumption in a data storage system is provided. The method comprises determining data access patterns for at least a first storage device in a storage system based on operations performed by the first storage device; and calculating power consumption for the storage system by interpolating costs associated with the operations performed by the first storage device, wherein the cost associated with each operation is determined based on: (1) various levels of activities for the first storage device and a mix of workload characteristics, and (2) predetermined power consumption measurements obtained from one or more benchmarks for same operations performed by a second storage device in a test environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Inventors: Miriam Allalouf, Michael E. Factor, Ronen Itshak Kat, Lee Charles LaFrese, Dalit Naor, David Blair Whitworth
  • Publication number: 20080086599
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for managing data in a cache. Data in the cache is identified that has been designated by an application to form identified data. The identified data is aged in the cache at a slower rate than other data in the cache that is undesignated for slower aging in response to identifying the data in the cache.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Publication date: April 10, 2008
    Inventors: WILLIAM A. MARON, Greg R. Mewhinney, Mysore Sathyanarayana Srinivas, David Blair Whitworth
  • Publication number: 20080086598
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for establishing a priority level for data in a cache. A determination is made whether data is designated for slower aging within the cache during execution of instructions for an application. The priority level for the data in the cache is set in response to a determination that the data is designated for slower aging. The priority level indicates that the data is aged slower than other data without the priority level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Publication date: April 10, 2008
    Inventors: WILLIAM A. MARON, Greg R. Mewhinney, Mysore Sathyanarayana Srinivas, David Blair Whitworth
  • Patent number: 6651146
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of managing lists in a multiprocessor system without the use of locks that prevent contention for the list. List management in a linear list with a front and a back of the list has applications where it is desirable to manage the list in a Last In First Out (LIFO) and a First In First Out (FIFO) or a combination of LIFO and FIFO. LIFO and FIFO list management can be done by restrictively adding data elements to the front, back and removing data elements from the front of a managed list. At certain times there can be contention for a list and either locking routines are in place to prevent contention or some other method is used to guarantee data element integrity. The present invention discloses a set of operations that when used with certain protocols allow two or more processors to access a list as a LIFO or FIFO in a multiprocessor system without the use of locks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mysore Sathyanarayana Srinivas, James William Vanfleet, David Blair Whitworth
  • Patent number: 6598143
    Abstract: Initially, data is copied from a disk to a page frame and then to a read buffer, for instance. Next, a check is made to determine whether the percent of real memory occupied by file pages is less than a preset maximum volume. If so, no space is allocated for additional file page and no page frames are returned to the free list. If not, the VMM selects the best candidate file pages in real memory and returns them to the free list. Ideal candidates are a thread's memory pages, from a thread doing sequential I/O the file system. In so doing, the page frames are added to the free list as soon as the I/O is complete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William Eugene Baker, Bret Ronald Olszewski, Jeffrey Anderson Smith, David Blair Whitworth