Patents by Inventor Donald Crabtree
Donald Crabtree 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).
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Publication number: 20230113968Abstract: An internal time of a data server is compared against respective times of each of a plurality of devices of a network. The network may require tight time synchronization. The data server utilizes a plurality of high-performance oscillators to maintain the internal time. The data server analyzes the compared times to detect that a time maintained by another device of the network has drifted more than a threshold. An ameliorative action is executed in response to detecting that the time maintained by the another device has drifted more than the threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2021Publication date: April 13, 2023Inventors: John Houston, Stephen Robert Guendert, Donald Crabtree
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Patent number: 11323322Abstract: Coordinated timing networks are dynamically merged into a single coordinated timing network. This merge occurs without taking down any of the servers. Each server of the merged coordinated timing network has the same coordinated timing network identifier (CTN ID), and the merged coordinated timing network has one selected primary time server. Optionally, the merged coordinated timing network may include a backup time server and an arbiter.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2019Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Donald Crabtree, John S. Houston
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Patent number: 11271838Abstract: Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for timing synchronization. Aspects include sending to a remote system a first base packet, the first base packet is sent at a first send event time and then recording the first send event time in a memory. Aspects also include sending to the remote system a second base packet, wherein the payload comprises instructions for the remote computing system and receiving a first remote packet, wherein a payload comprises a first received time indicating a time the first base packet was received. Aspects then include recording the first received time and recording a second received time, wherein the second received time indicates a time the first remote packet was received by the base system. Aspects include receiving a second remote packet, wherein a payload comprises a second sent time indicating a time the first remote packet was sent.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2017Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Donald Crabtree, Richard K. Errickson, John S. Houston, Peter K. Szwed
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Patent number: 10958727Abstract: A time server of a server time protocol (STP) facility of a coordinated timing network (CTN) receives a primary-reference-time (PRT) update, with the primary-reference-time update having been determined with reference to a time source, which includes a precision-time-protocol (PTP) source. The time server sets a primary reference time correction steering rate for the coordinated timing network based on receiving the primary-reference-time update, and broadcasts to one or more other servers of the coordinated timing network a PRT-correction-steering information block (PCSIB). The PRT-correction-steering information block includes a precision-time-protocol identifier for the time source used in determining the primary-reference-time update, and the primary-reference-time correction steering rate set by the time server.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2019Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Stephen R. Guendert, John S. Houston, Donald Crabtree, Stephen P. Cherniak, Paul Wojciak
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Patent number: 10903924Abstract: A time server of a coordinated timing network (CTN) receives a command, including a primary-reference-time (PRT) source identifier identifying a time source in use for the server time protocol (STP) facility as a precision-time-protocol (PTP) time server. The time server obtains the primary-reference-time source identifier from the command, and distributes the primary-reference-time source identifier obtained from the command to one or more other servers of the coordinated timing network to facilitate processing within the coordinated timing network.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Stephen R. Guendert, John S. Houston, Donald Crabtree, Stephen P. Cherniak, Paul Wojciak
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Patent number: 10680890Abstract: A coordinated timing network is dynamically split into a plurality of coordinated timing networks. This split occurs without taking down any of the servers. Each coordinated timing network has its own coordinated timing network identifier (CTN ID), and its own primary time server. Optionally, each coordinated timing network includes a backup time server and an arbiter.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2018Date of Patent: June 9, 2020Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Donald Crabtree, John S. Houston
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Publication number: 20190363936Abstract: Coordinated timing networks are dynamically merged into a single coordinated timing network. This merge occurs without taking down any of the servers. Each server of the merged coordinated timing network has the same coordinated timing network identifier (CTN ID), and the merged coordinated timing network has one selected primary time server. Optionally, the merged coordinated timing network may include a backup time server and an arbiter.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2019Publication date: November 28, 2019Inventors: Donald Crabtree, John S. Houston
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Patent number: 10447532Abstract: Coordinated timing networks are dynamically merged into a single coordinated timing network. This merge occurs without taking down any of the servers. Each server of the merged coordinated timing network has the same coordinated timing network identifier (CTN ID), and the merged coordinated timing network has one selected primary time server. Optionally, the merged coordinated timing network may include a backup time server and an arbiter.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2015Date of Patent: October 15, 2019Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Donald Crabtree, John S. Houston
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Publication number: 20190109763Abstract: A coordinated timing network is dynamically split into a plurality of coordinated timing networks. This split occurs without taking down any of the servers. Each coordinated timing network has its own coordinated timing network identifier (CTN ID), and its own primary time server. Optionally, each coordinated timing network includes a backup time server and an arbiter.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2018Publication date: April 11, 2019Inventors: Donald Crabtree, John S. Houston
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Patent number: 10177979Abstract: A coordinated timing network is dynamically split into a plurality of coordinated timing networks. This split occurs without taking down any of the servers. Each coordinated timing network has its own coordinated timing network identifier (CTN ID), and its own primary time server. Optionally, each coordinated timing network includes a backup time server and an arbiter.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2015Date of Patent: January 8, 2019Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Donald Crabtree, John S. Houston
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Publication number: 20180205479Abstract: Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for timing synchronization. Aspects include sending to a remote system a first base packet, the first base packet is sent at a first send event time and then recording the first send event time in a memory. Aspects also include sending to the remote system a second base packet, wherein the payload comprises instructions for the remote computing system and receiving a first remote packet, wherein a payload comprises a first received time indicating a time the first base packet was received. Aspects then include recording the first received time and recording a second received time, wherein the second received time indicates a time the first remote packet was received by the base system. Aspects include receiving a second remote packet, wherein a payload comprises a second sent time indicating a time the first remote packet was sent.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2017Publication date: July 19, 2018Inventors: Donald Crabtree, Richard K. Errickson, John S. Houston, Peter K. Szwed
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Patent number: 9934113Abstract: An enhanced console assisted recovery capability provides an efficient technique for communicating the failure of a primary time server to the backup time server in order to provide fast failure recovery of a synchronized timing network with the intent of avoiding a complete network outage. The primary time server efficiently notifies the backup time server that the primary time server is about to become unavailable. The backup time server can then begin an immediate takeover of time serving to the synchronized network.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2015Date of Patent: April 3, 2018Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Stephen P. Cherniak, Donald Crabtree, John S. Houston
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Publication number: 20170118005Abstract: A coordinated timing network is dynamically split into a plurality of coordinated timing networks. This split occurs without taking down any of the servers. Each coordinated timing network has its own coordinated timing network identifier (CTN ID), and its own primary time server. Optionally, each coordinated timing network includes a backup time server and an arbiter.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2015Publication date: April 27, 2017Inventors: Donald Crabtree, John S. Houston
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Publication number: 20170118006Abstract: Coordinated timing networks are dynamically merged into a single coordinated timing network. This merge occurs without taking down any of the servers. Each server of the merged coordinated timing network has the same coordinated timing network identifier (CTN ID), and the merged coordinated timing network has one selected primary time server. Optionally, the merged coordinated timing network may include a backup time server and an arbiter.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2015Publication date: April 27, 2017Inventors: Donald Crabtree, John S. Houston
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Publication number: 20170097874Abstract: An enhanced console assisted recovery capability provides an efficient technique for communicating the failure of a primary time server to the backup time server in order to provide fast failure recovery of a synchronized timing network with the intent of avoiding a complete network outage. The primary time server efficiently notifies the backup time server that the primary time server is about to become unavailable. The backup time server can then begin an immediate takeover of time serving to the synchronized network.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2015Publication date: April 6, 2017Inventors: Stephen P. Cherniak, Donald Crabtree, John S. Houston
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Patent number: 9164699Abstract: A protocol for communicating with the timing facility used in a data processing network to provide synchronization is provided via the execution of a machine instruction that accepts a plurality of commands. The interaction is provided through the use of message request blocks and their associated message response blocks. In this way timing parameters may be determined, modified and communicated. This makes it much easier for multiple servers or nodes in a data processing network to exist as a coordinated timing network and to thus more cooperatively operate on the larger yet identical data files.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2014Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Scott M. Carlson, Donald Crabtree, Dennis J. Dahlen, Beth A. Glendening, Michel H. T. Hack, Denise M. Sevigny, Ronald M. Smith, Sr., David E. Whitney
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Patent number: 9112626Abstract: A stratum-1 configuration for a timing network is defined. The stratum-1 configuration includes a single active stratum-1 server usable in ensuring that the servers in the network use the same primary reference time to synchronize their clocks. The servers in the network are synchronizing to the same root primary reference time and synchronization accuracy is not dependent on the quality of an external time source or of the existence of an external time source at the stratum-1 server.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2007Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Scott M. Carlson, Donald Crabtree, Dennis J. Dahlen, Denise M. Sevigny, Judith A. Wierbowski
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Patent number: 8972606Abstract: A protocol for communicating with the timing facility used in a data processing network to provide synchronization is provided via the execution of a machine instruction that accepts a plurality of commands. The interaction is provided through the use of message request blocks and their associated message response blocks. In this way timing parameters may be determined, modified and communicated. This makes it much easier for multiple servers or nodes in a data processing network to exist as a coordinated timing network and to thus more cooperatively operate on the larger yet identical data files.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2013Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Scott M. Carlson, Donald Crabtree, Dennis J. Dahlen, Beth A. Glendening, Michel H. T. Hack, Denise M. Sevigny, Ronald M. Smith, Sr., David E. Whitney
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Publication number: 20140325014Abstract: A protocol for communicating with the timing facility used in a data processing network to provide synchronization is provided via the execution of a machine instruction that accepts a plurality of commands. The interaction is provided through the use of message request blocks and their associated message response blocks. In this way timing parameters may be determined, modified and communicated. This makes it much easier for multiple servers or nodes in a data processing network to exist as a coordinated timing network and to thus more cooperatively operate on the larger yet identical data files.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2014Publication date: October 30, 2014Inventors: Scott M. Carlson, Donald Crabtree, Dennis J. Dahlen, Beth A. Glendening, Michel H.T. Hack, Denise M. Sevigny, Ronald M. Smith, SR., David E. Whitney
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Patent number: 8738792Abstract: Server time protocol (STP) messages and methods of exchange thereof are provided for facilitating synchronization of processing units of a timing network. The STP messages include exchange time parameters (XTP) commands and responses, and STP control (STC) commands and responses. XTP message exchange processing includes: generating an XTP message command at a first processing unit including a command transmit timestamp field set by the first processing unit and a command receive timestamp field which is unset by the first processing unit; transmitting the XTP message command to a second processing unit; setting the command receive timestamp field in the XTP command with the time the XTP command is received at the second processing unit; and generating an XTP message response at the second processing unit, the message response including the command transmit timestamp set by the first processing unit and the command receive timestamp set by the second processing unit.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2007Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Scott M. Carlson, Donald Crabtree, Dennis J. Dahlen, Noshir R. Dhondy, Michael H.T. Hack, Denise M. Sevigny, Ronald M. Smith, Sr., Judith A. Wierbowski