Patents by Inventor Drake Backman

Drake Backman 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: 7747763
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for ensuring access to the correct instance of a network service. The system includes a plurality of management domains. Each management domain may include at least one server and at least on managed device. When the managed device sends a request for a network service, the request may be received by all servers in the network, including those belonging to different management domains. As such, each server may include a referral list. When the server receives a request, the server may determine whether its management domain includes the appropriate instance of the network service. If it does not, it may forward the request to other servers in the referral list until the appropriate network service is identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Novell, Inc.
    Inventors: Drake Backman, Matthew E. Lewis
  • Patent number: 7356685
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for enabling runtime parameter value input into a computer device during a network bootstrapping process. The system and method may use a memory block to store values needed at runtime that are ordinarily input by a user. A configuration file having one or more macros included may be stored at a TFTP server. A first bootstrap program is loaded on the computer device to initialize a memory block with the name of the configuration file to be used by the computer device during booting and the values for any macros included in the configuration file. The first bootstrap program then calls a second bootstrap program to parse the memory block and/or the configuration file in order to use the contents of the configuration file to boot the computer device. Using macros in the configuration files enable the same configuration file to be used by devices with differing booting needs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Novell, Inc.
    Inventor: Drake Backman
  • Publication number: 20070027970
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for ensuring access to the correct instance of a network service. The system includes a plurality of management domains. Each management domain may include at least one server and at least on managed device. When the managed device sends a request for a network service, the request may be received by all servers in the network, including those belonging to different management domains. As such, each server may include a referral list. When the server receives a request, the server may determine whether its management domain includes the appropriate instance of the network service. If it does not, it may forward the request to other servers in the referral list until the appropriate network service is identified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Publication date: February 1, 2007
    Applicant: Novell, Inc.
    Inventors: Drake Backman, Matthew Lewis
  • Publication number: 20070005950
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for enabling runtime parameter value input into a computer device during a network bootstrapping process. The system and method may use a memory block to store values needed at runtime that are ordinarily input by a user. A configuration file having one or more macros included may be stored at a TFTP server. A first bootstrap program is loaded on the computer device to initialize a memory block with the name of the configuration file to be used by the computer device during booting and the values for any macros included in the configuration file. The first bootstrap program then calls a second bootstrap program to parse the memory block and/or the configuration file in order to use the contents of the configuration file to boot the computer device. Using macros in the configuration files enable the same configuration file to be used by devices with differing booting needs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Applicant: Novell, Inc.
    Inventor: Drake Backman
  • Patent number: 7127597
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling boot options for a workstation on a computer network includes initiating a boot on a workstation in communication with the network, downloading an application to the workstation from a server in communication with the network, gathering information about the workstation using the bootstrap code and forwarding the information to a policy server in communication with the network. The system and method also include determining, by the policy server, based on the forwarded information and based on a boot policy stored in a policy directory of the network, at least one boot option for booting the workstation, forwarding the boot option to the workstation, requesting, by the workstation, a boot image corresponding to the boot option, forwarding of the boot image to the workstation and completing the boot of the workstation based upon the boot option received by the workstation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Novell, Inc.
    Inventors: Drake Backman, Matthew Lewis, Stephen Washburn
  • Patent number: 7124322
    Abstract: A system and method for disaster recovery for a plurality of computers on a computer network including creating a first image of base system data for restoring the base system of a plurality of workstations of a computer network, storing the first image on computer media, creating one or more second images application data for restoring one or more applications of the plurality of workstations on the computer network, storing the second image on computer media, creating a third image of personalized data relative to a respective workstation on the computer network and storing the third image on computer media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Novell, Inc.
    Inventor: Drake Backman
  • Publication number: 20040059900
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling boot options for a workstation on a computer network includes initiating a boot on a workstation in communication with the network, downloading an application to the workstation from a server in communication with the network, gathering information about the workstation using the bootstrap code and forwarding the information to a policy server in communication with the network. The system and method also include determining, by the policy server, based on the forwarded information and based on a boot policy stored in a policy directory of the network, at least one boot option for booting the workstation, forwarding the boot option to the workstation, requesting, by the workstation, a boot image corresponding to the boot option, forwarding of the boot image to the workstation and completing the boot of the workstation based upon the boot option received by the workstation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Inventors: Drake Backman, Matthew Lewis, Stephen Washburn
  • Patent number: RE44299
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for enabling runtime parameter value input into a computer device during a network bootstrapping process. The system and method may use a memory block to store values needed at runtime that are ordinarily input by a user. A configuration file having one or more macros included may be stored at a TFTP server. A first bootstrap program is loaded on the computer device to initialize a memory block with the name of the configuration file to be used by the computer device during booting and the values for any macros included in the configuration file. The first bootstrap program then calls a second bootstrap program to parse the memory block and/or the configuration file in order to use the contents of the configuration file to boot the computer device. Using macros in the configuration files enable the same configuration file to be used by devices with differing booting needs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Novell Intellectual Property Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Drake Backman