Patents by Inventor Frank W. Brice, Jr.

Frank W. Brice, Jr. 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: 9442762
    Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for authenticating a processing system accessing a resource. An association of processing system identifiers with resources, including a first and second resources, is maintained. A request from a requesting processing system in a host is received for use of a first resource that provides access to a second resource, wherein the request is generated by processing system software and wherein the request further includes a submitted processing system identifier included in the request by host hardware in the host. A determination is made as to whether the submitted processing system identifier is one of the processing system identifiers associated with the first and second resources. The requesting processing system is provided access to the first resource that the processing system uses to access the second resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, Jr., David D. Chambliss, Matthew J. Kalos, Harry M. Yudenfriend
  • Publication number: 20140101667
    Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for authenticating a processing system accessing a resource. An association of processing system identifiers with resources, including a first and second resources, is maintained. A request from a requesting processing system in a host is received for use of a first resource that provides access to a second resource, wherein the request is generated by processing system software and wherein the request further includes a submitted processing system identifier included in the request by host hardware in the host. A determination is made as to whether the submitted processing system identifier is one of the processing system identifiers associated with the first and second resources. The requesting processing system is provided access to the first resource that the processing system uses to access the second resource.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, Jr., David D. Chambliss, Matthew J. Kalos, Harry M. Yudenfriend
  • Patent number: 8650335
    Abstract: A measurement facility is provided for capturing and presenting fine-grained usage information for adapter functions in an input/output subsystem. Adapter specific input/output traffic is tracked on a per function basis and the results are dynamically presented to the user. This information is useful for performance tuning, load balancing and usage based charging, as examples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, Jr., David Craddock, Beth A. Glendening, Thomas A. Gregg, Eric N. Lais, Peter K. Szwed, Steven G. Wilkins
  • Patent number: 8468284
    Abstract: One or more message signaled interruption requests from one or more input/output (I/O) adapters are converted to I/O adapter event notifications while retaining the message vector indication. An I/O adapter event notification may be routed and presented to a host or to a guest that the host is executing. To present the notification to the correct host or to the correct guest, various data structures in host and/or guest memory are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, Jr., David Craddock, Janet R. Easton, Mark S. Farrell, Thomas A. Gregg, Damian L. Osisek, Gustav E. Sittmann, III
  • Patent number: 8458387
    Abstract: One or more message signaled interruption requests from one or more input/output (I/O) adapters are converted to I/O adapter event notifications while retaining the message vector indication. An I/O adapter event notification may be routed and presented to a host or to a guest that the host is executing. To present the notification to the correct host or to the correct guest, various data structures in host and/or guest memory are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, Jr., David Craddock, Janet R. Easton, Mark S. Farrell, Thomas A. Gregg, Damian L. Osisek, Cynthia Sittmann
  • Publication number: 20120198114
    Abstract: One or more message signaled interruption requests from one or more input/output (I/O) adapters are converted to I/O adapter event notifications while retaining the message vector indication. An I/O adapter event notification may be routed and presented to a host or to a guest that the host is executing. To present the notification to the correct host or to the correct guest, various data structures in host and/or guest memory are used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, JR., David Craddock, Janet R. Easton, Mark S. Farrell, Thomas A. Gregg, Damian L. Osisek, Gustav E. Sittmann, III, Cynthia Sittmann
  • Publication number: 20110320663
    Abstract: One or more message signaled interruption requests from one or more input/output (I/O) adapters are converted to I/O adapter event notifications while retaining the message vector indication. An I/O adapter event notification may be routed and presented to a host or to a guest that the host is executing. To present the notification to the correct host or to the correct guest, various data structures in host and/or guest memory are used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, JR., David Craddock, Janet R. Easton, Mark S. Farrell, Thomas A. Gregg, Damian L. Osisek, Gustav E. Sittmann, III
  • Publication number: 20110320643
    Abstract: A measurement facility is provided for capturing and presenting fine-grained usage information for adapter functions in an input/output subsystem. Adapter specific input/output traffic is tracked on a per function basis and the results are dynamically presented to the user. This information is useful for performance tuning, load balancing and usage based charging, as examples.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, JR., David Craddock, Beth A. Glendening, Thomas A. Gregg, Eric N. Lais, Peter K. Szwed, Stephen G. Wilkins
  • Patent number: 8001544
    Abstract: A method for changing self-description data of a functional device in a computing system. The method may include virtualizing the functional device to create a virtual functional device, and adding, changing, or removing information in the self-description information sent from a functional device as a part of virtualization of the device by a hypervisor. Changing the self-description data of the functional device occurs after the self-description data has left the functional device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, Jr., Mark P. Gardiner, Gustav E. Sittmann, III, Stephen G. Wilkins, Harry M. Yunderfriend
  • Patent number: 7954099
    Abstract: A method, system, program product and computer data structure for providing for two levels of server virtualization. A first hypervisor enables multiple logical partitions to share a set of resources and provides a first level of virtualization. A second hypervisor enables multiple, independent virtual machines to share the resources that are assigned to a single logical partition and provides a second level of virtualization. All events for all of the virtual machines within said single logical partition are grouped into a single partition-owned event queue for receiving event notifications from the shared resources for that single logical partition. A request for an interrupt is signaled for the grouped events from the partition-owned event queue for the demultiplexing of grouped events, by the machine, from the partition-owned event queue into individual, virtualized event queues that are allocated on a per virtual machine basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Janet R. Easton, Charles W. Gainey, Jr., Tan Lu, Ugochukwu C. Njoku, Gustav E. Sittmann, III, Stephen G. Wilkins, Frank W. Brice, Jr., Damian L. Osisek, Donald W. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7757007
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, a computer program product and a system for managing virtual instances of a physical port attached to a network. The method is based on the Fiber Channel N_Port virtualization for a physical Fiber Channel N_Port. Multiple virtual Fiber Channel adapters share a single physical N_Port among multiple operating system instances. The invention discloses means for the automatic and persistent generation and administration of unique Worldwide Port Names needed for the N_Port virtualization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gerhard Banzahf, Stefan Mueller, Jaya Srikrishnan, Frank W. Brice, Jr., Giles R. Frazier, Ingo Adlung
  • Patent number: 7606965
    Abstract: A communication port of a communications interface of an information handling system comprises a plurality of virtual ports. A first command is issued to obtain information indicating a number of images of virtual ports supportable by the communications interface. A second command is then issued requesting the communications interface to virtualize the communication port. In response to the second command, one or more virtual switches are then configured to connect to the communication port, each virtual switch including a plurality of virtual ports, such that the one or more virtual switches are configured in a manner sufficient to support the number of images of virtual ports indicated by the obtained information. Thereafter, upon request via issuance of a third command, a logical link is established between one of the virtual ports of one of the virtual switches and a communicating element of the information handling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ugochukwu Charles Njoku, Frank W. Brice, Jr., David Craddock, Richard K. Errickson, Mark S. Farrell, Charles W. Gainey, Jr., Donald W. Schmidt, Gustav E. Sittmann, III
  • Patent number: 7587531
    Abstract: An input/output subsystem is configured as a plurality of input/output subsystem images, each of which appears to a program as an independent input/output subsystem. An input/output subsystem image is identified by an input/output subsystem image identifier, which is used by various programs to designate the particular input/output subsystem image for which an I/O operation is to be performed. An input/output subsystem image includes, for instance, one or more input/output paths. An input/output path of an input/output subsystem image is identified by an input/output path identifier, as well as a physical input/output path identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, Jr., Janet R. Easton, Charles W. Gainey, Jr., Steven G. Glassen, Beth Glendening, Marten J. Halma, Jeffrey P. Kubala, Hans-Helge Lehmann, Tan Lu, Allan S. Meritt, Kenneth J. Oakes, Charles E. Shapley, John S. Trotter, Leslie W. Wyman, Harry M. Yudenfriend
  • Patent number: 7290070
    Abstract: An input/output subsystem is configured as a plurality of input/output subsystem images, each of which appears to a program as an independent input/output subsystem. An input/output subsystem image is identified by an input/output subsystem image identifier, which is used by various programs to designate the particular input/output subsystem image for which an I/O operation is to be performed. An input/output subsystem image includes, for instance, one or more input/output paths. An input/output path of an input/output subsystem image is identified by an input/output path identifier, as well as a physical input/output path identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, Jr., Janet R. Easton, Charles W. Gainey, Jr., Steven G. Glassen, Beth Glendening, Marten J. Halma, Jeffrey P. Kubala, Hans-Helge Lehmann, Tan Lu, Allan S. Meritt, Kenneth J. Oakes, Charles E. Shapley, John S. Trotter, Leslie W. Wyman, Harry M. Yudenfriend
  • Patent number: 7277968
    Abstract: Input/output (I/O) communications subadapters, such as subchannels, of an I/O subsystem are dedicated to components, such as I/O devices, of the I/O subsystem. The subadapters provide information about the associated components, in response to the execution of I/O instructions. To enhance I/O connectivity, a plurality of sets of I/O subadapters is provided to an operating system image. This allows programs of the operating system image to access a same component via different sets of I/O communications subadapters. Further, it enables an operating system image to use more than 64 k subchannels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, Jr., Janet R. Easton, Charles W. Gainey, Jr., Jeffrey P. Kubala, Hans-Helge Lehmann, Tan Lu, Ugochukwu Njoku-Charles, Kenneth J. Oakes, Dale F. Riedy, Jr., Charles E. Shapley, Gustav E. Sittmann, Leslie W. Wyman, Harry M. Yudenfriend
  • Patent number: 7200704
    Abstract: A method for configuring a communication port of a communications interface of an information handling system into a plurality of virtual ports. A first command is issued to obtain information indicating a number of images of virtual ports supportable by the communications interface. A second command is then issued requesting the communications interface to virtualize the communication port. In response to the second command, one or more virtual switches are then configured to connect to the communication port, each virtual switch including a plurality of virtual ports, such that the one or more virtual switches are configured in a manner sufficient to support the number of images of virtual ports indicated by the obtained information. Thereafter, upon request via issuance of a third command, a logical link is established between one of the virtual ports of one of the virtual switches and a communicating element of the information handling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ugochukwu Charles Njoku, Frank W. Brice, Jr., David Craddock, Richard K. Errickson, Mark S. Farrell, Charles W. Gainey, Jr., Donald W. Schmidt, Gustav E. Sittmann, III
  • Patent number: 7177961
    Abstract: An input/output subsystem is configured as a plurality of input/output subsystem images, each of which appears to a program as an independent input/output subsystem. In response to an operating system image submitting an input/output (I/O) request requesting access to an input/output subsystem image, a determination is made as to whether the operating system image is authorized to access the input/output subsystem image. In response to the access being authorized, the I/O request is authorized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, Jr., Scott M. Carlson, Janet R. Easton, Charles W. Gainey, Jr., Marten J. Halma, Jeffrey P. Kubala, Tan Lu, Kenneth J. Oakes, Charles E. Shapley, Leslie W. Wyman, Harry M. Yudenfriend
  • Patent number: 7174550
    Abstract: A communications adapter is shared by a plurality of input/output (I/O) subsystem images of an I/O subsystem of a central processing complex. To enable the sharing, the communications adapter is configured to a plurality of I/O paths of the plurality of I/O subsystem images. An I/O subsystem may have one or more shared communications adapters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, Jr., Charles W. Gainey, Jr., Beth Glendening, Marten J. Halma, Jeffrey P. Kubala, Hans-Helge Lehmann, Tan Lu, Allan S. Meritt, Ugochukwo Njoku-Charles, Kenneth J. Oakes, Charles E. Shapley, John S. Trotter, Leslie W. Wyman, Harry M. Yudenfriend
  • Patent number: 7149821
    Abstract: In an environment employing a fabric, such as a cascading switch network, a predictable input/output (I/O) configuration is provided. The I/O configuration explicitly specifies the one or more peripheral units accessible by a program, such as an operating system. Other peripheral units not specified in the I/O configuration are not accessible, thus, providing a secure environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, Jr., Scott M. Carlson, John R. Flanagan, Charles W. Gainey, Jr., Eugene P. Hefferon, Jeffrey P. Kubala, Kenneth J. Oakes, Roberto J. Sanchez, Charles E. Shapley, Kenneth M. Trowell, Harry M. Yudenfriend
  • Patent number: 7130938
    Abstract: An input/output subsystem of a computing environment is configured as a plurality of input/output subsystem images, each of which appears to a program as an independent input/output subsystem. An input/output subsystem image includes one or more communications adapters used for communicating within the computing environment. A communications adapter is identified by hardware of the computing environment by using a first identifier, and it is identified by a program of the computing environment by using a second identifier. The identifiers can be of different sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank W. Brice, Jr., Charles W. Gainey, Jr., Steven G. Glassen, Marten J. Halma, David W. Hollar, Jeffrey P. Kubala, Hans-Helge Lehmann, Tan Lu, Michael G. Melendy, Kenneth J. Oakes, Charles E. Shapley, Robert A. Smith, John S. Trotter, Leslie W. Wyman, Harry M. Yudenfriend