Patents by Inventor Fred Bower

Fred Bower 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).

  • Publication number: 20120005683
    Abstract: Data processing workload control in a data center is provided, where the data center includes computers whose operations consume power and a workload controller composed of automated computing machinery that controls the overall data processing workload in the data center. The data processing workload is composed of a plurality of specific data processing jobs, including scheduling, by the workload controller in dependence upon power performance information, the data processing jobs for execution upon the computers in the data center, the power performance information including power consumption at a plurality of power-conserving states for each computer in the data center that executes data processing jobs and dispatching by the workload controller the data processing jobs as scheduled for execution on computers in the data center.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fred A. Bower, III, Deepak W. Elias, Nikhil Hegde, Jason M. Heim, Sandhya Kapoor, Gregory J. McKnight, Peter Morjan, Tony W. Offer
  • Publication number: 20110282979
    Abstract: In a data center that includes a number of chassis, with each chassis including a chassis management module and a number of slots, each slot associated with a service processor: network address assignment includes discovering, by a chassis management module of a particular chassis, one or more other chassis management modules; negotiating, by the chassis management module with the other chassis management modules via IPv6 data communications, a chassis-specific range of IPv4 addresses available for assignment to service processors of the particular chassis; providing, by the chassis management module to the service processors of the particular chassis, in dependence upon the chassis-specific range of IPv4 addresses, a base IPv4 address; and determining, by each service processor of the particular chassis, in dependence upon the base IPv4 address and a slot identifier of the slot associated with the service processor, an IPv4 address for the service processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fred A. Bower, III, Michael H. Nolterieke, William G. Pagan
  • Patent number: 8056078
    Abstract: Multitasking in a hardware interrupt free environment. Event indicators are employed to multitask between processes of the environment. Processes to be multitasked register with one another, and then during processing, one of the processes toggles an event indicator to allow another process to execute. The toggling allows the processes to share resources in an interrupt free environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Fred A. Bower, III
  • Patent number: 7694198
    Abstract: A level of indirection is utilized when writing to a microprocessor array structure, thereby masking hard faults in the array structure. Among other benefits, this minimizes the use of a backward error recovery mechanism with its inherent delay for recovery. The indirection is used to effectively remove from use faulty portions of the array structure and substitute spare, functioning portions to perform the duties of the faulty portions. Thus, for example, faulty rows in microprocessor array structures are mapped out in favor of substitute, functioning rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fred A. Bower, III, Sule Ozev, Paul G. Shealy, Daniel J. Sorin
  • Publication number: 20090070611
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for managing computer power consumption in a data center. Embodiments include monitoring aggregate power consumption of a plurality of computers in the data center, each of the computers being supplied power individually from a shared circuit in the data center; determining whether the aggregate power consumption exceeds a predetermined maximum threshold; if the aggregate power consumption exceeds the predetermined maximum threshold, selecting a number of computers for throttling in dependence upon priority; and throttling-down the selected computers, reducing the aggregate power consumption to a level below the predetermined maximum threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fred A. Bower, III, Raymond M. Clemo, Beth F. Loebach, Gregory J. McKnight
  • Publication number: 20090031169
    Abstract: A level of indirection is utilized when writing to a microprocessor array structure, thereby masking hard faults in the array structure. Among other benefits, this minimizes the use of a backward error recovery mechanism with its inherent delay for recovery. The indirection is used to effectively remove from use faulty portions of the array structure and substitute spare, functioning portions to perform the duties of the faulty portions. Thus, for example, faulty rows in microprocessor array structures are mapped out in favor of substitute, functioning rows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fred A. Bower, III, Sule Ozev, Paul G. Shealy, Daniel J. Sorin
  • Publication number: 20080235694
    Abstract: A driver is provided to manage launching of tasks at different levels of priority and within the parameters of the firmware interface. The driver includes two anchors for managing the tasks, a dispatcher and an agent. The dispatcher operates at a medium priority level and manages communication from a remote administrator. The agent functions to receive communications from the dispatcher by way of a shared data structure and to launch lower priority level tasks in respond to the communication. The shared data structure stores communications received from the dispatcher. Upon placing the communication in the shared data structure, the dispatcher sends a signal to the agent indicating that a communication is in the data structure for reading by the agent. Following reading of the communication in the data structure, the agent launches the lower priority level task and sends a signal to the data structure indicating the status of the task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Fred A. Bower
  • Patent number: 7415644
    Abstract: A level of indirection is utilized when writing to a microprocessor array structure, thereby masking hard faults in the array structure. Among other benefits, this minimizes the use of a backward error recovery mechanism with its inherent delay for recovery. The indirection is used to effectively remove from use faulty portions of the array structure and substitute spare, functioning portions to perform the duties of the faulty portions. Thus, for example, faulty rows in microprocessor array structures are mapped out in favor of substitute, functioning rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fred A. Bower, III, Sule Ozev, Paul G. Shealy, Daniel J. Sorin
  • Publication number: 20080141257
    Abstract: A driver is provided to manage launching of tasks at different levels of priority and within the parameters of the firmware interface. The driver includes two anchors for managing the tasks, a dispatcher and an agent. The dispatcher operates at a medium priority level and manages communication from a remote administrator. The agent functions to receive communications from the dispatcher by way of a shared data structure and to launch lower priority level tasks in respond to the communication. The shared data structure stores communications received from the dispatcher. Upon placing the communication in the shared data structure, the dispatcher sends a signal to the agent indicating that a communication is in the data structure for reading by the agent. Following reading of the communication in the data structure, the agent launches the lower priority level task and sends a signal to the data structure indicating the status of the task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Fred A. Bower, III
  • Patent number: 7356820
    Abstract: A driver is provided to manage launching of tasks at different levels of priority and within the parameters of the firmware interface. The driver includes two anchors for managing the tasks, a dispatcher and an agent. The dispatcher operates at a medium priority level and manages communication from a remote administrator. The agent functions to receive communications from the dispatcher by way of a shared data structure and to launch lower priority level tasks in respond to the communication. The shared data structure stores communications received from the dispatcher. Upon placing the communication in the shared data structure, the dispatcher sends a signal to the agent indicating that a communication is in the data structure for reading by the agent. Following reading of the communication in the data structure, the agent launches the lower priority level task and sends a signal to the data structure indicating the status of the task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Fred A. Bower, III
  • Publication number: 20080066077
    Abstract: Multitasking in a hardware interrupt free environment. Event indicators are employed to multitask between processes of the environment. Processes to be multitasked register with one another, and then during processing, one of the processes toggles an event indicator to allow another process to execute. The toggling allows the processes to share resources in an interrupt free environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Fred BOWER, III
  • Patent number: 7340811
    Abstract: A pivoting casket carrier incoludes a pivoting bed having a predefined length and width. The bed includes a plurality of rollers disposed substantially transverse to the length of the bed for facilitating removal and placement of a casket on the bed. A pivoting mechanism is operatively connected to the bed to allow a predetermined degree of rotation of the bed about a central axis of the pivoting mechanism. A locking system is operatively coupled to the pivoting mechanism to enable operation of the pivoting mechanism to allow rotation of the bed when the locking system is in a first disengaged position, and disable operation of the pivoting mechanism to prevent rotation of the bed when the locking system is in a second engaged position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Department of Veterans Affairs
    Inventors: Richard C. Anderson, Robert Lindholme, Fred Bowers
  • Patent number: 7340740
    Abstract: Multitasking in a hardware interrupt free environment. Event indicators are employed to multitask between processes of the environment. Processes to be multitasked register with one another, and then during processing, one of the processes toggles an event indicator to allow another process to execute. The toggling allows the processes to share resources in an interrupt free environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Fred A. Bower, III
  • Publication number: 20070220502
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method, data processing system and computer program product in which a plurality of software executable libraries (sub-libraries) are combined into a single software executable library. The single library comprises a plurality of register functions, each associated with a particular sub-library and each sub-library comprises one or more functions. When the library receives a request to register from a library manager it calls each of the register functions, each of which register the one or more functions of its associated sub-library with the library manager. Advantageously the library manager can subsequently interface with each sub-library as if the sub-library was a standalone library. Further a register function can be used for a library whether the library is sub-library or a standalone library, thereby reducing the effort to switch from one to the other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2006
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Albert Asselin, Fred Bower, David Roberts
  • Publication number: 20060277283
    Abstract: Aspects of a distributed computing environment with remote data collection management include a management server, and a plurality of computer systems networked to and managed by the management server. Each of the plurality of computer systems includes a listening agent to receive process code from a management server and to control the periodic execution of the process code to collect data from the plurality of computer systems. The periodic execution occurs without requiring a connection to be maintained between the plurality of computer systems and the management server. Further, the data collected includes data collected from problem determination activities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fred Bower, Rodney Brown, Tushar Fadale, Thomas Fox, Richard Harper, David Roberts, Ketan Shah, Celia SCHREIBER
  • Patent number: 7051331
    Abstract: The monitoring of a worker process by an executive process. A worker process periodically sends a signal to an executive process, such as via a call to a heartbeat interface, which receives the signal and determines whether the worker process is improperly functioning. If the worker process is improperly functioning, the executive process terminates the worker process. The executive process may also examine the worker process for diagnostic purposes before terminating, or returning control to, the worker process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Fred A. Bower, III
  • Publication number: 20060101303
    Abstract: A level of indirection is utilized when writing to a microprocessor array structure, thereby masking hard faults in the array structure. Among other benefits, this minimizes the use of a backward error recovery mechanism with its inherent delay for recovery. The indirection is used to effectively remove from use faulty portions of the array structure and substitute spare, functioning portions to perform the duties of the faulty portions. Thus, for example, faulty rows in microprocessor array structures are mapped out in favor of substitute, functioning rows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2004
    Publication date: May 11, 2006
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fred Bower, Sule Ozev, Paul Shealy, Daniel Sorin
  • Publication number: 20060031719
    Abstract: A method and system for ordering and aggregating log streams. Log streams for events from different sources are received. If different sources have different recording cycles, or time epochs, that lead to different temporal granularities, then all of the log streams are combined into a single time epoch that is equal to the longest time epoch. Log streams from sources having shorter time epochs continue to retain information about their original time epochs, in order to retain information about the order of the events in those log streams. The log streams are re-ordered, both before and after being integrated into the aggregate log, by acquiring additional data from the different sources, thus permitting the likely cause/effect relationship between events.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2004
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventors: Fred Bower, Rodney Brown, Tushar Fadale, Thomas Fox, Richard Harper, David Roberts, Ketan Shah
  • Publication number: 20050278910
    Abstract: A pivoting casket carrier includes a pivoting bed having a predefined length and width. The bed includes a plurality of rollers disposed substantially transverse to the length of the bed for facilitating removal and placement of a casket on the bed. A pivoting mechanism is operatively connected to the bed to allow a predetermined degree of rotation of the bed about a central axis of the pivoting mechanism. A locking system is operatively coupled to the pivoting mechanism to enable operation of the pivoting mechanism to allow rotation of the bed when the locking system is in a first disengaged position, and disable operation of the pivoting mechanism to prevent rotation of the bed when the locking system is in a second engaged position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Publication date: December 22, 2005
    Inventors: Richard Anderson, Robert Lindholme, Fred Bowers
  • Publication number: 20040216100
    Abstract: Multitasking in a hardware interrupt free environment. Event indicators are employed to multitask between processes of the environment. Processes to be multitasked register with one another, and then during processing, one of the processes toggles an event indicator to allow another process to execute. The toggling allows the processes to share resources in an interrupt free environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2003
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Fred A. Bower