Patents by Inventor Gregory William Dake

Gregory William Dake 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: 8166166
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for distributing configuration parameters. The present invention includes one or more storage devices configured to store data, a first DHCP server configured to process DHCP messages and redirect communications regarding configuration parameters for the storage devices to a second DHCP server, and a configuration datastore configured to store configuration parameters for the storage devices. The second DHCP server may be configured to process DHCP messages and retrieve configuration parameters for the storage devices from the configuration datastore. In certain embodiments, each storage initiator communicates with the DHCP servers, receives the configuration parameters such as iSCSI parameters, and provides the configuration parameters to one or more storage devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jesse Paul Arroyo, Joseph Edward Bolan, Thomas M. Brey, Josep Cors, Gregory William Dake, Scott Neil Dunham, William Gavin Holland, Theodore Brian Vojnovich
  • Patent number: 7882562
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for deploying sensitive communication parameters to a diskless computing device. A parameter structure module is included to store one or more Internet Small Computer System Interface (“iSCSI”) communication parameters in an extendable data structure configured to store a set of basic parameter settings and a set of extended parameter settings. A link module is included to establish a secure link to a diskless computing device over a physically secure connection. A deployment module is included to deploy the extendable data structure over the secure connection to a non-volatile memory in the diskless computing device. The non-volatile memory is configured to provide sensitive iSCSI communication parameters provided by the extendable data structure to a CPU of the diskless computing device during a boot sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jesse Paul Arroyo, Joseph Edward Bolan, Thomas M. Brey, Josep Cors, Gregory William Dake, Scott Neil Dunham, William Gavin Holland, Theodore Brian Vojnovich
  • Patent number: 7415519
    Abstract: This invention is useful in a networked system with densely packaged servers or server blades. The servers are connected to a system management network, a communication network and an image server. A management module attached to the system management network and a network switch monitors and controls network booting from an image server on the communication network to prevent over commitment of network and image server resources in order to avoid a boot storm. The management module collects system information and calculates the number of servers or clients the networked system can boot at any one instant of time without burdening the system. The management module logic controls booting via the system management network and service processor elements, which can block server booting and release servers to boot when other servers have completed their boot process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Antonio Abbondanzio, William W. Buchanan, Jr., Simon Chu, Gregory William Dake, Stephen Woodrow Murphrey, William Joseph Piazza, Gregory Brian Pruett, David Benson Rhoades
  • Patent number: 7269630
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for automatically switching remote shared devices in a dense server environment. A device driver in a server blade may be configured to receive a request to access a shared device from the server blade and issue a query to a service processor as to whether the requested shared device is being accessed. If the requested shared device is not being accessed by the requesting server blade, then the device driver may wait to receive a response from the service processor indicating that the requested shared device is available. Once the requested shared device is available, the service processor may connect the requested shared device with the requesting server blade. The request to access the requested shared device may then be transferred to the requested shared device by the device driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Antonio Abbondanzio, Thomas Charles Burke, Gregory William Dake, William Gavin Holland, William Joseph Piazza, Gregory Brian Pruett, David B. Rhoades
  • Patent number: 7213163
    Abstract: A data processing network includes a set of servers, at least one switch module to interconnect the servers, and a management module. The management module consults power state information stored in the network following a power transition and restores power to at least some of the servers and switch modules based on the power state information. The power state information prevents the management module from restoring power to servers and switch modules having incompatible communication protocols. In one embodiment, the plurality of servers and the switch modules are hot-swappable modules that are all inserted into a single chassis. In this embodiment, the server modules and at least one switch module share selected resources of the network including system power. The switch modules and servers may employ Ethernet, fiber channel, optical, and serial communication protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory William Dake, Jeffrey Michael Franke, Donald Eugene Johnson, Shane Michael Lardinois, Michael Scott Rollins, David Robert Woodham
  • Patent number: 7194619
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for remotely booting devices. A deployment server may remotely transmit authentication parameter(s), e.g., public key, secret key, to a service unit configured to establish a private connection between server blades and the deployment server. The service unit may remotely install the authentication parameter(s) onto the server blade(s) to be booted by either the deployment server or another boot server. By the service unit remotely installing the authentication parameter(s) onto the server blade(s), the need to manually install them during each network boot operation may be alleviated. By remotely transmitting authentication parameter(s) instead of manually installing them on the devices to be booted during each network boot operation, the deployment server may be able to generate unique authentication parameter(s), e.g., public/private key pair, secret key, for each network boot operation thereby substantially reducing the exposure to replay attacks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Antonio Abbondanzio, Simon C. Chu, Gregory William Dake, Michael David Day, II, William Joseph Piazza, Gregory Brian Pruett, David B. Rhoades
  • Patent number: 7137014
    Abstract: In a chassis based server a programmed processor determines the fabric type that allows the maximum numbers of processor modules and switches to be powered on. The processor then allows power to be applied to processor modules and switches whose fabric type is the same as the determined fabric type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory William Dake, Jeffery Michael Franke, Donald Eugene Johnson
  • Patent number: 7013385
    Abstract: A system for storing and configuring CMOS setting information remotely in a sewer blade environment includes a management module having includes persistent storage containing a table of CMOS setting information for each server blade. Each server blade includes boot block software that executes when the blade is booted. The boot block software initiates communication with the management module and retrieves its CMOS settings from the table. Thus, CMOS settings for a particular blade location remain unchanged each time a blade is replaced or upgraded. The management module and saver blades may implement a programming interface tat includes command abstractions for each CMOS setting. The management module sends command abstractions to each sewer blade during the CMOS configuration process. The server blade interprets the commands and maps the commands to specific CMOS bit addresses thereby making the specific CMOS implementation employed by any server blade transparent to the management module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Antonio Abbondanzio, Gregory William Dake, William Joseph Piazza, Gregory Brian Pruett, David B. Rhoades
  • Patent number: 6968414
    Abstract: A system for monitoring server blades includes a cabinet having a plurality of racks configured to receive a server blade. The server blade includes one or more microprocessors, memory, and a service processor all interconnected via one or more busses. The system includes a management blade to monitor the local service processors. Upon installation, a new blade identifies itself to the management blade by its physical slot position within the cabinet. In response to a reset, the local blade service processor determines from a tamper latch whether the blade has been removed from the chassis since the last power-on event. If the tamper latch is broken, the local service processor informs the management blade and resets the tamper latch. The local service processor of each blade may send a periodic heartbeat to the management blade, which monitors for loss of the heartbeat signal to determine when a blade is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Antonio Abbondanzio, Gregory William Dake, Gregory Brian Pruett, David B. Rhoades
  • Patent number: 6959380
    Abstract: A remote control application is loaded and executes on a service processor independent from a main processor within a remotely managed system, prior to power on for the main processor. The remote control application grabs and packetizes video data from the remotely managed system for transmission to the remote console via a TCP/IP connection transport layer, and receives keyboard/mouse signals in the same manner for insertion into the remotely managed systems's keyboard/mouse controller(s) as though originating from locally attached peripherals. The service processor also feeds up a Java applet for displaying the video data and capturing keyboard/mouse actions through a browser at the remote console. Remote control is thus enabled from power up of the main processor continuously through operating system load by the main processor with a single user interface, a single connection, and no special utility requirements at the remote console.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory William Dake, Benjamin Russell Grimes
  • Patent number: 6931568
    Abstract: A system and method for determining an active service processor from two or more redundant service processors in the system. The system typically includes two management modules and at least one managed subsystem such as a server blade. Each management module includes a service processor and control logic. The control logic is configured to receive various status signals from the service processor and to generate a control signal based thereon. The control signal is provided, via an interconnect plane, to determination logic on each managed subsystem. The determination logic receives a control signal from each management module and generates a switch signal based on the state of the control signals. The switch signal controls switching logic configured to receive bus signals from the service processors on each management module. Based on the control signal, one of the service processor bus signals is provided to managed instrumentation on the managed subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Antonio Abbondanzio, Gregory William Dake, Dhruv Manmohandas Desai, Benjamin Russell Grimes, William Joseph Piazza, Gregory Brian Pruett, David B. Rhoades
  • Patent number: 6883125
    Abstract: This invention is comprised of a data processing system containing at least one main processor connected to a system bus, a system memory connected to the system bus and accessible to each of the main processors, a tamper mechanism, and a local service processor. The tamper mechanism is configured to change state each time the system is inserted into a slot in a rack enclosure. The local service processor is connected to the tamper mechanism and configured to update an insertion log upon detecting a change in state of the tamper mechanism. The insertion log provides a count and a history of rack insertions to which the system has been subjected. The system may include a non-volatile storage element which is updated exclusively by the local service processor that contains the insertion log. The insertion log may include an insertion counter. In this embodiment, the local service processor is configured to increment the insertion counter upon each insertion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Antonio Abbondanzio, Simon C. Chu, Gregory William Dake, William Gavin Holland, William Joseph Piazza, Gregory Brian Pruett, David B. Rhoades
  • Publication number: 20040268157
    Abstract: A data processing network includes a set of servers, at least one switch module to interconnect the servers, and a management module. The management module consults power state information stored in the network following a power transition and restores power to at least some of the servers and switch modules based on the power state information. The power state information prevents the management module from restoring power to servers and switch modules having incompatible communication protocols. In one embodiment, the plurality of servers and the switch modules are hot-swappable modules that are all inserted into a single chassis. In this embodiment, the server modules and at least one switch module share selected resources of the network including system power. The switch modules and servers may employ Ethernet, fibre channel, optical, and serial communication protocols.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory William Dake, Jeffrey Michael Franke, Donald Eugene Johnson, Shane Michael Lardinois, Michael Scott Rollins, David Robert Woodham
  • Publication number: 20040103180
    Abstract: Signals to a management module are generated on an occurrence of an event affecting one of a plurality of server blades housed in a common chassis with the management module and aggregated in the management module. Signaling in accordance with this invention may be originated at a number of levels of operation of information handling systems, and distinction can be drawn between an occurrence requiring prompt attention from an operator—an alert—and occurrences where such prompt action is unnecessary. Occurrences signaled are logged for possible later review, and such a log will, in the contemplation of this invention, contain events related to a number of server blades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rodney Hugh Brown, Gregory William Dake, Jeffery M. Franke, Donald Eugene Johnson, Edward Joseph Klodnicki, Carl Anthony Morrell, Chetan Dhirubhai Patel, Michael Scott Rollins, William Bradley Schwartz, David R. Woodham
  • Publication number: 20040103327
    Abstract: In a chassis based server a programmed processor determines the fabric type that allows the maximum numbers of processor modules and switches to be powered on. The processor then allows power to be applied to processor modules and switches whose fabric type is the same as the determined fabric type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory William Dake, Jeffery Michael Franke, Donald Eugene Johnson
  • Publication number: 20040003082
    Abstract: This invention is useful in a networked system with densely packaged servers or server blades. The servers are connected to a system management network, a communication network and an image server. A management module attached to the system management network and a network switch monitors and controls network booting from an image server on the communication network to prevent over commitment of network and image server resources in order to avoid a boot storm. The management module collects system information and calculates the number of servers or clients the networked system can boot at any one instant of time without burdening the system. The management module logic controls booting via the system management network and service processor elements, which can block server booting and release servers to boot when other servers have completed their boot process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Publication date: January 1, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Antonio Abbondanzio, William W. Buchanan, Simon Chu, Gregory William Dake, Stephen Woodrow Murphrey, William Jospeh Piazza, Gregory Brian Pruett, David Benson Rhoades
  • Publication number: 20030226004
    Abstract: A method and system for storing and configuring CMOS setting information remotely in a server blade environment. The system includes a management module configured to act as a service processor to a data processing configuration comprising a set of one or more server blades sharing common resources such as system power and cooling fans. The management module includes persistent storage in which is stored a table containing CMOS setting information for each server blade in the configuration. Each server blade includes boot block software that executes when the blade is booted after power-on or system reset. The boot block software initiates communication with the management module and retrieves its CMOS settings from the management modules CMOS setting table. In this manner, CMOS settings for a particular blade location in the configuration remain unchanged each time a blade is replaced or upgraded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2002
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Antonio Abbondanzio, Gregory William Dake, William Joseph Piazza, Gregory Brian Pruett, David B. Rhoades
  • Publication number: 20030188176
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for remotely booting devices. A deployment server may remotely transmit authentication parameter(s), e.g., public key, secret key, to a service unit configured to establish a private connection between server blades and the deployment server. The service unit may remotely install the authentication parameter(s) onto the server blade(s) to be booted by either the deployment server or another boot server. By the service unit remotely installing the authentication parameter(s) onto the server blade(s), the need to manually install them during each network boot operation may be alleviated. By remotely transmitting authentication parameter(s) instead of manually installing them on the devices to be booted during each network boot operation, the deployment server may be able to generate unique authentication parameter(s), e.g., public/private key pair, secret key, for each network boot operation thereby substantially reducing the exposure to replay attacks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Antonio Abbondanzio, Simon C. Chu, Gregory William Dake, Michael David Day, William Joseph Piazza, Gregory Brian Pruett, David B. Rhoades
  • Publication number: 20030188222
    Abstract: A system and method for determining an active service processor from two or more redundant service processors in the system. The system typically includes two management modules and at least one managed subsystem such as a server blade. Each management module includes a service processor and control logic. The control logic is configured to receive various status signals from the service processor and to generate a control signal based thereon. The control signal is provided, via an interconnect plane, to determination logic on each managed subsystem. The determination logic receives a control signal from each management module and generates a switch signal based on the state of the control signals. The switch signal controls switching logic configured to receive bus signals from the service processors on each management module. Based on the control signal, one of the service processor bus signals is provided to managed instrumentation on the managed subsystem.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Antonio Abbondanzio, Gregory William Dake, Dhruv Manmohandas Desai, Benjamin Russell Grimes, William Joseph Piazza, Gregory Brian Pruett, David B. Rhoades
  • Publication number: 20030140267
    Abstract: This invention is comprised of a data processing system containing at least one main processor connected to a system bus, a system memory connected to the system bus and accessible to each of the main processors, a tamper mechanism, and a local service processor. The tamper mechanism is configured to change state each time the system is inserted into a slot in a rack enclosure. The local service processor is connected to the tamper mechanism and configured to update an insertion log upon detecting a change in state of the tamper mechanism. The insertion log provides a count and a history of rack insertions to which the system has been subjected. The system may include a non-volatile storage element which is updated exclusively by the local service processor that contains the insertion log. The insertion log may include an insertion counter. In this embodiment, the local service processor is configured to increment the insertion counter upon each insertion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Antonio Abbondanzio, Simon C. Chu, Gregory William Dake, William Gavin Holland, William Joseph Piazza, Gregory Brian Pruett, David B. Rhoades