Patents by Inventor J. Mark Weber

J. Mark Weber 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: 20150100817
    Abstract: Anticipatory protection of critical jobs in a computing system, including: identifying, by a system management module, a problem computing component in the computing system; identifying, by the system management modules, all proximate computing components in the computing system, wherein each proximate computing component is within a predetermined physical proximity of the problem computing component; determining, by the system management module, whether the proximate computing components are executing one or more critical jobs; and responsive to determining that the proximate computing components are executing one or more critical jobs migrating, by the system management module, the one or more critical jobs to distant computing components in the computing system, wherein each distant computing component is not within the predetermined physical proximity of the problem computing component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shareef F. Alshinnawi, Gary D. Cudak, Edward S. Suffern, J. Mark Weber
  • Patent number: 8996778
    Abstract: A verified cluster configuration is collected and stored by a central management entity. Servers within the cluster are connected to network cables, where each of the servers has at least one network port and memory storing a port identification code for each network port, and where each network cable has memory storing a cable identification code. For each verified connection between a network cable and a network port, the port identification code is stored in the memory of the network cable and the cable identification code is stored in the memory of the corresponding server. The data identifying each connection is stored by the central management entity and includes the port identification code for a particular network port in association with the network cable identification code for the corresponding network cable. Any miswiring of the configuration is identified by the central management entity and easily corrected by the administrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Shareef F. Alshinnawi, Gary D. Cudak, Edward S. Suffern, J. Mark Weber
  • Publication number: 20150077271
    Abstract: A method controls vehicular traffic on a one-way roadway. A hardware sensor detects vehicular traffic on a roadway. A hardware traffic control device determines whether the vehicular traffic on the roadway has been moving exclusively in a first direction during a preceding period of time, such that the roadway is a one-way roadway on which current vehicular traffic is authorized to travel only in the first direction. The hardware sensor detects an errant vehicle that is traveling on the one-way roadway in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. In response to determining that the errant vehicle is traveling in the second direction on the one-way roadway, a warning signal is transmitted to vehicles, other than the errant vehicle, on the one-way roadway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: SHAREEF F. ALSHINNAWI, GARY D. CUDAK, EDWARD S. SUFFERN, J. MARK WEBER
  • Publication number: 20150077273
    Abstract: A hardware traffic control device controls vehicular traffic on a one-way roadway. A hardware sensor detects vehicular traffic on a roadway in order to enable a hardware traffic control device to determine that the vehicular traffic on the roadway has been moving exclusively in a first direction during a preceding period of time, thus identifying the roadway as a one-way roadway in which current vehicular traffic is authorized to travel only in the first direction. The hardware sensor then detects an errant vehicle that is traveling in the opposite direction on the one-way roadway. A disabling electronic signal is then transmitted from the hardware traffic control device to disable a distracting electronic device within the errant vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: SHAREEF F. ALSHINNAWI, GARY D. CUDAK, EDWARD S. SUFFERN, J. MARK WEBER
  • Publication number: 20150019851
    Abstract: A method and computer program product for implementing the method, where the method comprises obtaining boot dependencies among a plurality of systems, wherein a boot dependency identifies a dependent system, a service system that provides a service to the dependent system, a provide state of the service system, and a need state of the dependent system that requires the service system to have reached the provide state. The method further comprises obtaining historical measurements of the time periods between states for each of the systems. Then, during a process of booting the plurality of systems, the method initiates boot of each dependant system at a time that is determined, based on the historical measurements, to allow the dependent system to reach the need state no earlier than the time at which the service system is determined, based on the historical measurements, to reach the provide state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Alandt, Shareef F. Alshinnawi, Gary D. Cudak, Edward S. Suffern, J. Mark Weber
  • Patent number: 8911970
    Abstract: Fermentation media containing an isoflavone-depleted soybean meal or isoflavone-depleted soybean meal product and at least one exogenous added ingredient that comprises a substrate for microbial growth are provided. Methods of making a fermentation medium comprising an isoflavone-depleted soybean meal or isoflavone-depleted soybean meal product and methods for obtaining a fermentation product are also provided. The present invention is further directed to fermentation broths obtained by the media and methods. The present invention is also directed to feed additives produced from fermentation broths obtained by the methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Fermalogic, Inc.
    Inventor: J. Mark Weber
  • Publication number: 20140362520
    Abstract: A method comprising flowing a liquid through supply pipe couplings to a fin tube assembly of an air-to-liquid heat exchanger and through the fin tube assembly to return pipe couplings, wherein the fin tube assembly forms a central air flow pathway. The method further comprises passing air through components within a rack secured to the rear door heat exchanger and through the fin tube assembly and detecting an operating condition within the rack. The method then automatically moves the fin tube assembly from a retracted position to an extended position in response to the operating condition, wherein the retracted position directs substantially all of the air to exit the rack through the central air flow pathway, and wherein the extended position allows the air to exit through the central air flow pathway and also through first and second side air flow pathways.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Shareef F. Alshinnawi, Gary D. Cudak, Edward S. Suffern, J. Mark Weber
  • Publication number: 20140360696
    Abstract: A rear door heat exchanger includes a door frame have opposing first and second edges, a fluid supply manifold secured along the first edge of the door frame, a fluid return manifold secured along the second edge of the door frame, a fin tube assembly including a plurality of fin tubes extending across a central region of the rear door heat exchanger and forming an air flow pathway through the fin tube assembly, and an actuator for controllably moving the fin tube assembly between retracted and extended positions. The rear door heat exchanger further comprises a plurality of supply pipe coupling assemblies and a plurality of return pipe coupling assemblies, each pipe coupling assembly providing fluid communication between one of the manifolds and one of the fin tubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Shareef F. Alshinnawi, Gary D. Cudak, Edward S. Suffern, J. Mark Weber
  • Publication number: 20140355201
    Abstract: A rear door heat exchanger is used to cool exhaust air as it exits a rack containing a plurality of computing devices. An air flow rate is determined for each of the plurality of computing devices within the rack, wherein each of the plurality of computing devices includes a fan drawing air through the computing device. The position of a baffle or louver is controlled to allow exhaust air to bypass the rear door heat exchanger in response to determining that the total air flow rate through the plurality of computing devices exceeds a predetermined air flow capacity threshold of the rear door heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Shareef F. Alshinnawi, Gary D. Cudak, Robert W. Stegner, Edward S. Suffern, J. Mark Weber
  • Patent number: 8830672
    Abstract: A computer system includes a rack-mountable server unit with a closed server housing. The server housing has a channel with a recessed channel wall in conductive thermal communication with a processor or other heat-generating component. An elongate conduit is received into the channel of the server housing in conductive thermal communication with an external surface of the server housing. The server is cooled by conductive fluid flow through the conduit, with no appreciable airflow through the server housing. The system may be operated in an optional burst cooling mode, wherein a volume of cooling fluid is trapped in the conduit for a period of time before being quickly released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shareef F. Alshinnawi, Gary D. Cudak, Christopher J. Hardee, Randall C. Humes, Adam Roberts, Edward S. Suffern, J. Mark Weber
  • Publication number: 20140240919
    Abstract: A system selectively cools a set of at least one rack-mounted server in a chassis. The system comprises: a chassis; a chassis manager; a set of at least one thermal sensor coupled to each rack-mounted server in the chassis; a cold air source; a cold air conduit coupled to the cold air source; a plurality of cold air valves coupled to the cold air conduit; and an expandable tube of flexible memory material coupled to each of the plurality of cold air valves, where the expandable tube inflates with cold air from the cold air source to expose directional holes, and thus cold air, across a specific predetermined sub-area of a particular overheating rack-mounted server in response to the chassis manager detecting that the particular overheating rack-mounted server is exceeding a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: SHAREEF F. ALSHINNAWI, GARY D. CUDAK, EDWARD S. SUFFERN, J. MARK WEBER
  • Publication number: 20140226280
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a system selectively cools a set of at least one rack-mounted server in a chassis. The system comprises: a chassis; a chassis manager; a set of at least one thermal sensor coupled to each rack-mounted server in a chassis; a trolley track oriented functionally proximate to the multiple rack-mounted servers; and a cold air trolley movably mounted to the trolley track. The cold air trolley moves along the trolley track in order to be selectively oriented next to a particular overheating rack-mounted server in the chassis, thus providing a fluid conduit from a cold air source to the particular overheating rack-mounted server in response to the chassis manager detecting that the particular overheating rack-mounted server is exceeding a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: SHAREEF F. ALSHINNAWI, GARY D. CUDAK, EDWARD S. SUFFERN, J. MARK WEBER
  • Patent number: 8792569
    Abstract: Three-phase electrical power is used to distribute electrical power to electronic devices in a cluster. A power distribution system includes circuit breaker panels and power distribution units for providing electrical power to the electronic devices. The electrical connections within the power distribution system form a digital communication network that communicates identification codes for the purpose of identifying each electrical connection in the power distribution system. A cluster management entity may then collect the identification codes associated with each electrical connection in order to detect the actual configuration of the power distribution system. By further knowing the load of each electronic device and their association with entities of the power distribution system, the cluster management entity may determine the load on each phase and take steps to balance the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shareef F. Alshinnawi, Gary D. Cudak, Edward S. Suffern, J. Mark Weber
  • Publication number: 20140181564
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method identifies the path of a first power circuit to a first power supply that is connected to supply power to an electronic device, and identifies the path of a second power circuit to a second power supply that is connected to supply power to the electronic device. The method then compares the path of the first power distribution circuit with the path of the second power distribution circuit to determine a measure of redundancy in the first and second distribution paths. A measure of redundancy may then be output to a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shareef F. Alshinnawi, Gary D. Cudak, Edward S. Suffern, J. Mark Weber, Andrew H. Wray
  • Publication number: 20140177736
    Abstract: Three-phase electrical power is used to distribute electrical power to electronic devices in a cluster. A power distribution system includes circuit breaker panels and power distribution units for providing electrical power to the electronic devices. The electrical connections within the power distribution system form a digital communication network that communicates identification codes for the purpose of identifying each electrical connection in the power distribution system. A cluster management entity may then collect the identification codes associated with each electrical connection in order to detect the actual configuration of the power distribution system. By further knowing the load of each electronic device and their association with entities of the power distribution system, the cluster management entity may determine the load on each phase and take steps to balance the load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shareef F. Alshinnawi, Gary D. Cudak, Edward S. Suffern, J. Mark Weber
  • Publication number: 20140177738
    Abstract: A method provides digital communication over an electrical power supply cable between a management processor in a circuit breaker panel (CBP) and a management processor in a power distribution unit (PDU), wherein the CBP has a CBP identification code (ID) and the PDU has a PDU ID. The digital communication provides the CBP management processor with the PDU ID for the PDU that is connected through the electrical power supply cable to the CBP, or the digital communication provides the PDU management processor with the CBP ID for the CBP that is connected through the electrical power supply cable to the PDU. The method further comprises identifying the electrical power supply cable connection by communicating first and second endpoints of the electrical power cable connection to a cluster management entity, wherein the first endpoint is identified by the CBP ID and the second endpoint is identified by the PDU ID.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shareef F. Alshinnawi, Gary D. Cudak, Edward S. Suffern, J. Mark Weber
  • Patent number: 8757063
    Abstract: A method of printing on a sheet of paper comprises drawing a first sheet of paper from a first paper source into a printer having an optical scanner and a print head, scanning a first face of the first sheet to determine the presence or absence of print thereon. In response to detecting print on the first face, the print head is caused to print an obstruction on the first face. In response to detecting no print on the first face, the print head is caused to print new matter on the first face. The method enables a printer to accept used paper while eliminating confusion over which face contains the new matter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shareef F. Alshinnawi, Margaret M. Quinn, Edward S. Suffern, J. Mark Weber
  • Publication number: 20140173156
    Abstract: A verified cluster configuration is collected and stored by a central management entity. Servers within the cluster are connected to network cables, where each of the servers has at least one network port and memory storing a port identification code for each network port, and where each network cable has memory storing a cable identification code. For each verified connection between a network cable and a network port, the port identification code is stored in the memory of the network cable and the cable identification code is stored in the memory of the corresponding server. The data identifying each connection is stored by the central management entity and includes the port identification code for a particular network port in association with the network cable identification code for the corresponding network cable. Any miswiring of the configuration is identified by the central management entity and easily corrected by the administrator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shareef F. Alshinnawi, Gary D. Cudak, Edward S. Suffern, J. Mark Weber
  • Publication number: 20140164813
    Abstract: A method of powering on a plurality of devices includes identifying a plurality of power distribution units (PDUs) disposed in a rack, wherein each PDU receives power from a main power source and includes a circuit breaker. A plurality of devices disposed in the rack are identified, wherein each device receives power from one of the PDUs, and wherein the plurality of devices are server nodes, network switches or external data storage devices. Vital product data (VPD) is obtained from a service processor in each device, wherein the VPD identifies the device by a model identification code. For each PDU, the plurality of devices connected to the PDU are powered on in a sequence to prevent an inrush current from tripping the circuit breaker within the PDU, wherein the sequence powers on devices in order of ascending commonality of the model identification code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shareef F. Alshinnawi, Gary D. Cudak, Edward S. Suffern, J. Mark Weber
  • Publication number: 20140164794
    Abstract: A computer program product includes computer usable program code for: identifying a plurality of power distribution units (PDUs) disposed in a rack, wherein each PDU receives power from a main power source and includes a circuit breaker; identifying a plurality of devices disposed in the rack, wherein each device receives power from one of the PDUs, and wherein the plurality of devices are selected from server nodes, network switches and external data storage devices; obtaining vital product data from a service processor in each device, wherein the vital product data identifies the device by a model identification code; and powering on, for each of the PDUs, the plurality of devices that are connected to the PDU in a sequence to prevent an inrush current from tripping the circuit breaker within the PDU, wherein the sequence powers on devices in order of ascending commonality of the model identification code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shareef F. Alshinnawi, Gary D. Cudak, Edward S. Suffern, J. Mark Weber