Patents by Inventor Jerald K. Alston

Jerald K. Alston 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: 9401879
    Abstract: A network device is provided. The network device includes a port complex having a plurality of ports configured to operate at different operating speeds for sending and receiving information complying with different protocols. The network device further includes a processor complex having a plurality of processors for processing information complying with different protocols and received by the plurality of ports; and a message queuing system (MQS) for managing messages for the plurality of processors regarding the received information complying with different protocols. Each processor can process information complying with any of the different protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: QLOGIC Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce A. Klemin, Jerald K. Alston, Derek J. Rohde
  • Patent number: 9094333
    Abstract: A network device is provided. The network device includes a port complex having a plurality of ports configured to operate at different operating speeds for sending and receiving information complying with different protocols. The network device further includes a processor complex having a plurality of processors for processing information complying with different protocols and received by the plurality of ports; and a message queuing system (MQS) for managing messages for the plurality of processors regarding the received information complying with different protocols. Each processor can process information complying with any of the different protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce A. Klemin, Jerald K. Alston, Derek J. Rohde
  • Patent number: 8904077
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for reducing power consumption in a host bus adapter (HBA) are provided. The methods include reducing a number of active lanes in an HBA link when link traffic is low, and increasing the number of active lanes when link traffic is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corporation
    Inventor: Jerald K. Alston
  • Patent number: 8793399
    Abstract: Method and System for processing network information is provided. The system includes a computing system having a processor for executing instructions for an application module that generates an input/output (“I/O”) request for transmitting and receiving network information to and from the network device; a storage driver for receiving the I/O request from the application module; a network protocol stack for executing a network protocol layer for processing network related information; and an accelerator module that interfaces with the storage driver and the network protocol stack for accelerating processing of Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) protocol data units (PDUs).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corporation
    Inventors: Murali Rajagopal, Jerald K. Alston, Sanjaya Anand, Bruce A. Klemin
  • Patent number: 7694047
    Abstract: A PCI-Express module that is coupled to plural host systems and to at least an input/output (I/O) device is provided. The PCI-Express module includes an upstream port module and a downstream port module that use a mapping table to facilitate the plural host systems sharing the I/O device by modifying a transaction layer packet (TLP) field. For upstream ID based traffic, a source identifier is replaced based on the mapping table and a destination identifier is replaced with a value that is captured during upstream port module initialization. For upstream address based traffic, the mapping table routes TLPs by using a downstream port number and a function number in a source identification field. For downstream ID based traffic, a destination identifier is replaced by using the mapping table for routing TLPs. For downstream address based traffic, the PCI-Express module uses an address map to route TLPs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corporation
    Inventor: Jerald K. Alston
  • Patent number: 7668978
    Abstract: Method and system for an adapter operationally coupled to a host system and a network is provided. The adapter includes an internal memory that can be configured in a first mode to operate as a dedicated random access memory used by a main processor of the adapter; or configured in a second mode to operate both as a random access memory used by the main processor and also used for storing information received from the network. The method includes enabling the second mode of the internal memory so that the internal memory is configured to operate both as random access memory for the main processor and for storing information received from the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corporation
    Inventors: David T Kwak, Ali A. Khwaja, Jerald K. Alston
  • Patent number: 7668177
    Abstract: Method and system for an adapter coupled to a network via a network link is provided. The method includes using a first selectable mode and a second selectable mode to provide quality of service to a plurality of applications executed by one or more computing system. In the first selectable mode, the quality of service is based on allocating bandwidth of the network link and dynamically adjusting an initial priority assigned to a plurality of queues, each queue being associated with an application from among a plurality of applications. In the second selectable mode, the quality of service is based on a user assigning a priority to each of the plurality of applications and the adapter determines a number of input/output (I/O) requests it needs to process within a duration and then transfers information based on the determined number of I/O requests and the assigned priority.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corporation
    Inventors: Darren L. Trapp, Sanjaya Anand, Jerald K. Alston
  • Patent number: 7577773
    Abstract: Method and system for processing read requests sent by a network interface device to a host system is provided. The method includes sending staggered read requests within a programmable time interval (“T”), wherein a transmit direct memory access (DMA) module sends more than one read request to the host system within the time interval T; placing data received from the host system in response to the read requests in independent slots of a transmit buffer; and unloading the transmit buffer slots based on an unload command, wherein the unload command is based on a mapping of read requests corresponding to transmit buffer slot locations where data from the host system is stored, and data is sent from the transmit buffer to a network device in the same order as the read requests that are sent from the network interface device to host system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corporation
    Inventors: Rajendra R. Gandhi, Kuangfu D. Chu, Jerald K. Alston
  • Patent number: 7380030
    Abstract: A storage area network (“SAN”) and a system is provided. The SAN includes, a host bus adapter operationally coupled with a credit extender, wherein the credit extender receives frames from a Fibre Channel network and sends the received frames to the HBA based on buffer space available in the HBA. The HBA notifies other Fibre Channel ports of buffer space available in the credit extender. The HBA sends a signal to the credit extender notifying the credit extender of available buffer space in the HBA. The HBA includes a management port for interfacing the HBA with the credit extender.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corp.
    Inventors: Oscar J. Grijalva, Jerald K. Alston, Eric R. Griffith, James A. Kunz
  • Patent number: 6327635
    Abstract: An add-on card is provided for use within a computer system that has an expansion slot connected to a bus. The bus has a first supply line for supplying a first predetermined voltage and a second supply line for supplying a second predetermined voltage which is higher than the first predetermined voltage. The add-on card is adapted to operate properly regardless of whether the respective predetermined voltages are supplied on (1) the first supply line only, (2) the second supply line only, or (3) both supply lines. In a PCI bus implementation, where 3.3V and 5V are the predetermined voltage levels, the add-on card operates properly regardless of whether: only a 5V level is provided, only a 3.3V level is provided, or both 3.3V and 5V levels are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: QLogic Corporation
    Inventors: Jerald K. Alston, Mark L. Craven, Henry Tran