Patents by Inventor Melvin McGee

Melvin McGee 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: 9836364
    Abstract: Technology is disclosed for recovering I/O modules in a storage system using in-band alternate control path (ACP) architecture (“the technology”). The technology enables a storage server to transmit control commands, e.g., for recovering an I/O module, to the I/O module over a data path that is typically used to transmit data commands. The control commands are typically transmitted using ACP that is separate from the data path. By enabling transmission of control commands over the data path, the technology eliminates the need for separate medium for ACP, at least in part, to transmit the control commands. The technology can be implemented in a pure in-band ACP mode, which supports recovering an I/O module of a storage shelf in which at least one I/O module is responsive, and/or in a mixed in-band ACP mode, which supports recovery of I/O modules of a storage shelf in which all I/O modules are non-responsive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Mayank Saxena, Melvin McGee
  • Publication number: 20160019124
    Abstract: Technology is disclosed for recovering I/O modules in a storage system using in-band alternate control path (ACP) architecture (“the technology”). The technology enables a storage server to transmit control commands, e.g., for recovering an I/O module, to the I/O module over a data path that is typically used to transmit data commands. The control commands are typically transmitted using ACP that is separate from the data path. By enabling transmission of control commands over the data path, the technology eliminates the need for separate medium for ACP, at least in part, to transmit the control commands. The technology can be implemented in a pure in-band ACP mode, which supports recovering an I/O module of a storage shelf in which at least one I/O module is responsive, and/or in a mixed in-band ACP mode, which supports recovery of I/O modules of a storage shelf in which all I/O modules are non-responsive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Mayank Saxena, Melvin McGee
  • Patent number: 9152513
    Abstract: Technology is disclosed for recovering I/O modules in a storage system using in-band alternate control path (ACP) architecture (“the technology”). The technology enables a storage server to transmit control commands, e.g., for recovering an I/O module, to the I/O module over a data path that is typically used to transmit data commands. The control commands are typically transmitted using ACP that is separate from the data path. By enabling transmission of control commands over the data path, the technology eliminates the need for separate medium for ACP, at least in part, to transmit the control commands. The technology can be implemented in a pure in-band ACP mode, which supports recovering an I/O module of a storage shelf in which at least one I/O module is responsive, and/or in a mixed in-band ACP mode, which supports recovery of I/O modules of a storage shelf in which all I/O modules are non-responsive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Mayank Saxena, Melvin McGee
  • Publication number: 20150205685
    Abstract: Technology is disclosed for recovering I/O modules in a storage system using in-band alternate control path (ACP) architecture (“the technology”). The technology enables a storage server to transmit control commands, e.g., for recovering an I/O module, to the I/O module over a data path that is typically used to transmit data commands. The control commands are typically transmitted using ACP that is separate from the data path. By enabling transmission of control commands over the data path, the technology eliminates the need for separate medium for ACP, at least in part, to transmit the control commands. The technology can be implemented in a pure in-band ACP mode, which supports recovering an I/O module of a storage shelf in which at least one I/O module is responsive, and/or in a mixed in-band ACP mode, which supports recovery of I/O modules of a storage shelf in which all I/O modules are non-responsive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Inventors: Mayank Saxena, Melvin McGee
  • Patent number: 8156382
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for counting storage-related error events using a sliding window. This is accomplished by counting error events that occur within a sliding window of time and triggering a reaction based on such count. By this feature, the error events are counted with additional accuracy so that a reaction will be appropriately triggered. To this end, in various embodiments, more accurate error counting is afforded to avoid a situation, such as in fixed sampling window frameworks, where an appropriate reaction is not triggered due to a failure to count an appropriate number error events in close proximity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne Booth, Melvin McGee
  • Patent number: 8090881
    Abstract: Method and system is provided where PHY state change (PHY CHANGE) notifications from one or more PHYs in a storage infrastructure are monitored as a potential error condition. The rate of PHY CHANGE notifications is monitored to determine if the rate of PHY CHANGE notifications may cause a loss of service or degrade I/O performance. An excessive rate of PHY CHANGE notification that may cause a loss of service is detected by comparing a current PHY CHANGE count with a burst threshold value. The current PHY CHANGE count is also compared to an operational threshold value to detect if the rate of PHY CHANGE notification may result in degradation of overall I/O performance. If the PHY CHANGE count for a PHY equals or exceeds the burst threshold value or the operational threshold value, then the PHY is disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Netapp, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne Booth, Melvin McGee
  • Patent number: 7917665
    Abstract: Method and system is provided where PHY state change (PHY CHANGE) notifications from one or more PHYs in a storage infrastructure are monitored as a potential error condition. The rate of PHY CHANGE notifications is monitored to determine if the rate of PHY CHANGE notifications may cause a loss of service or degrade I/O performance. An excessive rate of PHY CHANGE notification that may cause a loss of service is detected by comparing a current PHY CHANGE count with burst threshold value. The current PHY CHANGE count is also compared to an operational threshold value to detect if the rate of PHY CHANGE notification may result in degradation of overall I/O performance. If the PHY CHANGE count for a PHY equals or exceeds the burst threshold value or the operational threshold value, then the PHY is disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne Booth, Melvin McGee