Patents by Inventor Michael A. Ferris

Michael A. Ferris 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: 8417771
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. The mechanism of the present invention provides two significant advantages over the prior art: the synchronization of state, and the recognition of user actions in the browser including the invocation of the appropriate application logic in the server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server. The Applet Group Controller maintains an association with each applet that maintains the keys and values of any parameters and variables for the applet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt
  • Publication number: 20130086235
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating cloud deployment targets based on predictive workload estimation. In aspects, a set of usage histories can store records for user workloads in a host cloud-based network recording the consumption of processor, memory, storage, operating system, application, or other resources subscribed to by the user. The operator of the cloud management system hosting the workloads of one or more users can track, identify, and manage the predictive marginal resource capacities of the set of host clouds, based on those historical usage patterns. The collective usage history can indicate, for instance, that a number of operating workloads tend to display a small under-utilization of processor or memory resources during certain overnight periods on a regular basis. The operator can then harvest those predictive marginal capacities, and offer a new user or workload a potential hosting subscription based on those expected resource availabilities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Inventor: James Michael Ferris
  • Patent number: 8407284
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for transporting data to a cloud network. In aspects, an administrator of a data payload may wish to transport the data payload from a data distribution service to a candidate cloud provider to leverage cost, security, redundancy, consolidation, or other advantages. The data distribution service can identify candidate cloud providers that are able to host the data payload. Further, the data distribution service can examine any relationships between the administrator and the candidate cloud providers, and, based on the relationships, can present the administrator with respective offers from the candidate cloud providers to host the data payload. The administrator can review the offers, make a selection, and the data payload can be transported to the selected candidate cloud provider for hosting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Red Hat, Inc.
    Inventor: James Michael Ferris
  • Patent number: 8402139
    Abstract: A matching system can provide matching services to users of cloud computing environments. The matching system can receive user requests for sets of services. Once received, the matching system can collect information about available cloud appliances. The matching system can match the cloud appliances with the user requested services and provide the user with information related to available cloud appliances that meet the user's request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Red Hat, Inc.
    Inventors: James Michael Ferris, Gerry Edward Riveros
  • Patent number: 8364819
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for a cross-vendor mapping service in cloud networks. A mapping service can be provided external to one or more sets of clouds which can access vendor databases in those clouds, and generate reports on software compatibility for software resources available in those diverse cloud networks. A user in an original cloud may wish to construct an image of a set of appliances or other services or entities in a second, external cloud or clouds. The external target cloud(s) may have different application sets, and/or applications available from different vendors, than those software resources hosted in the original cloud. A mapping service external to the participating clouds can enumerate the applications or other resources available in an external cloud, and generate a mapping or translation of those components to construct desired appliance images in that destination. Subscription terms can also be translated between clouds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Red Hat, Inc.
    Inventors: James Michael Ferris, Gerry Edward Riveros
  • Patent number: 8363055
    Abstract: Multiple time scales enable animations over multiple shots. Time-dependent data is specified with reference to time references. Data expressed in different time references may be combined to form animations, shots, and sequences of shots. Time transformations specifying mappings between time references are used to combine data expressed in different time references. Data can be viewed in arbitrary time references. Editing data specifying a sequence of shots may be used as a time reference for viewing data expressed in other time references. Data expressed in one time reference may be rearranged according to another time reference to indicate time reference relationships. Data authored in one time reference may be viewed and modified in another time reference. Modifications are converted from the viewing time reference to the data's original time reference for updating data. Time-dependent data may be expressed in layer data structures. Layer relationships may include time transformations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Pixar
    Inventors: Eric Gregory, Michael Ferris, Robert Jensen, Oren Jacob, Timothy S. Milliron
  • Patent number: 8341625
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for identification and management of cloud-based virtual machines. A user requests the instantiation of a set of virtual machines from a cloud computing environment. A cloud management system requests the resources necessary to build the machines from a set of resource servers. After populating the set of virtual machines from the cloud, the cloud management system inserts a token ID into one of the virtual machines to designate that machine as a management instance. An image of that machine can be stored in the cloud management system to represent the configuration of the set of virtual machines, even when the cloud itself lacks permanent storage. When the user wishes to update the set of virtual machines, the cloud management system can insert another token ID into another virtual machine, reconfigure the software, processing, or other resources of that machine as a revised management instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Red Hat, Inc.
    Inventors: James Michael Ferris, David P. Huff, Bryan Kearney, Tomislav Vujec
  • Publication number: 20120303740
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating optimized host placement of data payload in a cloud-based storage network. In aspects, a user can maintain a user premise network including servers, clients, local area networks, data stores, and/or other network assets. An administrator or other user of the premise network may wish to extract data from the premise network and transfer that data payload to a set of host storage clouds to leverage cost, redundancy, consolidation, or other cloud advantages. The placement tool can evaluate potential target cloud-based data stores based on various or multiple parameters for the hosting features offered by different cloud providers. The tool can generate a determination of the target host or hosts which can provide the best-matched or optimized data hosting facilities or services for the user's data payload in the cloud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventor: James Michael Ferris
  • Publication number: 20120303776
    Abstract: A compliance tool can verify compliance with jurisdictional transfer and storage requirements for data migration into or within a cloud. The compliance tool can monitor and check data transfers and storage to determine if the data transfer and/or storage will cross jurisdictional boundaries. If the transfers or storage crosses jurisdictional boundaries, the compliance tool can identify the transfer and storage requirements of any jurisdictions involved with the transfer and/or storage. The compliance tool can verify that the data transfers complies with the identified transfer and storage requirements. If the data transfer and/or storage does not comply with the identified transfer and storage requirements, the compliance tool can terminate the data transfer and/or storage, modify the data transfer and/or storage, and/or modify the data, itself, to comply with the identified transfer and storage requirements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventor: James Michael Ferris
  • Publication number: 20120303739
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for data migration among a plurality of cloud-based storage networks. In aspects, an administrator of a data payload may wish to migrate the data payload from a host cloud network to a target cloud provider to leverage cost, security, redundancy, consolidation, or other advantages. A data distribution service can identify data sets replicated from the data payload and located on the data distribution service or other staging sites. The data distribution service or other logic can examine consistencies and/or differences between the data payload in the host cloud network and the replicated data payloads. Depending on the consistencies and/or differences, the data distribution service can directly transport a replicated data payload from the respective staging site to a target cloud in lieu of migrating the data payload out of the host cloud network to the target cloud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventor: James Michael Ferris
  • Publication number: 20120303814
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for transporting data to a cloud network. In aspects, an administrator of a data payload may wish to transport the data payload from a data distribution service to a candidate cloud provider to leverage cost, security, redundancy, consolidation, or other advantages. The data distribution service can identify candidate cloud providers that are able to host the data payload. Further, the data distribution service can examine any relationships between the administrator and the candidate cloud providers, and, based on the relationships, can present the administrator with respective offers from the candidate cloud providers to host the data payload. The administrator can review the offers, make a selection, and the data payload can be transported to the selected candidate cloud provider for hosting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventor: James Michael Ferris
  • Publication number: 20120303654
    Abstract: A data migration tool can automatically locate or discover data that is being used by, or associated with, workloads being re-located to or within a cloud network. The data migration tool can automatically initiate the transport of that data to the cloud, and store the data in the cloud so that it is associated with the migrated workloads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventor: James Michael FERRIS
  • Publication number: 20120284405
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for instantiating and operating a virtual appliance monitor in a network cloud environment. A method includes receiving, by a virtual appliance monitor, appliance state information representing an execution state of a virtual appliance of a set of virtual appliances instantiated in the network cloud, wherein the virtual appliance monitor is instantiated separately from the set of virtual appliances and configured to monitor the set of virtual appliances. The method further includes performing a control action to alter the execution state of the virtual appliance in response to conditions detected in the appliance state information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventors: James Michael Ferris, David P. Huff
  • Patent number: 8285787
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for managing a collaboration space having application hosting capabilities. A collaboration space, such as a wiki site, can host a set of collaboration tools and resources, including, for example, content tools, communication tools, and other resources for the users of the space. The collaboration space can also incorporate a set of executable application resources, such as application programming tools to permit users to program, invoke, and execute applications directly from the wiki site or other collaboration space. The set of executable application resources can in turn be embedded or incorporated in a Web framework, for instance to permit the set of hosted applications to be served/run to remote clients as Web applications. Applications generated outside the collaboration space can in embodiments be migrated into the collaboration space and hosted and/or executed from within the collaboration space, even if not originally generated there.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Red Hat, Inc.
    Inventors: James Michael Ferris, David Huff
  • Publication number: 20120226745
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt
  • Publication number: 20120226744
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt
  • Publication number: 20120221845
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for migrating data between cloud networks via a data distribution service. In aspects, an administrator of a data payload may wish to migrate the data payload from a host cloud network to a target cloud provider to leverage cost, security, redundancy, consolidation, or other advantages. The data distribution service can identify target cloud providers with sets of resources that are capable of hosting the data payload. Further, the data distribution service can determine that the target cloud providers are connected to or capable of being connected to the data distribution service via a set of dedicated communication channels. According to aspects, the data distribution service can receive the data payload from the host cloud network, and transport the data payload to a selected target cloud provider via the set of dedicated communication channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Inventor: James Michael Ferris
  • Publication number: 20120221626
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for establishing upload channels to a cloud data distribution (CDD) service. In particular, an administrator of a user network can desire to migrate data to a cloud-based network via the CDD service. The administrator can provide specifications for transferring the data to the CDD service via a connection between the CDD service and the user network. The CDD service can generate a set of options for transferring the data based on the specifications and a specification of the connection. The set of options can be provided to the administrator, the administrator can select one of the options, and the transfer of the data can be initiated according to the selected option.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Inventor: James Michael Ferris
  • Publication number: 20120221683
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for de-populating a cloud data store. In aspects, data from premise or other sources can be stored in a set of host storage clouds. A network administrator, owner, or other user can initiate the extraction of the set of cloud-populated data, and migrate that data to a set of step-down data stores, such as on-premise databases, servers, and/or other stores. A staging engine hosted in a cloud data distribution service can manage the discovery, reading-out, and delivery of the set of cloud-populated data to the set of step-down data stores. The staging engine can configure high-bandwidth data connections to the distribution service from the host storage clouds, and/or to the target step-down data stores from the data distribution service. A set of de-population commands can specify the connections, target data locations, file or directory formats, and/or other parameters to be used to re-locate the cloud-populated data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Inventor: James Michael Ferris
  • Publication number: 20120221684
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for staged data migration between data sources and a cloud-based storage network. In aspects, a user can maintain a user premise network including servers, clients, local area networks, data stores, and/or other network assets. An administrator or other user of the premise network may wish to extract data from the premise network and transfer that data payload to a set of host storage clouds to leverage cost, redundancy, consolidation, or other cloud advantages. A cloud data delivery (CDD) service can be established to stage the upload of the data payload to the set of host storage clouds using a set of managed or dedicated lines to the CDD service, and to the host storage clouds at network edge. The connections between the premise network/CDD service and CDD service/host storage clouds can be selected and/or optimized to provide high-bandwidth connections tailored to the schedule, cost, or other requirements of the data payload to be transported.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Inventor: James Michael Ferris