Patents by Inventor MICHAEL D. BROOKS

MICHAEL D. BROOKS 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: 11956309
    Abstract: A method for intermediary client reconnection to a preferred server in a high availability server cluster. The method includes monitoring a persistent connection of a logical connection to a preferred server to identify an unavailability of the preferred server, establishing a temporary persistent connection for the logical connection to an available server to replace an unavailable preferred server, prompting attempts to reconnect to the preferred server at intervals, and providing a connection switching pool and simultaneously re-establishing a persistent connection with the preferred server for the logical connection using the connection switching pool while terminating the temporary persistent connection to the available server. The connection switching pool and a main connection pool used by the persistent connection allow for simultaneously maintaining two connections to different servers in a same server cluster for the logical connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Katherine Jane Susan Robinson, Philip I Wakelin, Michael D. Brooks, Alan Hollingshead
  • Publication number: 20240086216
    Abstract: A method, system, computer program product and a computer program for prioritizing queued tasks waiting to access a resource associated with a resource manager in an application server, wherein an incoming task received at the application server from a calling application may have a status indicating that the incoming task is in a final phase during which a response to the calling application is created, the method comprising: receiving the incoming task; identifying the status of the incoming task; in response to identifying that the status of the incoming task is in the final phase, placing the incoming task in a priority queue; analyzing any queued tasks waiting to access the resource in the priority queue and one or more other queues; and processing a queued task from the priority queue in preference to the one or more other queues.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Philip I Wakelin, Michael D. Brooks, Alan Hollingshead, Mark James Hiscock
  • Patent number: 11792275
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for the dynamic management of the capacity of connections to a server. One method includes receiving a request to change a first connection to a server and determining active connections to the server. The method also includes determining a corresponding current capacity of each active connection and determining a new capacity for the first connection and the active connections to the server. The method further includes determining that a spare capacity of the server is insufficient for the first connection. The method also includes allocating a capacity to the first connection based on the request. The method further includes adjusting the current capacity of the active connections, including reducing the current capacity of at least a portion of the active connections in proportion to the respective current capacity of the one or more active connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Brooks, Philip I. Wakelin, Alan Hollingshead, Julian Horn
  • Publication number: 20230110415
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for the dynamic management of the capacity of connections to a server. One method includes receiving a request to change a first connection to a server and determining active connections to the server. The method also includes determining a corresponding current capacity of each active connection and determining a new capacity for the first connection and the active connections to the server. The method further includes determining that a spare capacity of the server is insufficient for the first connection. The method also includes allocating a capacity to the first connection based on the request. The method further includes adjusting the current capacity of the active connections, including reducing the current capacity of at least a portion of the active connections in proportion to the respective current capacity of the one or more active connections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Michael D. Brooks, Philip I. Wakelin, Alan Hollingshead, Julian Horn
  • Publication number: 20230108553
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide concepts for handling incoming transaction requests to a transaction server based on a historical record of the server resources required to execute similar transactions in the past and the current capacity of the transaction server. Incoming transaction requests may be classified as heavy weight transactions or light weight transactions and the handling of the transaction requests may be based on said classification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Michael D. Brooks, Philip Ivor Wakelin, Alan Hollingshead, Julian Charles Horn
  • Patent number: 11553047
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for the dynamic management of the capacity of long-lived connections to a server are provided. A request to change a first connection to a server is received. The server has a total capacity to process multiple concurrent requests from one or more clients over respective connections, and each connection is configured with a capacity for communicating concurrent client requests. One or more active connections to the server and corresponding current capacities are determined. A new capacity for one or more connections of the first connection and the active connections to the server is determined based on the request, the total capacity and the current capacities of the one or more active connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Brooks, Philip I. Wakelin, Alan Hollingshead, Julian Horn
  • Patent number: 11500855
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of establishing metadata associated with a transaction in a transaction processing system having application logic for executing the transaction, the computer-implemented method includes receiving, from a requestor, request data associated with the transaction, the request data comprising data and metadata. The method also includes peeking, during receiving the request data, of the request data looking for the metadata associated with the transaction and responsive to finding metadata associated with the transaction, directly instantiating an instance of application logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fraser P. Bohm, Michael D. Brooks, Martin W. Cocks, Jenny J. He, Julian C. Horn
  • Patent number: 11178222
    Abstract: Controlling a server latency response is presented. One example comprises monitoring, at a server, a number of requests from a client that cause a failure response. The method then comprises, responsive to the number of requests meeting a predetermined requirement, delaying processing of the requests from the client by a predetermined delay time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Philip Ivor Wakelin, Michael D. Brooks, Julian Charles Horn, Alan Hollingshead
  • Publication number: 20210337020
    Abstract: Controlling a server latency response is presented. One example comprises monitoring, at a server, a number of requests from a client that cause a failure response. The method then comprises, responsive to the number of requests meeting a predetermined requirement, delaying processing of the requests from the client by a predetermined delay time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventors: Philip Ivor Wakelin, Michael D. Brooks, Julian Charles Horn, Alan Hollingshead
  • Publication number: 20210144200
    Abstract: Embodiments for resolving outstanding affinities between a server cluster member and its clients are presented. Outstanding affinities between the server and the client may be identified in response to the server restarting. A reconnection request may then be generated and communicated to the client. Responsive to a first server of a server cluster restarting following a failure of a connection between a client and the first server, identifying, by an affinity analysis component, the outstanding affinity between the first server and the client. Responsive to identifying the outstanding affinity between the first server and the client, communicating, by a reconnection component, a reconnection request for reestablishing the connection between the first server and the client.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Michael D. Brooks, Philip Ivor Wakelin, Alan Hollingshead, Julian Charles Horn
  • Patent number: 10986188
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for handling multi-pipe connections is provided. A primary pipe request for a connection between a client and a server is received. The connection includes a plurality of pipes between the client and the server. The primary pipe request includes a number corresponding to the amount of pipes required for the connection. A first response acknowledging the receipt of the primary pipe request is transmitted. The first response includes a token. A plurality of subsequent pipe requests are received for the connection between the client and the server. Each subsequent pipe request includes the token. A subsequent response to each subsequent pipe request is transmitted. A count of the number of pipe requests received is maintained. The established pipes are released after a period of time has elapsed when the number of pipe requests received doesn't reach the number of pipes required for the connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Brooks, Alan Hollingshead, Julian C. Horn, Philip I. Wakelin
  • Patent number: 10979510
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for handling multi-pipe connections is provided. A primary pipe request for a connection between a client and a server is received. The connection includes a plurality of pipes between the client and the server. The primary pipe request includes a number corresponding to the amount of pipes required for the connection. A first response acknowledging the receipt of the primary pipe request is transmitted. The first response includes a token. A plurality of subsequent pipe requests are received for the connection between the client and the server. Each subsequent pipe request includes the token. A subsequent response to each subsequent pipe request is transmitted. A count of the number of pipe requests received is maintained. The established pipes are released after a period of time has elapsed when the number of pipe requests received doesn't reach the number of pipes required for the connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Brooks, Alan Hollingshead, Julian C. Horn, Philip I. Wakelin
  • Patent number: 10970152
    Abstract: Method and system are provided for notification of network connection errors between connected software systems. The method includes providing an error notification process for a local software system that uses one or more network connections to interact with a remote software system, wherein the error notification process includes a configuration of a selection of one or more error notification paths and enabling the error notification process that remains dormant and monitors the one or more network connections. The method detects an error in a network connection and invoking the error notification process, including: gathering information and building an error notification message; and sending the error notification message to the remote software system at the end of the network connection on which the error is detected via one or more error notification paths selected according to the configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael D. Brooks, Simon P. Rachman, Jeremy Weaving, Andrew Wright
  • Patent number: 10965762
    Abstract: A connection request including a connection model key and a partner system attribute of a partner system requesting a connection is received at an application server from the partner system within a distributed system. Using a predefined connection model, a determination is made as to whether the received connection model key and the received partner system attribute respectively match a configured connection model key and a configured authorized partner system attribute within the predefined connection model. A logical connection is created that includes a first unique connection name derived from the received partner system attribute in response to determining that the received connection model key and the received partner system attribute match the respective configured connection model key and the configured authorized partner system attribute within the predefined connection model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald M. W. Allen, Michael D. Brooks, Philip I. Wakelin
  • Patent number: 10887403
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for data communication. In one example method, a first system sends an enhanced capability exchange (CAPEX) request message to a second system. The CAPEX request message includes a request to change the number of connection pipes on an established socket-based connection between the first system and the second system. The first system receives an enhanced CAPEX response message from the second system. The CAPEX response message accepts the request to change the number of connection pipes on the established connection. The first system changes the number of connection pipes on the established connection in accordance with the accepted request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael D. Brooks, Alan Hollingshead, Julian C. Horn, Philip I. Wakelin
  • Patent number: 10834230
    Abstract: A transaction processing server and associated clients which send requests to the server via client-server connections. The server has a transaction processing region operable to process requests and issue responses to the requesting client. The server maintains a record of historical processing times taken to process recent client requests. The server has a connection manager that is operable to monitor incoming client requests and extract from them a goal response time, which is a maximum time within which the client expects the request to be processed which is included in each request. The server accepts or rejects each incoming client request based on deciding whether it is likely to be processed within the goal response time. If a request is rejected, the server transmits a rejection message to the originating client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Brooks, Alan Hollingshead, Julian Horn, Philip I. Wakelin
  • Patent number: 10827001
    Abstract: A system for data communication. In one example method, a first system sends an enhanced capability exchange (CAPEX) request message to a second system. The CAPEX request message includes a request to change the number of connection pipes on an established socket-based connection between the first system and the second system. The first system receives an enhanced CAPEX response message from the second system. The CAPEX response message accepts the request to change the number of connection pipes on the established connection. The first system changes the number of connection pipes on the established connection in accordance with the accepted request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael D. Brooks, Alan Hollingshead, Julian C. Horn, Philip I. Wakelin
  • Patent number: 10749983
    Abstract: A transaction processing server and associated clients which send requests to the server via client-server connections. The server has a transaction processing region operable to process requests and issue responses to the requesting client. The server maintains a record of historical processing times taken to process recent client requests. The server has a connection manager that is operable to monitor incoming client requests and extract from them a goal response time, which is a maximum time within which the client expects the request to be processed which is included in each request. The server accepts or rejects each incoming client request based on deciding whether it is likely to be processed within the goal response time. If a request is rejected, the server transmits a rejection message to the originating client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Brooks, Alan Hollingshead, Julian Horn, Philip I. Wakelin
  • Patent number: 10742747
    Abstract: An apparatus, computer-implemented method and computer program product manages connections for data communication. A first system initiates a process for establishing a new connection pipe of a socket-based connection between the first system and a second system. The new connection pipe is a replacement for an existing connection pipe. The existing connection pipe is accessed by a respective existing socket at each of the first and second systems. The first system receives acknowledgement from the second system confirming that the replacement connection pipe is established. The replacement connection pipe is accessed by a respective replacement socket at each of the first and second systems. The first system re-associates sessions of the existing socket at the first system to the replacement socket at the first system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael D. Brooks, Alan Hollingshead, Julian Horn, Philip Wakelin
  • Patent number: 10708343
    Abstract: A status data repository operable with a distributed processing environment including a plurality of processing regions. The status data repository includes a data storage unit adapted to store status data representative of the availability of the plurality of processing regions. The status data repository is adapted to share stored status data with a client device so as to enable the client device to obtain information regarding the availability of one or more of the plurality of processing regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gerald M. Allen, Michael D. Brooks, Jenny J. He, Brad Roeger, Philip I. Wakelin