Patents by Inventor Ralph Friedrich

Ralph Friedrich 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: 9418034
    Abstract: A control component of a computing environment activates a virtual adapter hosted on a physical adapter of a host system of the computing environment. The virtual adapter is for use by a guest of the host system in performing data input and output. The activating activates the virtual adapter absent involvement of the guest. Based on activating the virtual adapter, the control component obtains configuration information of the activated virtual adapter from the physical adapter, the configuration information generated based on the activating. The control component ascertains a configuration of the activated virtual adapter based on the obtained configuration information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: George P. Kuch, Ralph Friedrich, Richard M. Sczepczenski, Raymond M. Higgs, Elizabeth A. Moore, Johnathon R. Pandich
  • Patent number: 9380004
    Abstract: A control component of a computing environment initiates sending of request(s) over a network of the computing environment by an activated virtual adapter. The activated virtual adapter is hosted on a physical adapter of a host system coupled to the network, and is for use by a guest, hosted by the host system, in performing data input and output. The request(s) retrieve access control information from the network indicative of access control(s) enforced in controlling access by the activated virtual adapter to network component(s). The initiating provides indication(s) to the physical adapter, absent involvement of the guest, that the request(s) be sent by the virtual adapter. Based on the initiating, the control component obtains the access control information from the physical adapter, and determines, based on that information, the access control(s) being enforced by the network in controlling access by the activated virtual adapter to the network component(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: George P. Kuch, Ralph Friedrich, Richard M. Sczepczenski, Raymond M. Higgs, Elizabeth A. Moore, Johnathon R. Pandich
  • Publication number: 20160179579
    Abstract: Validating access consistency to a set of accessed resources over a set of virtual ports, including determining a number of virtual ports to provision, allocating each physical port and each virtual port among two or more buckets, and validating access to the set of accessed resources via each virtual port over each physical port that is allocated to the same bucket. At least one virtual port in the set of virtual ports shares no bucket with at least one physical port in the set of physical ports, and each virtual port is only validated over each physical port with which the virtual port shares a bucket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Stefan Amann, Gerhard Banzhaf, Ralph Friedrich, Muthumanikandan Nambi, Kishore Kumar G. Pillai, Parakh P. Verma
  • Patent number: 9374324
    Abstract: A control component of a computing environment initiates sending of request(s) over a network of the computing environment by an activated virtual adapter. The activated virtual adapter is hosted on a physical adapter of a host system coupled to the network, and is for use by a guest, hosted by the host system, in performing data input and output. The request(s) retrieve access control information from the network indicative of access control(s) enforced in controlling access by the activated virtual adapter to network component(s). The initiating provides indication(s) to the physical adapter, absent involvement of the guest, that the request(s) be sent by the virtual adapter. Based on the initiating, the control component obtains the access control information from the physical adapter, and determines, based on that information, the access control(s) being enforced by the network in controlling access by the activated virtual adapter to the network component(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: George P. Kuch, Ralph Friedrich, Richard M. Sczepczenski, Raymond M. Higgs, Elizabeth A. Moore, Johnathon R. Pandich
  • Publication number: 20150370611
    Abstract: Virtual machines in a computer system cluster, or cloud environment, require access to their assigned storage resources connected to the virtual machines via storage area networks (SAN). Such virtual machines may be independent from associated physical servers in the computer system cluster on which they are deployed. These virtual machines may dynamically migrate among assigned physical servers while maintaining access to their connected storage resources both from the source physical server and the target physical server during the migration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Stefan Amann, Gerhard Banzhaf, Ralph Friedrich, Muthumanikandan Nambi, Kishorekumar G. Pillai, Parakh P. Verma
  • Publication number: 20150370610
    Abstract: Virtual machines in a computer system cluster, or cloud environment, require access to their assigned storage resources connected to the virtual machines via storage area networks (SAN). Such virtual machines may be independent from associated physical servers in the computer system cluster on which they are deployed. These virtual machines may dynamically migrate among assigned physical servers while maintaining access to their connected storage resources both from the source physical server and the target physical server during the migration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Stefan Amann, Gerhard Banzhaf, Ralph Friedrich, Muthumanikandan Nambi, Kishorekumar G. Pillai, Parakh P. Verma
  • Publication number: 20150372858
    Abstract: Assigning a set of port names to storage access paths of virtual machines accessing storage resources via storage area networks is provided. A first computing system cluster that is associated with a set of computing system identifiers is created. A first computing system identifier associated with a first computing system is added to the set of computing system identifiers. The first computing system is disassociated from the first computing system identifier. The first computing system is added to the first computing system cluster.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Stefan Amann, Juliane Aulbach, Gerhard Banzhaf, Ralph Friedrich, Juergen Leopold
  • Publication number: 20150372867
    Abstract: Assigning a set of port names to storage access paths of virtual machines accessing storage resources via storage area networks is provided. A first computing system cluster that is associated with a set of computing system identifiers is created. A first computing system identifier associated with a first computing system is added to the set of computing system identifiers. The first computing system is disassociated from the first computing system identifier. The first computing system is added to the first computing system cluster.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Stefan Amann, Juliane Aulbach, Gerhard Banzhaf, Ralph Friedrich, Juergen Leopold
  • Publication number: 20150261706
    Abstract: A control component of a computing environment activates a virtual adapter hosted on a physical adapter of a host system of the computing environment. The virtual adapter is for use by a guest of the host system in performing data input and output. The activating activates the virtual adapter absent involvement of the guest. Based on activating the virtual adapter, the control component obtains configuration information of the activated virtual adapter from the physical adapter, the configuration information generated based on the activating. The control component ascertains a configuration of the activated virtual adapter based on the obtained configuration information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: George P. KUCH, Ralph FRIEDRICH, Richard M. SCZEPCZENSKI, Raymond M. HIGGS, Elizabeth A. MOORE, Johnathon R. PANDICH
  • Publication number: 20150263993
    Abstract: A control component of a computing environment initiates sending of request(s) over a network of the computing environment by an activated virtual adapter. The activated virtual adapter is hosted on a physical adapter of a host system coupled to the network, and is for use by a guest, hosted by the host system, in performing data input and output. The request(s) retrieve access control information from the network indicative of access control(s) enforced in controlling access by the activated virtual adapter to network component(s). The initiating provides indication(s) to the physical adapter, absent involvement of the guest, that the request(s) be sent by the virtual adapter. Based on the initiating, the control component obtains the access control information from the physical adapter, and determines, based on that information, the access control(s) being enforced by the network in controlling access by the activated virtual adapter to the network component(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: George P. KUCH, Ralph FRIEDRICH, Richard M. SCZEPCZENSKI, Raymond M. HIGGS, Elizabeth A. MOORE, Johnathon R. PANDICH
  • Publication number: 20150263992
    Abstract: A control component of a computing environment initiates sending of request(s) over a network of the computing environment by an activated virtual adapter. The activated virtual adapter is hosted on a physical adapter of a host system coupled to the network, and is for use by a guest, hosted by the host system, in performing data input and output. The request(s) retrieve access control information from the network indicative of access control(s) enforced in controlling access by the activated virtual adapter to network component(s). The initiating provides indication(s) to the physical adapter, absent involvement of the guest, that the request(s) be sent by the virtual adapter. Based on the initiating, the control component obtains the access control information from the physical adapter, and determines, based on that information, the access control(s) being enforced by the network in controlling access by the activated virtual adapter to the network component(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: George P. KUCH, Ralph FRIEDRICH, Richard M. SCZEPCZENSKI, Raymond M. HIGGS, Elizabeth A. MOORE, Johnathon R. PANDICH
  • Publication number: 20150261713
    Abstract: A control component of a computing environment activates a virtual adapter hosted on a physical adapter of a host system of the computing environment. The virtual adapter is for use by a guest of the host system in performing data input and output. The activating activates the virtual adapter absent involvement of the guest. Based on activating the virtual adapter, the control component obtains configuration information of the activated virtual adapter from the physical adapter, the configuration information generated based on the activating. The control component ascertains a configuration of the activated virtual adapter based on the obtained configuration information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: George P. KUCH, Ralph FRIEDRICH, Richard M. SCZEPCZENSKI, Raymond M. HIGGS, Elizabeth A. MOORE, Johnathon R. PANDICH
  • Patent number: 8918559
    Abstract: Partitioning of a variable length scatter gather list including a processor for performing a method that includes requesting data from an I/O device comprising an I/O buffer. The requesting includes initiating a subchannel. The method further includes determining whether the subchannel supports data divisions by requesting SSQD data from the I/O device and inspecting at least one bit in the SSQD data. A determination is made whether the requested data includes a metadata block in response to determining that the subchannel support data divisions. Also, the subchannel is notified that the requested data includes the metadata block in response to determining that the requested data includes the metadata block. A location of storage is identified in an SBAL in response to notifying the subchannel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stefan Amann, Gerhard Banzhaf, Ralph Friedrich, Raymond M. Higgs, George P. Kuch, Bruce H. Ratcliff
  • Patent number: 8561203
    Abstract: A method for supporting simultaneous mixed protection modes for a write operation. The method includes receiving a write request that includes write data, and is received from one of a plurality of requestors. At least one of the requestors does not support data integrity protection. It is determined if data integrity protection is required for the write operation. It is additionally determined if the data integrity protection is supported by the requestor. Once the determination is made, the data integrity protection value is calculated if data integrity protection is required and is not supported by the requestor. The write data is encoded with the data integrity protection value prior to being written. If the requestor supports data integrity protection, then data integrity protection values are applied to the write data prior to writing the data to the external storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stefan Amann, Gerhard Banzhaf, Ralph Friedrich, Raymond M. Higgs, George P. Kuch
  • Publication number: 20120311201
    Abstract: Partitioning of a variable length scatter gather list including a processor for performing a method that includes requesting data from an I/O device comprising an I/O buffer. The requesting includes initiating a subchannel. The method further includes determining whether the subchannel supports data divisions by requesting SSQD data from the I/O device and inspecting at least one bit in the SSQD data. A determination is made whether the requested data includes a metadata block in response to determining that the subchannel support data divisions. Also, the subchannel is notified that the requested data includes the metadata block in response to determining that the requested data includes the metadata block. A location of storage is identified in an SBAL in response to notifying the subchannel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stefan Amann, Gerhard Banzhaf, Ralph Friedrich, Raymond M. Higgs, George P. Kuch, Bruce H. Ratcliff
  • Publication number: 20120311716
    Abstract: A method for supporting simultaneous mixed protection modes for a write operation. The method includes receiving a write request that includes write data, and is received from one of a plurality of requestors. At least one of the requestors does not support data integrity protection. It is determined if data integrity protection is required for the write operation. It is additionally determined if the data integrity protection is supported by the requestor. Once the determination is made, the data integrity protection value is calculated if data integrity protection is required and is not supported by the requestor. The write data is encoded with the data integrity protection value prior to being written. If the requestor supports data integrity protection, then data integrity protection values are applied to the write data prior to writing the data to the external storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stefan Amann, Gerhard Banzhaf, Ralph Friedrich, Raymond M. Higgs, George P. Kuch
  • Publication number: 20030200247
    Abstract: The invention relates to a server computer having a plurality of virtual machines which share the same fibre channel PCI adapter for communication over a fibre channel and a corresponding method for accessing a resource from a virtual machine comprising the steps of sending a request from the virtual machine together with a request identifier to an adapter component of the server computer, transforming the identifier into an unequivocal identifier of the request, transmitting the request with the unequivocal identifier over a fibre channel to the resource, receiving a response from the resource with an unequivocal identifier of the response, and forwarding the response to the corresponding virtual machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gerhard Banzhaf, Ralph Friedrich, Stefan Mueller, Christoph Raisch
  • Patent number: 5785092
    Abstract: A pipe joint for fiber reinforced composite pipe has internal and external matching tapers with a low taper angle. A half round helical groove is formed in each of the internal and external tapers for receiving several turns of a ductile key. The pipe joint is usable on high strength lightweight fiber reinforced composite pipe having helically wound steel strips embedded in the fiber reinforced resin. The pipe joint on such pipe is on an enlarged portion of glass fiber reinforced composite built up on an end of the pipe. The steel strips are terminated at differing distances from the end of the pipe joint and the ends of all of the steel strips are completely embedded in the fiber reinforced resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Ameron International Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph Friedrich, Ming Kuo, Kevin Smyth
  • Patent number: 5520422
    Abstract: A pipe joint for fiber reinforced composite pipe has internal and external matching tapers with a low taper angle. A half round helical groove is formed in each of the internal and external tapers for receiving several turns of a ductile key. Deformation of the key in shear redistributes longitudinal loads along the length of the pipe joint. The outer member of the pipe joint has a high stiffness so that internal pressure in the pipe presses the tapered surfaces together so that the resulting friction enhances the longitudinal load carrying capability of the joint. High external stiffness may be provided by winding the external moiety of the joint with high modulus of elasticity fiber. The pipe joint is sealed by introducing a liquid ductile thermosetting sealant between O-rings at the inner end of the joint. The seal can be nondestructively tested and deployed under water before the sealant cures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Ameron, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph Friedrich, Ming Kuo, Kevin Smyth