Patents by Inventor Richard Louis Arndt

Richard Louis Arndt 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).

  • Publication number: 20080163236
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and distributed data processing system for directly destroying the resources associated with one or more virtual adapters that reside within a physical adapter is provided. A mechanism is provided for directly destroying the resources associated with one or more virtual adapters that reside within a physical adapter, such as a PCI, PCI-X, or PCI-E adapter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Richard Louis Arndt, Giora Biran, Harvey Gene Kiel, Vadim Makhervaks, Renato John Recio, Leah Shalev, Jaya Srikrishnan
  • Patent number: 7386637
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and distributed data processing system that allows a single physical I/O adapter to validate that a memory mapped I/O address referenced by an incoming I/O operation is associated with a virtual host that initiated the incoming memory mapped I/O operation is provided. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a mechanism for sharing a PCI family I/O adapter and, in general, any I/O adapter that uses a memory mapped I/O interface for communications. A mechanism is provided that allows a single physical I/O adapter to validate that a memory mapped I/O address referenced by an incoming memory mapped I/O operation used to initiate an I/O transaction is associated with a virtual host that initiated the incoming memory mapped I/O operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Louis Arndt, Giora Biran, Harvey Gene Kiel, Vadim Makhervaks, Renato John Recio, Leah Shalev, Jaya Srikrishnan
  • Patent number: 7376770
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and distributed data processing system that enables host software or firmware to allocate virtual resources to one or more system images from a single physical I/O adapter, such as a PCI, PCI-X, or PCI-E adapter, is provided. Adapter resource groups are assigned to respective system images. An adapter resource group is exclusively available to the system image to which the adapter resource group assignment was made. Assignment of adapter resource groups may be made per a relative resource assignment or an absolute resource assignment. In another embodiment, adapter resource groups are assigned to system images on a first come, first served basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Louis Arndt, Giora Biran, Harvey Gene Kiel, Vadim Makhervaks, Renato John Recio, Leah Shalev, Jaya Srikrishnan
  • Publication number: 20070297434
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus and mechanism for recovery of an I/O fabric that has become terminally congested or deadlocked due to a failure which causes buffers/queues to fill and thereby causes the root complexes to lose access to their I/O subsystems. Upon detection of a terminally congested or deadlocked transmit queue, access to such queue by other root complexes is suspended while each item in the queue is examined and processed accordingly. Store requests and DMA read reply packets in the queue are discarded, and load requests in the queue are processed by returning a special completion package. Access to the queue by the root complexes is then resumed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2006
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Inventors: Richard Louis Arndt, Thomas Schlipf, Steven Mark Thurber
  • Patent number: 7308551
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and distributed data processing system that allows a single physical I/O adapter, such as a PCI, PCI-X, or PCI-E adapter, to track performance and reliability statistics per virtual upstream and downstream port, thereby allowing a system and network management to be performed at finer granularity than what is possible using conventional physical port statistics, is provided. Particularly, a mechanism of managing per-virtual port performance metrics in a logically partitioned data processing system including allocating a subset of resources of a physical adapter to a virtual adapter of a plurality of virtual adapters is provided. The subset of resources includes a virtual port having an identifier assigned thereto. The identifier of the virtual port is associated with an address of a physical port. A metric table is associated with the virtual port, wherein the metric table includes metrics of operations that target the virtual port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Louis Arndt, Harvey Gene Kiel, Renato John Recio, Jaya Srikrishnan
  • Patent number: 7283473
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for providing multiple logical partitions in a system area network are provided Logical partitioning support is provided for host channel adapters which allows multiple operating systems to share the resources of a single physical host channel adapter (HCA). The apparatus, system and method ensures that each operating system is unaware that the HCA hardware resources are being shared with other operating systems and further guarantees that the individual operating systems are prevented from accessing HCA hardware resources which are associated with other operating systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Louis Arndt, Bruce Leroy Beukema, David F. Craddock, Ronald Edward Fuhs, Thomas Anthony Gregg, Allan Samuel Meritt, Calvin Charles Paynton, Steven L. Rogers, Donald William Schmidt, Bruce Marshall Walk
  • Patent number: 7272671
    Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for secure programmable addressing is provided by relocating functions within a multifunctional chip to be distributed across multiple logical partitions and maintaining security over the distribution mechanism. In one embodiment, this invention is used by a data processing system including a system processor connected to a plurality of operating system instances that are allocated individual system functions. Using logical partitioning, each operating system instance's access is limited to its own partition. Address buses to system functions are manipulated to make the functions appear at appropriate memory locations expected by the operating system instances. Accordingly, an inverter can be inserted on the address bus to change the address to a given distance in memory safe from operating system accessibility, for example, a page boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Louis Arndt, Craig Henry Shempert
  • Patent number: 7266631
    Abstract: Method, apparatus and system for controlling input/output adapter data flow operations in a data processing system that includes at least one of a traffic class mechanism in conjunction with virtual channel resources so as to be able to associate Load/Store and DMA flows to/from an input/output adapter, and a relaxed ordering mechanism for associating a relaxed ordering bit to Load/Store operations to an input/output adapter. Functionality for controlling the input/output adapter data flow is provided in a host bridge that connects the input/output adapter to a system bus of the data processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Louis Arndt, Patrick Allen Buckland, Gregory Michael Nordstrom, Steven Mark Thurber
  • Patent number: 7260664
    Abstract: A mechanism for handling event notifications or interrupts in a logically partitioned computing system having IO adapters that support adapter virtualization are provided. A virtual adapter associated with a physical IO adapter detects an event, identifies a logical partition associated with the event, and writes an event notification entry in a partition interrupt control block (PICB) of the logical partition memory space. The virtual adapter notifies shared control point logic on the physical IO adapter of the update to the PICB which may then write an entry to a logical partition manager interrupt control block (LPAR manager ICB) identifying the update to the PICB and the operating system associated with the PICB. The LPAR manager may then inform the operating system of the logical partition of the updates to the PICB which may then read the entries in the PICB, process them and inform appropriate application instances of the events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Louis Arndt, Giora Biran, Vadim Makhervaks, Renato John Recio, Leah Shalev, Jaya Srikrishnan
  • Patent number: 7100163
    Abstract: A logically partitioned data processing system in which shared resources are emulated to provide each partition a separate copy of the shared resource is provided. In one embodiment, the logically partitioned data processing system includes a plurality of logical partitions, a plurality of operating systems executing within the data processing system and a plurality of assignable resources. Each of the plurality of operating systems is assigned to a separate one of the plurality of logical partitions, such that no more than one operating system is assigned to any given logical partition. Each of the plurality of assignable resources is assigned to a single one of the plurality of logical partitions. The logically partitioned data processing system also includes a hypervisor. The hypervisor emulates shared resources, such as an operator panel and a system console, and provides a virtual copy of these shared resources to each of the plurality of logical partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Louis Arndt
  • Patent number: 7023459
    Abstract: A method and system for providing a computer system having a plurality of logical partitions with a virtual terminal is disclosed. The computer system is coupled to an external display device through a single communications interface. The method and system include allowing the logical partitions to share the communications interface by multiplexing communications to the display device for each of the logical partitions over the communication interface. Windows are displayed on the display device for each of the logical partitions, and the communications from each of the logical partitions is then routed to the corresponding window for display on the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Louis Arndt, Robert Kimberlin Foster, Walter Manfred Lipp, Kerry Alan Lucas, Casey Lee McCreary, Bruce Mealey, Joshua Nathan Poimboeuf
  • Patent number: 7010633
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for controlling access to facilities based on usage class of a requestor are provided. With the apparatus, system and method, a two level protection mechanism is provided for protecting host channel adapter (HCA) facilities from unauthorized access. With the present invention, a first level of access is provided through virtual address translation and a mechanism for determining if the requestor of access may access a system memory address space page associated with a real address to which the virtual address maps. A second level of access is provided through the allocation of usage classes and determining a required usage class for accessing an HCA facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Louis Arndt, Bruce Leroy Beukema, David F. Craddock, Ronald Edward Fuhs, Thomas Anthony Gregg, Bruce Marshall Walk
  • Patent number: 7003771
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for preventing each of a plurality of operating system within a logically partitioned data processing system from interfering with the operation of the other operating systems is provided. In one embodiment, a logically partitioned data processing system includes a plurality of logical partitions; a plurality of operating systems, a plurality of assignable resources, at least one non-assignable resource, and a hypervisor. Each of the plurality of operating systems is assigned to a separate one of the plurality of logical partitions and each of the plurality of assignable resources is assigned to one of the plurality of logical partitions. The hypervisor provides a set of services to each of the plurality of logical partitions, wherein these services safely perform modifications to non-assignable processing system resources in response to operating system requests without allowing direct access to the non-assignable resources by the operating system image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Louis Arndt
  • Patent number: 7003611
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing interrupts using a set of presentation controllers. A first interrupt server is identified in the set of interrupt servers to handle the interrupt in response to receiving an interrupt signal. The set of interrupt servers constituting a server pool are linked in a circular list using a set of identifiers. The message representing the interrupt is sent to a second interrupt server, such as in a second presentation controller in the set of presentation controllers based on an identifier identifying the second interrupt server in the set of interrupt servers, if the first interrupt server is unable to handle the interrupt. The identifier is found within the first interrupt controller. The interrupt is passed to different interrupt servers potentially associated with different presentation controllers within the circular list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Louis Arndt
  • Patent number: 7000051
    Abstract: A resource and partition manager virtualizes interrupts without using any additional hardware in a way that does not disturb the interrupt processing model of operating systems running on a logical partition. In other words, the resource and partition manager supports virtual interrupts in a logically partitioned computer system that may include share processors with no changes to a logical partition's operating system. A set of virtual interrupt registers is created for each virtual processor in the system. The resource and partition manager uses the virtual interrupt registers to process interrupts for the corresponding virtual processor. In this manner, from the point of view of the operating system, the interrupt processing when the operating system is running in a logical partition that may contain shared processors and virtual interrupts is no different that the interrupt processing when the operating system is running in computer system that only contains dedicated processor partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William Joseph Armstrong, Richard Louis Arndt, Naresh Nayar
  • Patent number: 6990663
    Abstract: A logically partitioned data processing system in which shared resources are emulated to provide each partition a separate copy of the shared resource is provided. In one embodiment, the logically partitioned data processing system includes a plurality of logical partitions, a plurality of operating systems executing within the data processing system and a plurality of assignable resources. Each of the plurality of operating systems is assigned to a separate one of the plurality of logical partitions, such that no more than one operating system is assigned to any given logical partition. Each of the plurality of assignable resources is assigned to a single one of the plurality of logical partitions. The logically partitioned data processing system also includes a hypervisor. The hypervisor emulates shared resources, such as an operator panel and a system console, and provides a virtual copy of these shared resources to each of the plurality of logical partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Louis Arndt
  • Patent number: 6973510
    Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for preventing input/output (I/O) adapters used by an operating system (OS) image, in a logically partitioned data processing system, from fetching or corrupting data from a memory location allocated to another OS image within the data processing system is provided. A hypervisor prevents transmission of data between an input/output adapter in one of the logical partitions and memory locations assigned to other logical partitions during a direct memory access (DMA) operation by assigning each of the input/output adapters a range of I/O bus DMA addresses. The I/O adapters (IOAs) are connected to PCI host bridges via terminal bridges. A single terminal bridge may support multiple IOAs, in which case every terminal bridge has a plurality of sets of range registers, each associated with a respective one of the IOAs to which it is connected. An arbiter is provided which selects one of the input/output adapters to use the PCI bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Louis Arndt, Danny Marvin Neal, Steven Mark Thurber
  • Patent number: 6961785
    Abstract: A system for managing input/output drawers within a data processing system. A unique identifier is assigned to each of a plurality of drawers, and is used by the operating system to identify the drawers in the system regardless of how these drawers are interconnected. Another unique PCI-bridge identifier is assigned to each of a plurality of PCI Host bridges (PHBs) from all drawers, and is used by the operating system to perform input/output processes to devices associated with the plurality of PHBs such that the ODM object for each of the PHBs remains the same regardless of how the drawer is interconnected in the system. When a new drawer is added to the system, a new unique identifier is assigned to the new drawer ensuring that the unique identifiers previously assigned to the other drawers are not used to identify the new drawer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Louis Arndt, Tam D. Bui, Van Hoa Lee, David Lee Randall, Kiet Anh Tran, David R. Willoughby
  • Patent number: 6950978
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer implemented instructions for processing and recovering from soft errors in computer array with a parity error checking design in a data processing system. In response to an occurrence of a parity error, processor status information is stored to form stored processor information. A determination is made as to whether the parity error is a recoverable parity error using the stored processor information. In response to the parity error being a recoverable parity error, a recovery action is performed. The specific action taken varies depending on the type of error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Louis Arndt, Alongkorn Kitamorn, Edward John Silha, Scott Douglas Walton, David R. Willoughby
  • Patent number: 6931471
    Abstract: A computer system has physical pages of memory subject to access by input/output (“I/O”) devices, and a certain table with entries associating the physical pages with the I/O devices. Responsive to a request for data be moved from a first physical page to a second physical page, an entry is selected for the first physical page in the table. The selected entry indicates an association of the first physical page and one of the I/O devices. Arbitration is temporarily disabled for the selected I/O device so that I/O operations for the I/O device are temporarily disabled. Once arbitration is disabled for the device the data is moved from the first physical page to a second one of the physical pages and the entry is updated in the table to reflect a new association between the I/O device and the second physical page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Louis Arndt, Luke Matthew Browning, Bruce Mealey, Steven Mark Thurber