Patents by Inventor Richard Ripberger

Richard Ripberger 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: 8667497
    Abstract: At least one additional resource group attribute is defined to specify at least one policy prescribing a copy services relationship between two of the storage resources. Pursuant to a request to establish the copy services relationship between the two storage resources, each of the two storage resources exchange resource group labels corresponding to which of the plurality of resource groups the two storage resources are assigned, and each of the two storage resources validates the requested copy services relationship and the resource group label of an opposing one of the two storage resources against the individual ones of the at least one additional resource group attribute in the resource group object to determine if the copy services relationship may proceed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Richard A. Ripberger
  • Patent number: 8577885
    Abstract: A resource group attribute is assigned to a storage resource object representing at least one of the plurality of storage resources in a system configuration of the computing storage environment. The resource group attribute includes a selectable value indicating a resource group object to which the storage resource object is associated. A resource group label is provided in the resource group object and is a string having no wildcards. A user resource scope is assigned to a user ID and a value of the user resource scope provides a mechanism to match to the resource group label. The user ID is authorized to perform one of creating, deleting, modifying, controlling, and managing storage resources with an association to a resource group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Richard A. Ripberger
  • Publication number: 20130290335
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments for partitioning management of storage resources in a computing storage environment across multiple users including an existing administrator and an existing non-administrator are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventor: Richard A. RIPBERGER
  • Patent number: 8566525
    Abstract: A technique for limiting an amount of write data stored in a cache memory includes determining a usable region of a non-volatile storage (NVS), determining an amount of write data in a current write request for the cache memory, and determining a failure boundary associated with the current write request. A count of the write data associated with the failure boundary is maintained. The current write request for the cache memory is rejected when a sum of the count of the write data associated with the failure boundary and the write data in the current write request exceeds a determined percentage of the usable region of the NVS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin J. Ash, Richard A. Ripberger
  • Publication number: 20130275694
    Abstract: A method for migrating volumes in a storage system includes identifying an extent of data (belonging to a volume) requiring migration from a source extent to a target extent. The method allocates a selected number of copiers to the extent of data to migrate the extent of data from the source extent to the target extent. Each copier is configured to copy a unit of data, which is a smaller division of the extent of data. The method monitors destages (i.e., writes) that occur to the source extent as the copiers migrate the extent of data from the source extent to the target extent. In the event the destages occur faster than the copiers can copy units to the target extent, the method allocates additional copiers to the extent of data to assist in migrating the extent of data. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Xue Dong Gao, Kurt A. Lovrien, Richard A. Ripberger, Cheng-Chung Song
  • Patent number: 8495067
    Abstract: A resource group attribute is assigned to a storage resource object representing at least one of the plurality of storage resources in a system configuration of the computing storage environment. The resource group attribute includes a selectable value indicating a resource group object to which the storage resource object is associated. A resource group label is provided in the resource group object and is a string having no wildcards. A user resource scope is assigned to a user ID and a value of the user resource scope provides a mechanism to match to the resource group label. The user ID is authorized to perform one of creating, deleting, modifying, controlling, and managing storage resources with an association to a resource group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Richard A. Ripberger
  • Patent number: 8484655
    Abstract: At least one additional resource group attribute is defined to specify at least one policy prescribing a copy services relationship between two of the storage resources. Pursuant to a request to establish the copy services relationship between the two storage resources, each of the two storage resources exchange resource group labels corresponding to which of the plurality of resource groups the two storage resources are assigned, and each of the two storage resources validates the requested copy services relationship and the resource group label of an opposing one of the two storage resources against the individual ones of the at least one additional resource group attribute in the resource group object to determine if the copy services relationship may proceed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Richard A. Ripberger
  • Patent number: 8433868
    Abstract: Method, system, and computer program product embodiments for concurrent copy of system configuration global metadata in a data storage system are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a global data rank is quiesced, followed by an unquiesce of the global data rank except for a global metadata area. The global metadata area is updated in memory, and then unquiesced. A current range of the global metadata area to be copied is quiesced. The current range of the global metadata area is copied from a source area to a target area. The current range is unquiesced. The steps of quiescing an additional current range, copying the range from a source area to a target area, and unquiescing the current range continue until the entire global metadata area has been copied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Karl A. Nielsen, Richard A. Ripberger, Jacob L. Sheppard, Richard B. Stelmach
  • Publication number: 20130046906
    Abstract: Exemplary method, system, and computer program embodiments for hierarchy multi-tenancy support for configuration of a plurality of host attachment through a plurality of resource groups in a computing storage environment are provided. In one embodiment, multiple data storage subsystems are configured with multiple operators for configuration and management of multiple host attachments to multiple logical volumes. A logical operator is designated with the responsibility of designating authority to a host attachment operator and the ability to configure multiple logical volumes. Limited authority is provided for the host attachment operator to configure multiple volume groups and multiple host ports to a specific user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Richard A. RIPBERGER
  • Publication number: 20120317581
    Abstract: At least one additional resource group attribute is defined to specify at least one policy prescribing a copy services relationship between two of the storage resources. Pursuant to a request to establish the copy services relationship between the two storage resources, each of the two storage resources exchange resource group labels corresponding to which of the plurality of resource groups the two storage resources are assigned, and each of the two storage resources validates the requested copy services relationship and the resource group label of an opposing one of the two storage resources against the individual ones of the at least one additional resource group attribute in the resource group object to determine if the copy services relationship may proceed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Richard A. RIPBERGER
  • Publication number: 20120254182
    Abstract: A resource group attribute is assigned to a storage resource object representing at least one of the plurality of storage resources in a system configuration of the computing storage environment. The resource group attribute includes a selectable value indicating a resource group object to which the storage resource object is associated. A resource group label is provided in the resource group object and is a string having no wildcards. A user resource scope is assigned to a user ID and a value of the user resource scope provides a mechanism to match to the resource group label. The user ID is authorized to perform one of creating, deleting, modifying, controlling, and managing storage resources with an association to a resource group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Richard A. RIPBERGER
  • Publication number: 20120254571
    Abstract: For at least one storage resource object associated with at least one of the plurality of resource groups by a resource group attribute, at least one policy is defined for limiting host requests to the storage resources in the at least one of the plurality of resource groups to prevent an issuance of the host requests to an unowned one of the storage resources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Richard A. RIPBERGER
  • Publication number: 20120203998
    Abstract: A method for concurrently converting a standard volume to a thin-provisioned volume includes initially establishing metadata for a thin-provisioned volume. The method then updates the metadata for the thin-provisioned volume to point to extents residing in a standard volume. The method then suspends I/O to metadata for the standard volume. Upon suspending the I/O, the method migrates control of the extents in the standard volume from a standard-volume control algorithm to a thin-provisioned-volume control algorithm. The method then resumes the I/O to the metadata for the thin-provisioned volume. Using this technique, standard volumes may be rapidly converted to thin-provisioned volumes while minimally disrupting I/O to the volumes. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed and claimed herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mario F. Acedo, Paul A. Jennas, Jason L. Peipelman, Richard A. Ripberger, Matthew J. Ward
  • Publication number: 20120150858
    Abstract: Exemplary method, system, and computer program embodiments for partitioning management of storage resources in a computing storage environment across multiple users are provided. In one embodiment, a resource group attribute is assigned to a storage resource object representing at least one of the plurality of storage resources in a system configuration of the computing storage environment. The resource group attribute includes a selectable value indicating a resource group object to which the storage resource object is associated. A resource group label is provided in the resource group object and is a string having no wildcards. A user resource scope is assigned to a user ID and a value of the user resource scope provides a mechanism to match to the resource group label. The user ID is authorized to perform one of creating, deleting, modifying, controlling, and managing storage resources with an association to a resource group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Richard A. RIPBERGER
  • Publication number: 20120151143
    Abstract: A technique for limiting an amount of write data stored in a cache memory includes determining a usable region of a non-volatile storage (NVS), determining an amount of write data in a current write request for the cache memory, and determining a failure boundary associated with the current write request. A count of the write data associated with the failure boundary is maintained. The current write request for the cache memory is rejected when a sum of the count of the write data associated with the failure boundary and the write data in the current write request exceeds a determined percentage of the usable region of the NVS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin J. Ash, Richard A. Ripberger
  • Publication number: 20120150912
    Abstract: Exemplary method, system, and computer program embodiments for establishing hierarchical user management authority for storage resources organized into a plurality of resource groups in a computing storage environment are provided. In one embodiment, each of the plurality of storage resources is associated with a resource group object having a resource group attribute associating the resource group object with one of the plurality of resource groups. The resource group label attribute is assigned to the resource group object. An additional attribute of the resource group object, that specifies a plurality of management policies for the resource group object and the plurality of storage resources associated with the resource group object, is defined. One of plurality of available users of the plurality of storage resources is associated with a user resource scope attribute. A schema is defined for comparing of a plurality of values of the user resource scope attribute with the resource group label attribute.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Richard A. RIPBERGER
  • Publication number: 20120151492
    Abstract: Exemplary method, system, and computer program embodiments for prescribing copy services relationships for storage resources organized into a plurality of resource groups in a computing storage environment are provided. In one embodiment, at least one additional resource group attribute is defined to specify at least one policy prescribing a copy services relationship between two of the storage resources. Pursuant to a request to establish the copy services relationship between the two storage resources, each of the two storage resources exchange resource group labels corresponding to which of the plurality of resource groups the two storage resources are assigned, and each of the two storage resources validates the requested copy services relationship and the resource group label of an opposing one of the two storage resources against the individual ones of the at least one additional resource group attribute in the resource group object to determine if the copy services relationship may proceed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Richard A. RIPBERGER
  • Publication number: 20120151163
    Abstract: Exemplary method, system, and computer program embodiments for prescribing relationships for storage resources organized into a plurality of resource groups in a computing storage environment are provided. In one embodiment, by way of example only, for at least one storage resource object associated with at least one of the plurality of resource groups by a resource group attribute, at least one policy is defined for limiting host requests to the storage resources in the at least one of the plurality of resource groups to prevent an issuance of the host requests to an unowned one of the storage resources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Richard A. RIPBERGER
  • Patent number: 8140763
    Abstract: A technique for limiting an amount of write data stored in a cache memory includes determining a usable region of a non-volatile storage (NVS), determining an amount of write data in a current write request for the cache memory, and determining a failure boundary associated with the current write request. A count of the write data associated with the failure boundary is maintained. The current write request for the cache memory is rejected when a sum of the count of the write data associated with the failure boundary and the write data in the current write request exceeds a determined percentage of the usable region of the NVS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin J. Ash, Richard A. Ripberger
  • Publication number: 20120047337
    Abstract: Systems and methods for initializing a memory system are provided. One system includes a processor and a memory including a storage volume coupled to the processor. The storage volume includes a first bitmap for tracking an initialization process for the storage volume and a second bitmap for tracking a copying process for the storage volume. A method includes performing, via the processor, an initialization process for the storage volume and tracking, via the processor utilizing the first bitmap, the initialization process. The method further includes performing, via the processor, a copying process for the storage volume prior to completing the initialization process and tracking, via the processor utilizing the second bitmap, the copying process. Also provided are computer storage mediums including computer program code for performing the above method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2010
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ellen J. Grusy, Brian D. Hatfield, Kurt A. Lovrien, Richard A. Ripberger, Matthew Sanchez