Patents by Inventor Rick A. Weckwerth

Rick A. Weckwerth 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: 20120297272
    Abstract: A method and controller for implementing enhanced input/output (IO) data conversion with an enhanced protection information model including an enhanced parity format of the data integrity fields (DIF), and a design structure on which the subject controller circuit resides are provided. The controller implements a protection information model including a unique parity data integrity fields (DIF) format. The unique parity DIF format enables corruption detection for RAID parity blocks. The unique parity DIF format includes a predefined size for a protection information model logical block guard cyclic redundancy check (CRC) field and a logical block Reference Tag (RT) field. A plurality of storage devices in a RAID configuration are coupled to the controller, and configured to store data and RAID parity redundancy data, and wherein a strength of RAID parity redundancy data is not reduced when a loss of a single storage device in the plurality of storage devices occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brian E. Bakke, Robert E. Galbraith, Adrian C. Gerhard, Daniel F. Moertl, Rick A. Weckwerth
  • Publication number: 20120131238
    Abstract: A redundancy manager manages commands to peripheral devices in a computer system. These peripheral devices have multiple pathways connecting it to the computer system. The redundancy manager determines the number of independent pathways connected to the peripheral device, presents only one logical device to the operating system and any device driver and any other command or device processing logic in the command path before the redundancy manager. For each incoming command, the redundancy manager determines which pathways are properly functioning and selects the best pathway for the command based at least partly upon a penalty model where a path may be temporarily penalized by not including the pathway in the path selection process for a predetermined time. The redundancy manager further reroutes the command to an alternate path and resets the device for an alternate path that is not penalized or has otherwise failed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Scott A. Bauman, Brian L. Bowles, Anthony P. Vinski, Rick A. Weckwerth
  • Patent number: 8122166
    Abstract: A redundancy manager manages commands to peripheral devices in a computer system. These peripheral devices have multiple pathways connecting it to the computer system. The redundancy manager determines the number of independent pathways connected to the peripheral device, presents only one logical device to the operating system and any device driver and any other command or device processing logic in the command path before the redundancy manager. For each incoming command, the redundancy manager determines which pathways are properly functioning and selects the best pathway for the command based at least partly upon a penalty model where a path may be temporarily penalized by not including the pathway in the path selection process for a predetermined time. The redundancy manager further reroutes the command to an alternate path and resets the device for an alternate path that is not penalized or has otherwise failed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Scott A. Bauman, Brian L. Bowles, Anthony P. Vinski, Rick A. Weckwerth
  • Patent number: 8073993
    Abstract: A redundancy manager manages commands to peripheral devices in a computer system. These peripheral devices have multiple pathways connecting it to the computer system. The redundancy manager determines the number of independent pathways connected to the peripheral device, presents only one logical device to the operating system and any device driver and any other command or device processing logic in the command path before the redundancy manager. For each incoming command, the redundancy manager determines which pathways are properly functioning and selects the best pathway for the command based at least partly upon a penalty model where a path may be temporarily penalized by not including the pathway in the path selection process for a predetermined time. The redundancy manager further reroutes the command to an alternate path and resets the device for an alternate path that is not penalized or has otherwise failed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Scott A. Bauman, Brian L. Bowles, Anthony P. Vinski, Rick A. Weckwerth
  • Publication number: 20100268857
    Abstract: A redundancy manager manages commands to peripheral devices in a computer system. These peripheral devices have multiple pathways connecting it to the computer system. The redundancy manager determines the number of independent pathways connected to the peripheral device, presents only one logical device to the operating system and any device driver and any other command or device processing logic in the command path before the redundancy manager. For each incoming command, the redundancy manager determines which pathways are properly functioning and selects the best pathway for the command based at least partly upon a penalty model where a path may be temporarily penalized by not including the pathway in the path selection process for a predetermined time. The redundancy manager further reroutes the command to an alternate path and resets the device for an alternate path that is not penalized or has otherwise failed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Scott A. Bauman, Brian L. Bowles, Anthony P. Vinski, Rick A. Weckwerth
  • Publication number: 20100268851
    Abstract: A redundancy manager manages commands to peripheral devices in a computer system. These peripheral devices have multiple pathways connecting it to the computer system. The redundancy manager determines the number of independent pathways connected to the peripheral device, presents only one logical device to the operating system and any device driver and any other command or device processing logic in the command path before the redundancy manager. For each incoming command, the redundancy manager determines which pathways are properly functioning and selects the best pathway for the command based at least partly upon a penalty model where a path may be temporarily penalized by not including the pathway in the path selection process for a predetermined time. The redundancy manager further reroutes the command to an alternate path and resets the device for an alternate path that is not penalized or has otherwise failed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Scott A. Bauman, Brian L. Bowles, Anthony P. Vinski, Rick A. Weckwerth
  • Publication number: 20050246516
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for implementing distributed (SCSI) devices using enhanced adapter reservations. A plurality of adapters is provided. Each adapter implements a plurality of logical devices with each logical device respectively coupled to a port of the distributed SCSI devices. The adapters manage reservations for the plurality of logical devices selectively using a no reservation state, an implicit reservation state, and an explicit reservation state. The adapters arbitrarily assign one adapter for managing each of the plurality of logical devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Publication date: November 3, 2005
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brian Bakke, Brian King, Timothy Schimke, Rick Weckwerth