Patents by Inventor Robert D. Millar

Robert D. Millar 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: 6993537
    Abstract: The invention relates to the recovery of data in a database of database records, following a failure of a media containing said database. The data recovery uses a backup of the database and a log of log records detailing any changes in the database which are not captured in the backup. The log is replayed starting with the most recent log record. It is the determined for each successive log record, that relates to an operation on a database record, whether processing the log record will result in the most recent state of the corresponding database record, and if so, the log record is processed. Subsequently additional data is restored from the backup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert F Buxton, Stephen R Walker, Stephen J Hobson, Paul Hopewell, Paul Kettley, Robert D Millar, Peter Siddall
  • Patent number: 6948093
    Abstract: A data processing arrangement (100) and method for fuzzy backup and restore of MQSeries shared queues held in coupling facility list structure (106). Periodically backups are taken of the data held in the CF list structure by backing up messages in the sequence uncommitted puts (220), committed puts (230), uncommitted gets (240) and expired messages (250), whereby all messages may be backed up in the backup means except for exceptions which are recorded in the record log. In the event of media failure of the coupling facility, data can be restored by restoring messages in the sequence restoring messages from the backup means (320), replaying messages from the record log means (340) and determining final disposition of messages from replay of the record log means (350). This provides the advantage of allowing the number of log records written to be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dermot Flaherty, David J Fisher, Stephen J Hobson, Paul Hopewell, Paul Kettley, Robert D Millar, Peter Siddall, Stephen R Walker
  • Patent number: 6848037
    Abstract: A data processing system (100) and method for creating a fuzzy backup (116) only of objects older than a predetermined threshold, and restoring from the fuzzy backup and from a record log (114) replayed from a time equal to the predetermined threshold before the fuzzy backup start time. This provides advantages of reduced resource cost for the fuzzy backup and reduced restore time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dermot Flaherty, David J. Fisher, Stephen J. Hobson, Paul Hopewell, Paul Kettley, Robert D. Millar, Peter Siddall, Stephen R. Walker
  • Publication number: 20040215998
    Abstract: Provided are methods, data processing systems, recovery components and computer programs for recovering from failures affecting data repositories. In a data processing system in which updates applied to a data repository are applied within transactional units of work, a secondary copy is stored of data items held within the data repository and updates applied to the data repository within transactional units of work. In response to a failure affecting a primary copy of the data repository, the secondary copy is used to identify a set of operations required for restoring data items and applied updates to the primary copy of the data repository. The set of operations are analyzed to determine the state, at the time of the failure, of each unit of work corresponding to one or more operations of the identified set of restore operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2003
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert F. Buxton, David J. Fisher, Stephen J. Hobson, Paul Hopewell, Paul Kettley, Robert D. Millar, Peter Siddall, Stephen R. Walker
  • Publication number: 20030191984
    Abstract: A data processing arrangement (100) and method for fuzzy backup and restore of MQSeries shared queues held in coupling facility list structure (106). Periodically backups are taken of the data held in the CF list structure by backing up messages in the sequence uncommitted puts (220), committed puts (230), uncommitted gets (240) and expired messages (250), whereby all messages may be backed up in the backup means except for exceptions which are recorded in the record log. In the event of media failure of the coupling facility, data can be restored by restoring messages in the sequence restoring messages from the backup means (320), replaying messages from the record log means (340) and determining final disposition of messages from replay of the record log means (350). This provides the advantage of allowing the number of log records written to be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dermot Flaherty, David J. Fisher, Stephen J. Hobson, Paul Hopewell, Paul Kettley, Robert D. Millar, Peter Siddall, Stephen R. Walker
  • Publication number: 20030191782
    Abstract: The invention relates to the recovery of data in a database of database records, following a failure of a media containing said database. The data recovery uses a backup of the database and a log of log records detailing any changes in the database which are not captured in the backup. The log is replayed starting with the most recent log record. It is the determined for each successive log record, that relates to an operation on a database record, whether processing the log record will result in the most recent state of the corresponding database record, and if so, the log record is processed. Subsequently additional data is restored from the backup.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert F. Buxton, Stephen R. Walker, Stephen J. Hobson, Paul Hopewell, Paul Kettley, Robert D. Millar, Peter Siddall
  • Publication number: 20030191918
    Abstract: A data processing system (100) and method for creating a fuzzy backup (116) only of objects older than a predetermined threshold, and restoring from the fuzzy backup and from a record log (114) replayed from a time equal to the predetermined threshold before the fuzzy backup start time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dermot Flaherty, David J. Fisher, Stephen J. Hobson, Paul Hopewell, Paul Kettley, Robert D. Millar, Peter Siddall, Stephen R. Walker