Patents by Inventor Robert M. English
Robert M. English 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).
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Patent number: 11159406Abstract: A load balancer allocates requests to a pool of web servers configured to have low queue capacities. If the queue capacity of a web server is reached, the web server responds to an additional request with a rejection notification to the load balancer, which enables the load balancer to quickly send the rejected request to another web server. Each web server self-monitors its rejection rate. If the rejection rate exceeds a threshold, the number of processes concurrently running on the web server is increased. If the rejection rate falls below a threshold, the number of processes concurrently running on the web server is decreased.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2020Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Robert M. English, Jeffrey Rothschild
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Publication number: 20200195537Abstract: A load balancer allocates requests to a pool of web servers configured to have low queue capacities. If the queue capacity of a web server is reached, the web server responds to an additional request with a rejection notification to the load balancer, which enables the load balancer to quickly send the rejected request to another web server. Each web server self-monitors its rejection rate. If the rejection rate exceeds a threshold, the number of processes concurrently running on the web server is increased. If the rejection rate falls below a threshold, the number of processes concurrently running on the web server is decreased.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2020Publication date: June 18, 2020Inventors: Robert M. English, Jeffrey Rothschild
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Patent number: 10608906Abstract: A load balancer allocates requests to a pool of web servers configured to have low queue capacities. If the queue capacity of a web server is reached, the web server responds to an additional request with a rejection notification to the load balancer, which enables the load balancer to quickly send the rejected request to another web server. Each web server self-monitors its rejection rate. If the rejection rate exceeds a threshold, the number of processes concurrently running on the web server is increased. If the rejection rate falls below a threshold, the number of processes concurrently running on the web server is decreased.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2017Date of Patent: March 31, 2020Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Robert M. English, Jeffrey Rothschild
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Publication number: 20170366427Abstract: A load balancer allocates requests to a pool of web servers configured to have low queue capacities. If the queue capacity of a web server is reached, the web server responds to an additional request with a rejection notification to the load balancer, which enables the load balancer to quickly send the rejected request to another web server. Each web server self-monitors its rejection rate. If the rejection rate exceeds a threshold, the number of processes concurrently running on the web server is increased. If the rejection rate falls below a threshold, the number of processes concurrently running on the web server is decreased.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2017Publication date: December 21, 2017Inventors: Robert M. English, Jeffrey Rothschild
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Patent number: 9774511Abstract: A load balancer allocates requests to a pool of web servers configured to have low queue capacities. If the queue capacity of a web server is reached, the web server responds to an additional request with a rejection notification to the load balancer, which enables the load balancer to quickly send the rejected request to another web server. Each web server self-monitors its rejection rate. If the rejection rate exceeds a threshold, the number of processes concurrently running on the web server is increased. If the rejection rate falls below a threshold, the number of processes concurrently running on the web server is decreased.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2014Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Robert M. English, Jeffrey Rothschild
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Patent number: 9256378Abstract: A method for sharing data blocks in a hierarchical file system in a storage server includes allocating a plurality of data blocks in the file system, and sharing data blocks in the file system, without using a persistent point-in-time image, to avoid duplication of data blocks. A method for identifying data blocks that can be shared includes computing a fingerprint for each of multiple data blocks to be written to a storage facility and storing the fingerprint with information identifying the data block in an entry in a set of metadata. The set of metadata is used to identify data blocks which are duplicates.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2013Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: Ling Zheng, Blake H. Lewis, Daniel W. Ting, Robert M. English, Stephen L. Manley
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Patent number: 9152600Abstract: A network caching system has a multi-protocol caching filer coupled to an origin server to provide storage virtualization of data served by the filer in response to data access requests issued by multi-protocol clients over a computer network. The multi-protocol caching filer includes a file system configured to manage a sparse volume that “virtualizes” a storage space of the data to thereby provide a cache function that enables access to data by the multi-protocol clients. To that end, the caching filer further includes a multi-protocol engine configured to translate the multi-protocol client data access requests into generic file system primitive operations executable by both the caching filer and the origin server.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2013Date of Patent: October 6, 2015Assignee: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: Jason Ansel Lango, Robert M. English, Paul Christopher Eastham, Qinghua Zheng, Brian Mederic Quirion, Peter Griess, Matthew Benjamin Amdur, Kartik Ayyar, Robert Lieh-Yuan Tsai, David Grunwald, J. Chris Wagner, Emmanuel Ackaouy, Ashish Prakash
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Patent number: 8990539Abstract: A file system layout apportions an underlying physical volume into one or more virtual volumes (vvols) of a storage system. The underlying physical volume is an aggregate comprising one or more groups of disks, such as RAID groups, of the storage system. The aggregate has its own physical volume block number (pvbn) space and maintains metadata, such as block allocation structures, within that pvbn space. Each vvol has its own virtual volume block number (vvbn) space and maintains metadata, such as block allocation structures, within that vvbn space. Notably, the block allocation structures of a vvol are sized to the vvol, and not to the underlying aggregate, to thereby allow operations that manage data served by the storage system (e.g., snapshot operations) to efficiently work over the vvols. The file system layout extends the file system layout of a conventional write anywhere file layout system implementation, yet maintains performance properties of the conventional implementation.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2013Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: John K. Edwards, Blake H. Lewis, Robert M. English, Eric Hamilton, Peter F. Corbett
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Patent number: 8849767Abstract: A method for sharing data blocks in a hierarchical file system in a storage server includes allocating a plurality of data blocks in the file system, and sharing data blocks in the file system, without using a persistent point-in-time image, to avoid duplication of data blocks. A method for identifying data blocks that can be shared includes computing a fingerprint for each of multiple data blocks to be written to a storage facility and storing the fingerprint with information identifying the data block in an entry in a set of metadata. The set of metadata is used to identify data blocks which are duplicates.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2005Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: Ling Zheng, Blake H. Lewis, Daniel W. Ting, Robert M. English, Stephen L. Manley
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Publication number: 20140258521Abstract: A load balancer allocates requests to a pool of web servers configured to have low queue capacities. If the queue capacity of a web server is reached, the web server responds to an additional request with a rejection notification to the load balancer, which enables the load balancer to quickly send the rejected request to another web server. Each web server self-monitors its rejection rate. If the rejection rate exceeds a threshold, the number of processes concurrently running on the web server is increased. If the rejection rate falls below a threshold, the number of processes concurrently running on the web server is decreased.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2014Publication date: September 11, 2014Applicant: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Robert M. English, Jeffrey Rothschild
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Patent number: 8769541Abstract: A load balancer allocates requests to a pool of web servers configured to have low queue capacities. If the queue capacity of a web server is reached, the web server responds to an additional request with a rejection notification to the load balancer, which enables the load balancer to quickly send the rejected request to another web server. Each web server self-monitors its rejection rate. If the rejection rate exceeds a threshold, the number of processes concurrently running on the web server is increased. If the rejection rate falls below a threshold, the number of processes concurrently running on the web server is decreased.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2009Date of Patent: July 1, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Robert M. English, Jeffrey Rothschild
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Publication number: 20140108468Abstract: A filesystem can be converted to a different version by creating a new data structure according to a new format of the different version and transforming the data from the filesystem to the new data structure. Transforming the data can include changing the format of the data in the filesystem to be compatible with the new data structure format. The data may be incorporated into the new data structure by copying the data, or creating indirect reference mechanisms to point to the original data.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2013Publication date: April 17, 2014Applicant: NetApp. Inc.Inventors: Robert M. English, Ram Kesavan
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Publication number: 20140082281Abstract: A file system layout apportions an underlying physical volume into one or more virtual volumes (vvols) of a storage system. The underlying physical volume is an aggregate comprising one or more groups of disks, such as RAID groups, of the storage system. The aggregate has its own physical volume block number (pvbn) space and maintains metadata, such as block allocation structures, within that pvbn space. Each vvol has its own virtual volume block number (vvbn) space and maintains metadata, such as block allocation structures, within that vvbn space. Notably, the block allocation structures of a vvol are sized to the vvol, and not to the underlying aggregate, to thereby allow operations that manage data served by the storage system (e.g., snapshot operations) to efficiently work over the vvols. The file system layout extends the file system layout of a conventional write anywhere file layout system implementation, yet maintains performance properties of the conventional implementation.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2013Publication date: March 20, 2014Applicant: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: John K. Edwards, Blake H. Lewis, Robert M. English, Eric Hamilton, Peter F. Corbett
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Patent number: 8626866Abstract: A network caching system has a multi-protocol caching filer coupled to an origin server to provide storage virtualization of data served by the filer in response to data access requests issued by multi-protocol clients over a computer network. The multi-protocol caching filer includes a file system configured to manage a sparse volume that “virtualizes” a storage space of the data to thereby provide a cache function that enables access to data by the multi-protocol clients. To that end, the caching filer further includes a multi-protocol engine configured to translate the multi-protocol client data access requests into generic file system primitive operations executable by both the caching filer and the origin server.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2011Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: Jason Ansel Lango, Robert M. English, Paul Christopher Eastham, Qinghua Zheng, Brian Mederic Quirion, Peter Griess, Matthew Benjamin Amdur, Kartik Ayyar, Robert Lieh-Yuan Tsai, David Grunwald, J. Chris Wagner, Emmanuel Ackaouy, Ashish Prakash
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Publication number: 20130304844Abstract: A network caching system has a multi-protocol caching filer coupled to an origin server to provide storage virtualization of data served by the filer in response to data access requests issued by multi-protocol clients over a computer network. The multi-protocol caching filer includes a file system configured to manage a sparse volume that “virtualizes” a storage space of the data to thereby provide a cache function that enables access to data by the multi-protocol clients. To that end, the caching filer further includes a multi-protocol engine configured to translate the multi-protocol client data access requests into generic file system primitive operations executable by both the caching filer and the origin server.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2013Publication date: November 14, 2013Applicant: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: Jason Ansel Lango, Robert M. English, Paul Christopher Eastham, Qinghua Zheng, Brian Mederic Quirion, Peter Griess, Matthew Benjamin Amdur, Kartik Ayyar, Robert Lieh-Yuan Tsai, David Grunwald, J. Chris Wagner, Emmanuel Ackaouy, Ashish Prakash
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Patent number: 8583892Abstract: A file system layout apportions an underlying physical volume into one or more virtual volumes (vvols) of a storage system. The underlying physical volume is an aggregate comprising one or more groups of disks, such as RAID groups, of the storage system. The aggregate has its own physical volume block number (pvbn) space and maintains metadata, such as block allocation structures, within that pvbn space. Each vvol has its own virtual volume block number (vvbn) space and maintains metadata, such as block allocation structures, within that vvbn space. Notably, the block allocation structures of a vvol are sized to the vvol, and not to the underlying aggregate, to thereby allow operations that manage data served by the storage system (e.g., snapshot operations) to efficiently work over the vvols.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2012Date of Patent: November 12, 2013Assignee: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: John K. Edwards, Blake H. Lewis, Robert M. English, Eric Hamilton, Peter F. Corbett
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Publication number: 20130262805Abstract: A method for sharing data blocks in a hierarchical file system in a storage server includes allocating a plurality of data blocks in the file system, and sharing data blocks in the file system, without using a persistent point-in-time image, to avoid duplication of data blocks. A method for identifying data blocks that can be shared includes computing a fingerprint for each of multiple data blocks to be written to a storage facility and storing the fingerprint with information identifying the data block in an entry in a set of metadata. The set of metadata is used to identify data blocks which are duplicates.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2013Publication date: October 3, 2013Inventors: Ling Zheng, Blake H. Lewis, Daniel W. Ting, Robert M. English, Stephen L. Manley
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Patent number: 8347293Abstract: Multiple domains are created for processes of a storage server. The processes are capable of execution on a plurality of processors in the storage server. The domains include a first domain, which includes multiple threads that can execute processes in the first domain in parallel, to service data access requests. A data set managed by the storage server is logically divided into multiple subsets, and each of the subsets is assigned to exactly one of the threads in the first domain, for processing of data access requests directed to the data set.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2005Date of Patent: January 1, 2013Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.Inventors: Jason A. Lango, Robert M. English, Yasuhiro Endo, Mehul S. Shah, William P. McGovern
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Patent number: 8285747Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an apparatus and methods for operating a storage system. The storage system incorporates a storage device associated with a client into a logical group of storage devices managed by the storage system. Thereafter, the storage system is capable of satisfying data access requests from an incorporated storage device managed by the storage system.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2007Date of Patent: October 9, 2012Assignee: NetApp, Inc.Inventor: Robert M. English
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Patent number: 8245207Abstract: A method for executing uniprocessor (UP) coded workloads in a computer capable of concurrent thread execution is disclosed. The method identifies threads in the uniprocessor coded workloads (UP-workloads) which can execute concurrently, and identifies threads in the UP-workloads which cannot execute concurrently. First threads which cannot execute concurrently are assigned to a first concurrency group. Second threads which cannot execute concurrently are assigned to a second concurrency group. Any thread in the first concurrency group can execute concurrently with any thread in the second concurrency group. The computer capable of concurrent thread execution then executes the UP-coded workloads in the first concurrency group at substantially the same time as executing the UP-coded workloads in the second concurrency group.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2008Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: Robert M. English, Zdenko Kukavica, Konstantinos Roussos