Patents by Inventor Stephen J. Tovcimak

Stephen J. Tovcimak 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: 9742686
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided, in a data processing system comprising a plurality of nodes, each node being a computing device, for controlling access to a critical section of code. These mechanisms send, by a sender node of the data processing system, an access request for requesting access to the critical section of code. The critical section of code is a portion of code that accesses a shared resource. The mechanisms receive, in the sender node, from a plurality of receiver nodes in the data processing system, responses to the access request. Each response in the responses includes a number of active nodes perceived by a corresponding receiver node that transmitted the response. The mechanisms control, by the sender node, access to the critical section of code based on the number of active nodes identified in each of the responses received from the receiver nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Esdras E. Cruz-Aguilar, Perinkulam I. Ganesh, Madhusudanan Kandasamy, Charles E. Meyer, Stephen J. Tovcimak
  • Patent number: 9742685
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided, in a data processing system comprising a plurality of nodes, each node being a computing device, for controlling access to a critical section of code. These mechanisms send, by a sender node of the data processing system, an access request for requesting access to the critical section of code. The critical section of code is a portion of code that accesses a shared resource. The mechanisms receive, in the sender node, from a plurality of receiver nodes in the data processing system, responses to the access request. Each response in the responses includes a number of active nodes perceived by a corresponding receiver node that transmitted the response. The mechanisms control, by the sender node, access to the critical section of code based on the number of active nodes identified in each of the responses received from the receiver nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Esdras E. Cruz-Aguilar, Perinkulam I. Ganesh, Madhusudanan Kandasamy, Charles E. Meyer, Stephen J. Tovcimak
  • Patent number: 9069571
    Abstract: A unique device name is assigned to each of a plurality of shared storage devices in a cluster configuration database defining membership of nodes in a cluster. A particular node among the nodes defined by the cluster configuration database as a member of the cluster searches the cluster configuration database for a device identifier matching a device identifier of a shared storage device hosted by the particular node. In response to finding a matching device identifier in the cluster configuration database, the particular node renames, in a local configuration maintained at the particular node, a storage device associated with the matching device identifier with the unique name assigned to that storage device in the cluster configuration database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric P. Fried, Rajeev Mishra, Lance W. Russell, Chris A. Schwendiman, Stephen M. Tee, Stephen J. Tovcimak
  • Publication number: 20150089060
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided, in a data processing system comprising a plurality of nodes, each node being a computing device, for controlling access to a critical section of code. These mechanisms send, by a sender node of the data processing system, an access request for requesting access to the critical section of code. The critical section of code is a portion of code that accesses a shared resource. The mechanisms receive, in the sender node, from a plurality of receiver nodes in the data processing system, responses to the access request. Each response in the responses includes a number of active nodes perceived by a corresponding receiver node that transmitted the response. The mechanisms control, by the sender node, access to the critical section of code based on the number of active nodes identified in each of the responses received from the receiver nodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Esdras E. Cruz-Aguilar, Perinkulam I. Ganesh, Madhusudanan Kandasamy, Charles E. Meyer, Stephen J. Tovcimak
  • Publication number: 20150089059
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided, in a data processing system comprising a plurality of nodes, each node being a computing device, for controlling access to a critical section of code. These mechanisms send, by a sender node of the data processing system, an access request for requesting access to the critical section of code. The critical section of code is a portion of code that accesses a shared resource. The mechanisms receive, in the sender node, from a plurality of receiver nodes in the data processing system, responses to the access request. Each response in the responses includes a number of active nodes perceived by a corresponding receiver node that transmitted the response. The mechanisms control, by the sender node, access to the critical section of code based on the number of active nodes identified in each of the responses received from the receiver nodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Esdras E. Cruz-Aguilar, Perinkulam I. Ganesh, Madhusudanan Kandasamy, Charles E. Meyer, Stephen J. Tovcimak
  • Patent number: 8788465
    Abstract: A second node receives a message from a first node in a cluster environment. The message includes a unique identifier of a shared data storage device including a cluster configuration database that defines membership of nodes in a cluster. In response to receiving the message, the second node attempts to find the shared data storage device. In response to finding the shared data storage device, the second node locates and reads the cluster configuration database on the shared data storage device. The second node then assimilates a cluster configuration update indicated by the cluster configuration database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shevaun M. Fontenot, Eric P. Fried, Rajeev Mishra, Lance W. Russell, Stephen J. Tovcimak, Murali Vaddagiri
  • Publication number: 20120143829
    Abstract: A second node receives a message from a first node in a cluster environment. The message includes a unique identifier of a shared data storage device including a cluster configuration database that defines membership of nodes in a cluster. In response to receiving the message, the second node attempts to find the shared data storage device. In response to finding the shared data storage device, the second node locates and reads the cluster configuration database on the shared data storage device. The second node then assimilates a cluster configuration update indicated by the cluster configuration database.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: SHEVAUN M. FONTENOT, Eric P. Fried, Rajeev Mishra, Lance W. Russell, Stephen J. Tovcimak, Murali Vaddagiri
  • Publication number: 20120143892
    Abstract: A unique device name is assigned to each of a plurality of shared storage devices in a cluster configuration database defining membership of nodes in a cluster. A particular node among the nodes defined by the cluster configuration database as a member of the cluster searches the cluster configuration database for a device identifier matching a device identifier of a shared storage device hosted by the particular node. In response to finding a matching device identifier in the cluster configuration database, the particular node renames, in a local configuration maintained at the particular node, a storage device associated with the matching device identifier with the unique name assigned to that storage device in the cluster configuration database.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: ERIC P. FRIED, Rajeev Mishra, Lance W. Russell, Chris A. Schwendiman, Stephen M. Tee, Stephen J. Tovcimak