Patents by Inventor Stephen L. Blinick

Stephen L. Blinick 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: 20150095561
    Abstract: For efficient track destage in secondary storage in a more effective manner, for temporal bits employed with sequential bits for controlling the timing for destaging the track in a primary storage, a preference of movement to lower speed cache level is implemented based on at least one of an amount of holes and a data heat metric. If a first bit has at least one of a lower amount of holes and a hotter data heat metric, it is moved to the lower speed cache level ahead of a second bit that has at least one of a higher amount of holes and a cooler data heat. If the first bit has a hotter data heat and greater than a predetermined number of holes, the first bit is discarded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. BENHASE, Stephen L. BLINICK, Evangelos S. ELEFTHERIOU, Lokesh M. GUPTA, Robert HAAS, Xiao-Yu HU, Matthew J. KALOS, Ioannis KOLTSIDAS, Karl A. NIELSEN, Roman A. PLETKA
  • Patent number: 8972662
    Abstract: The population of data to be inserted into secondary data storage cache is controlled by determining a heat metric of candidate data; adjusting a heat metric threshold; rejecting candidate data provided to the secondary data storage cache whose heat metric is less than the threshold; and admitting candidate data whose heat metric is equal to or greater than the heat metric threshold. The adjustment of the heat metric threshold is determined by comparing a reference metric related to hits of data most recently inserted into the secondary data storage cache, to a reference metric related to hits of data most recently evicted from the secondary data storage cache; if the most recently inserted reference metric is greater than the most recently evicted reference metric, decrementing the threshold; and if the most recently inserted reference metric is less than the most recently evicted reference metric, incrementing the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Stephen L. Blinick, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Lokesh M. Gupta, Robert Haas, Xiao-Yu Hu, Ioannis Koltsidas, Roman A. Pletka
  • Patent number: 8972661
    Abstract: The population of data to be inserted into secondary data storage cache is controlled by determining a heat metric of candidate data; adjusting a heat metric threshold; rejecting candidate data provided to the secondary data storage cache whose heat metric is less than the threshold; and admitting candidate data whose heat metric is equal to or greater than the heat metric threshold. The adjustment of the heat metric threshold is determined by comparing a reference metric related to hits of data most recently inserted into the secondary data storage cache, to a reference metric related to hits of data most recently evicted from the secondary data storage cache; if the most recently inserted reference metric is greater than the most recently evicted reference metric, decrementing the threshold; and if the most recently inserted reference metric is less than the most recently evicted reference metric, incrementing the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Stephen L. Blinick, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Lokesh M. Gupta, Robert Haas, Xiao-Yu Hu, Ioannis Koltsidas, Roman A. Pletka
  • Publication number: 20150046656
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for managing storage cache resources among all servers within the cluster storage environment. A method includes partitioning a main cache of a corresponding node into a global cache and a local cache, sharing each global cache of each node with other ones of the nodes of the multiple nodes, and dynamically adjusting a ratio of an amount of space of the main cache making up the global cache and an amount of space of the main cache making up the local cache, based on access latency and cache hit over a predetermined period of time of each of the global cache and the local cache.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stephen L. BLINICK, Daniel W. FOK, Chao G. LI, Yang LIU, Paul H. MUENCH
  • Patent number: 8935462
    Abstract: For efficient track destage in secondary storage in a more effective manner, for temporal bits employed with sequential bits for controlling the timing for destaging the track in a primary storage, the temporal bits and sequential bits are transferred from the primary storage to the secondary storage. The temporal bits are allowed to age on the secondary storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Stephen L. Blinick, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Lokesh M. Gupta, Robert Haas, Xiao-Yu Hu, Matthew J. Kalos, Ioannis Koltsidas, Karl A. Nielsen, Roman A. Pletka
  • Patent number: 8935479
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for managing data in a first cache and a second cache. A reference count is maintained in the second cache for the page when the page is stored in the second cache. It is determined that the page is to be promoted from the second cache to the first cache. In response to determining that the reference count is greater than zero, the page is added to a Least Recently Used (LRU) end of an LRU list in the first cache. In response to determining that the reference count is less than or equal to zero, the page is added to a Most Recently Used (LRU) end of the LRU list in the first cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Stephen L. Blinick, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Lokesh M. Gupta, Robert Haas, Xiao-Yu Hu, Ioannis Koltsidas, Roman A. Pletka
  • Publication number: 20150012706
    Abstract: A computer program product, system, and method for managing metadata for caching devices during shutdown and restart procedures. Fragment metadata for each fragment of data from the storage server stored in the cache device is generated. The fragment metadata is written to at least one chunk of storage in the cache device in a metadata directory in the cache device. For each of the at least one chunk in the cache device to which the fragment metadata is written, chunk metadata is generated for the chunk and writing the generated chunk metadata to the metadata directory in the cache device. Header metadata having information on access of the storage server is written to the metadata directory in the cache device. The written header metadata, chunk metadata, and fragment metadata are used to validate the metadata directory and the fragment data in the cache device during a restart operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Stephen L. Blinick, Clement L. Dickey, Xioa-Yu Hu, Nikolas Ioannou, Ioannis Koltsidas, Paul H. Muench, Roman Pletka, Sangeetha Seshadri
  • Patent number: 8930624
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for managing data in a first cache and a second cache. A reference count is maintained in the second cache for the page when the page is stored in the second cache. It is determined that the page is to be promoted from the second cache to the first cache. In response to determining that the reference count is greater than zero, the page is added to a Least Recently Used (LRU) end of an LRU list in the first cache. In response to determining that the reference count is less than or equal to zero, the page is added to a Most Recently Used (LRU) end of the LRU list in the first cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Stephen L. Blinick, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Lokesh M. Gupta, Robert Haas, Xiao-Yu Hu, Ioannis Koltsidas, Roman A. Pletka
  • Patent number: 8898653
    Abstract: Updating code of a single processor in a multi-processor system includes halting transactions processed by a first processor in the system and processing of transactions by a second processor in the system are maintained. The first processor then receives new code and an operating system running on the first processor is terminated whereby all processes and threads being executed by the first processor are terminated. Execution of a self-reset of the first processor is commenced and interrupts associated with the first processor are disabled. Only those system resources exclusively associated with the first processor are reset, and memory transactions associated with the first processor are disabled. An image of the new code is copied into memory associated with the first processor, registers associated with the first processor are reset and the new code is booted by the first processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen L. Blinick, Chiahong Chen
  • Publication number: 20140201448
    Abstract: For movement of partial data segments within a computing storage environment having lower and higher levels of cache by a processor, a whole data segment containing one of the partial data segments is promoted to both the lower and higher levels of cache. Requested data of the whole data segment is split and positioned at a Most Recently Used (MRU) portion of a demotion queue of the higher level of cache.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. BENHASE, Stephen L. BLINICK, Evangelos S. ELEFTHERIOU, Lokesh M. GUPTA, Robert HAAS, Xiao-Yu HU, Matthew J. KALOS, Ioannis KOLTSIDAS, Roman A. PLETKA
  • Patent number: 8782464
    Abstract: A standby server, a first main server, and a second main server to control shared input/output (I/O) adapters in a storage system are provided. The standby server is in communication with the first main server and the second main server, and the storage system is configured to operate as a dual node active system. The standby server is activated in response to receiving a communication from the first main server of a fail mode of the second main server. Systems and physical computer storage media are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen L. Blinick, Scott A. Brewer, Yu-Cheng Hsu
  • Patent number: 8775867
    Abstract: A standby server, a first main server, and a second main server to control shared input/output (I/O) adapters in a storage system are provided. The standby server is in communication with the first main server and the second main server, and the storage system is configured to operate as a dual node active system. The standby server is activated in response to receiving a communication from the first main server of a fail mode of the second main server. Systems and physical computer storage media are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen L. Blinick, Scott A. Brewer, Yu-Cheng Hsu
  • Patent number: 8719494
    Abstract: For movement of partial data segments within a computing storage environment having lower and higher levels of cache by a processor, a whole data segment containing one of the partial data segments is promoted to both the lower and higher levels of cache. Requested data of the whole data segment is split and positioned at a Most Recently Used (MRU) portion of a demotion queue of the higher level of cache. Unrequested data of the whole data segment is split and positioned at a Least Recently Used (LRU) portion of the demotion queue of the higher level of cache. The unrequested data is pinned in place until a write of the whole data segment to the lower level of cache completes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Stephen L. Blinick, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Lokesh M. Gupta, Robert Haas, Xiao-Yu Hu, Matthew J. Kalos, Ioannis Koltsidas, Roman A. Pletka
  • Patent number: 8688913
    Abstract: For movement of partial data segments within a computing storage environment having lower and higher levels of cache by a processor, a whole data segment containing one of the partial data segments is promoted to both the lower and higher levels of cache. Requested data of the whole data segment is split and positioned at a Most Recently Used (MRU) portion of a demotion queue of the higher level of cache. Unrequested data of the whole data segment is split and positioned at a Least Recently Used (LRU) portion of the demotion queue of the higher level of cache. The unrequested data is pinned in place until a write of the whole data segment to the lower level of cache completes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Stephen L. Blinick, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Lokesh M. Gupta, Robert Haas, Xiao-Yu Hu, Matthew J. Kalos, Ioannis Koltsidas, Roman A. Pletka
  • Patent number: 8688914
    Abstract: For efficient track destage in secondary storage in a more effective manner, for temporal bits employed with sequential bits for controlling the timing for destaging the track in a primary storage, the temporal bits and sequential bits are transferred from the primary storage to the secondary storage. The temporal bits are allowed to age on the secondary storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Stephen L. Blinick, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Lokesh M. Gupta, Robert Haas, Xiao-Yu Hu, Matthew J. Kalos, Ioannis Koltsidas, Karl A. Nielsen, Roman A. Pletka
  • Publication number: 20130346538
    Abstract: A method for managing cache memories includes providing a computerized system including a shared data storage system (CS) configured to interact with several local servers that serve applications using respective cache memories, and access data stored in the shared data storage system; providing cache data information from each of the local servers to the shared data storage system, the cache data information comprising cache hit data representative of cache hits of each of the local servers, and cache miss data representative of cache misses of each of the local servers; aggregating, at the shared data storage system, at least part of the cache hit and miss data received and providing the aggregated cache data information to one or more of the local servers; and at the local servers, updating respective one or more cache memories used to serve respective one or more applications based on the aggregated cache data information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Inventors: Stephen L. Blinick, Lawrence Y. Chiu, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Robert Haas, Yu-Cheng Hsu, Xiao-Yu Hu, Ioannis Koltsidas, Paul H. Muench, Roman Pletka
  • Publication number: 20130232294
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for managing data in a first cache and a second cache. A reference count is maintained in the second cache for the page when the page is stored in the second cache. It is determined that the page is to be promoted from the second cache to the first cache. In response to determining that the reference count is greater than zero, the page is added to a Least Recently Used (LRU) end of an LRU list in the first cache. In response to determining that the reference count is less than or equal to zero, the page is added to a Most Recently Used (LRU) end of the LRU list in the first cache.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Stephen L. Blinick, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Lokesh M. Gupta, Robert Haas, Xiao-Yu Hu, Ioannis Koltsidas, Roman A. Pletka
  • Publication number: 20130232295
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for managing data in a first cache and a second cache. A reference count is maintained in the second cache for the page when the page is stored in the second cache. It is determined that the page is to be promoted from the second cache to the first cache. In response to determining that the reference count is greater than zero, the page is added to a Least Recently Used (LRU) end of an LRU list in the first cache. In response to determining that the reference count is less than or equal to zero, the page is added to a Most Recently Used (LRU) end of the LRU list in the first cache.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Stephen L. Blinick, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Lokesh M. Gupta, Robert Haas, Xiao-Yu Hu, Ioannis Koltsidas, Roman A. Pletka
  • Publication number: 20130111133
    Abstract: The population of data to be inserted into secondary data storage cache is controlled by determining a heat metric of candidate data; adjusting a heat metric threshold; rejecting candidate data provided to the secondary data storage cache whose heat metric is less than the threshold; and admitting candidate data whose heat metric is equal to or greater than the heat metric threshold. The adjustment of the heat metric threshold is determined by comparing a reference metric related to hits of data most recently inserted into the secondary data storage cache, to a reference metric related to hits of data most recently evicted from the secondary data storage cache; if the most recently inserted reference metric is greater than the most recently evicted reference metric, decrementing the threshold; and if the most recently inserted reference metric is less than the most recently evicted reference metric, incrementing the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: MICHAEL T. BENHASE, STEPHEN L. BLINICK, EVANGELOS S. ELEFTHERIOU, LOKESH M. GUPTA, ROBERT HAAS, XIAO-YU HU, IOANNIS KOLTSIDAS, ROMAN A. PLETKA
  • Publication number: 20130111131
    Abstract: The population of data to be inserted into secondary data storage cache is controlled by determining a heat metric of candidate data; adjusting a heat metric threshold; rejecting candidate data provided to the secondary data storage cache whose heat metric is less than the threshold; and admitting candidate data whose heat metric is equal to or greater than the heat metric threshold. The adjustment of the heat metric threshold is determined by comparing a reference metric related to hits of data most recently inserted into the secondary data storage cache, to a reference metric related to hits of data most recently evicted from the secondary data storage cache; if the most recently inserted reference metric is greater than the most recently evicted reference metric, decrementing the threshold; and if the most recently inserted reference metric is less than the most recently evicted reference metric, incrementing the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: MICHAEL T. BENHASE, STEPHEN L. BLINICK, EVANGELOS S. ELEFTHERIOU, LOKESH M. GUPTA, ROBERT HAAS, XIAO-YU HU, IOANNIS KOLTSIDAS, ROMAN A. PLETKA