Patents by Inventor Stephen Merritt Branch

Stephen Merritt Branch 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: 7349908
    Abstract: A dynamic construct is associated with one or more operational parameters of one or more components of a storage management system, wherein a pointer to the construct is retained in metadata for the storage management system, the values of the construct are stored in a first repository separate from a second repository normally used to store the metadata for the storage management system. The value of the construct in the first repository is allowed to change dynamically at any point of time without affecting the metadata in the second repository. Thereafter, the value of the construct in the first repository is retrieved and used as the operational parameter, instead of a static value in the metadata in the second repository. This provides a level of indirection that allows the construct to be applied dynamically in the storage management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sanjay Shyam, Victor Sheng-Jian Liang, Savur Anand Rao, Stephen Merritt Branch, Patricia Driscoll Choi, Mark Edward Thomen
  • Patent number: 6675175
    Abstract: A method and system for sharing a catalog in a multiprocessor system is disclosed. The multiprocessor system includes a plurality of host systems. The method and system comprises storing a copy of an entire volume data record of the catalog in a processor. Thereafter, the method and system comprises reading sharing information of the catalog from the processor to the appropriate host system when the appropriate host system needs access to the catalog. For example, in a S/390 parallel processor system an enhanced catalog sharing system (ECS) is utilized in conjunction with the catalogs. In this type of system, a copy of the entire data VSAM volume record (VVR) for an ECS-active catalog is stored in a coupling facility processor. This processor is accessed using components of the S/390 product. When an ECS-active host system needs access to an ECS-active catalog, the sharing information is read in from the coupling facility processor instead of a DASD volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Merritt Branch, Patricia Driscoll Choi, Edward H. Daray, Jr., Mark Edward Thomen
  • Publication number: 20030158849
    Abstract: A dynamic construct is associated with one or more operational parameters of one or more components of a storage management system, wherein a pointer to the construct is retained in metadata for the storage management system, the values of the construct are stored in a first repository separate from a second repository normally used to store the metadata for the storage management system. The value of the construct in the first repository is allowed to change dynamically at any point of time without affecting the metadata in the second repository. Thereafter, the value of the construct in the first repository is retrieved and used as the operational parameter, instead of a static value in the metadata in the second repository. This provides a level of indirection that allows the construct to be applied dynamically in the storage management system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sanjay Shyam, Victor Sheng-Jian Liang, Savur Anand Rao, Stephen Merritt Branch, Patricia Driscoll Choi, Mark Edward Thomen
  • Publication number: 20020023070
    Abstract: A method and system for sharing a catalog in a multiprocessor system is disclosed. The multiprocessor system includes a plurality of host systems. The method and system comprises storing a copy of an entire volume data record of the catalog in a processor. Thereafter, the method and system comprises reading sharing information of the catalog from the processor to the appropriate host system when the appropriate host system needs access to the catalog. For example, in a S/390 parallel processor system an enhanced catalog sharing system (ECS) is utilized in conjunction with the catalogs. In this type of system, a copy of the entire data VSAM volume record (VVR) for an ECS-active catalog is stored in a coupling facility processor. This processor is accessed using components of the S/390 product. When an ECS-active host system needs access to an ECS-active catalog, the sharing information is read in from the coupling facility processor instead of a DASD volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 1999
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Inventors: STEPHEN MERRITT BRANCH, PATRICIA DRISCOLL CHOI, EDWARD H. DARAY, MARK EDWARD THOMEN