Patents by Inventor Steven C. Miller

Steven C. Miller 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: 20150188832
    Abstract: A multiple channel data transfer system (10) includes a source (12) that generates data packets with sequence numbers for transfer over multiple request channels (14). Data packets are transferred over the multiple request channels (14) through a network (16) to a destination (18). The destination (18) re-orders the data packets received over the multiple request channels (14) into a proper sequence in response to the sequence numbers to facilitate data processing. The destination (18) provides appropriate reply packets to the source (12) over multiple response channels (20) to control the flow of data packets from the source (12).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: Randal G. Martin, Steven C. Miller, Mark D. Stadler, David A. Kruckemyer
  • Patent number: 9069787
    Abstract: A sampling based technique for eliminating duplicate data (de-duplication) stored on storage resources, is provided. According to the invention, when a new data set, e.g., a backup data stream, is received by a server, e.g., a storage system or virtual tape library (VTL) system implementing the invention, one or more anchors are identified within the new data set. The anchors are identified using a novel anchor detection circuitry in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Upon receipt of the new data set by, for example, a network adapter of a VTL system, the data set is transferred using direct memory access (DMA) operations to a memory associated with an anchor detection hardware card that is operatively interconnected with the storage system. The anchor detection hardware card may be implemented as, for example, a FPGA is to quickly identify anchors within the data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C. Miller, Roger Stager
  • Patent number: 8971329
    Abstract: A multiple channel data transfer system (10) includes a source (12) that generates data packets with sequence numbers for transfer over multiple request channels (14). Data packets are transferred over the multiple request channels (14) through a network (16) to a destination (18). The destination (18) re-orders the data packets received over the multiple request channels (14) into a proper sequence in response to the sequence numbers to facilitate data processing. The destination (18) provides appropriate reply packets to the source (12) over multiple response channels (20) to control the flow of data packets from the source (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Silicon Graphics International Corp.
    Inventors: Randal G. Martin, Steven C. Miller, Mark D. Stadler, David A. Kruckemyer
  • Publication number: 20150026076
    Abstract: A system and method for helping customers install a modular computing system is provided. In some embodiments, the method comprises determining, using a computing system, whether all components of a modular computing system have been received by a customer. Based on determining that not all the components of the modular computing system have been received by the customer, it is determined whether the modular computing system can be incrementally deployed. A customer instruction for incrementally deploying the modular computing system is provided at a display device. A communication link is established with a component of the modular computing system. Communications directed over the communication link are used to determine whether a customer correctly performed the provided customer instruction. In one such embodiment, the determining of whether the modular computing system can be incrementally deployed includes determining whether a minimum resource requirement is met.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Joseph CaraDonna, Steven C. Miller, Stephen W. Daniel, Rodney A. DeKoning, Gaurav Makkar, Brian Hackworth, Michael S. Riley, Valentin M. Bercovici
  • Publication number: 20150026077
    Abstract: A system and method for providing customer guidance in deploying a modular computing system is provided. In some embodiments, the method comprises receiving a shipping container identifier. A computing system is used to determine, based on the shipping container identifier, that a component of the modular computing system has been received by a customer. It is determined whether the modular computing system can be deployed based on the component having been received by the customer. An indicator is provided of whether the modular computing system can be deployed. An instruction is provided for deploying the modular computing system, and a diagnostic procedure is performed on a deployed component of the modular computing system. In one such embodiment, the diagnostic procedure determines whether the instruction was correctly performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Joseph CaraDonna, Steven C. Miller, Stephen W. Daniel, Rodney A. DeKoning, Gaurav Makkar, Brian Hackworth, Michael S. Riley, Valentin M. Bercovici
  • Publication number: 20150026621
    Abstract: A system and method for planning and configuring the components of a modular computing system is provided. In some embodiments, the method for planning an implementation of a modular computing system comprises presenting a user interface at a display device, the user interface including a plurality of user-selectable objects, each of the user-selectable objects representing a component of the modular computing system. A user selection is received via a user input device. The user selection is from among the user-selectable objects and specifies one of an enclosure, an existing component, and a future component of the modular computing system. A representation of the specified one of an enclosure, an existing component, and a future component is displayed at a display device. The user selection is verified with respect to an implementation guideline. An indicator of whether the user selection meets the implementation guideline is displayed at the display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Joseph CaraDonna, Steven C. Miller, Stephen W. Daniel, Rodney A. DeKoninig, Gaurav Makkar, Brian Hackworth, Michael S. Riley, Valentin M. Bercovici
  • Publication number: 20140337691
    Abstract: A system and method for conveying data include the capability to determine whether a transaction request credit has been received at a computer module, the transaction request credit indicating that at least a portion of a transaction request message may be sent. The system and method also include the capability to determine, of a transaction request message is to be sent, whether at least a portion of the transaction request message may be sent and to send the at least a portion of the transaction request message if it may be sent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventors: Steven C. Miller, Thomas Edward McGee, Bruce Alan Strangfeld
  • Publication number: 20140304241
    Abstract: A sampling based technique for eliminating duplicate data (de-duplication) stored on storage resources, is provided. According to the invention, when a new data set, e.g., a backup data stream, is received by a server, e.g., a storage system or virtual tape library (VTL) system implementing the invention, one or more anchors are identified within the new data set. The anchors are identified using a novel anchor detection circuitry in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Upon receipt of the new data set by, for example, a network adapter of a VTL system, the data set is transferred using direct memory access (DMA) operations to a memory associated with an anchor detection hardware card that is operatively interconnected with the storage system. The anchor detection hardware card may be implemented as, for example, a FPGA is to quickly identify anchors within the data set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Inventors: Steven C. Miller, Roger Stager
  • Patent number: 8812721
    Abstract: A system and method for conveying data include the capability to determine whether a transaction request credit has been received at a computer module, the transaction request credit indicating that at least a portion of a transaction request message may be sent. The system and method also include the capability to determine, of a transaction request message is to be sent, whether at least a portion of the transaction request message may be sent and to send the at least a portion of the transaction request message if it may be sent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Graphics International Corp.
    Inventors: Steven C. Miller, Thomas Edward McGee, Bruce Alan Strangfeld
  • Patent number: 8762345
    Abstract: A sampling based technique for eliminating duplicate data (de-duplication) stored on storage resources, is provided. According to the invention, when a new data set, e.g., a backup data stream, is received by a server, e.g., a storage system or virtual tape library (VTL) system implementing the invention, one or more anchors are identified within the new data set. The anchors are identified using a novel anchor detection circuitry in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Upon receipt of the new data set by, for example, a network adapter of a VTL system, the data set is transferred using direct memory access (DMA) operations to a memory associated with an anchor detection hardware card that is operatively interconnected with the storage system. The anchor detection hardware card may be implemented as, for example, a FPGA is to quickly identify anchors within the data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C. Miller, Roger Stager
  • Patent number: 8719923
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technique, in a network storage system, for a key management module (KMM) managing security operations within the storage server using an authenticated storage module (ASM) such as a smart card of the storage server. The KMM may process encryption key information (key information) generated by an encryption engine of the storage server to associate a key with a storage object of the storage server. The processed key information may then be stored by the KMM to a key map of the ASM, for which the ASM performs security services prior to storing information to the key map. The KMM may then request key information stored in the key map from the ASM, and forward the key information to the encryption engine for performing cryptographic operations on data of the storage object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C. Miller, Ravi Kavuri
  • Publication number: 20140112872
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for detecting, measuring, or locating cells or substances present in even very low concentrations in vivo in subjects, using targeted magnetic nanoparticles and special magnetic systems. The magnetic systems can comprise magnetizing subsystems and sensors subsystems, including as examples SQUID sensors and atomic magnetometers. The magnetic systems can detect, measure, or location particles bound by antibodies to cells or substances of predetermined types. Example magnetic systems are capable of detecting sub-nanogram amounts of these nanoparticles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Inventors: Edward R Flynn, Victor Gerald Grafe, Steven C. Miller
  • Patent number: 8549222
    Abstract: A cache-based storage architecture has primary and secondary storage subsystems that are controlled by first and second data layout engines to provide a high-performance storage system. The primary storage subsystem illustratively comprises non-volatile electronic storage media configured as a cache, while the secondary storage subsystem comprises magnetic storage media configured as a disk array. The data layout engines illustratively implement data layout techniques that improve read and write performance to the primary and secondary storage subsystems. To that end, the data layout engines cooperate to optimize the use of the non-volatile cache as a primary storage stage that efficiently serves random data access operations prior to substantially transposing them into sequential data access operations for permanent (or archival) storage on the disk array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven R. Kleiman, Steven C. Miller, Jeffrey S. Kimmel
  • Publication number: 20130198301
    Abstract: A system and method for conveying data include the capability to determine whether a transaction request credit has been received at a computer module, the transaction request credit indicating that at least a portion of a transaction request message may be sent. The system and method also include the capability to determine, of a transaction request message is to be sent, whether at least a portion of the transaction request message may be sent and to send the at least a portion of the transaction request message if it may be sent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Inventors: Steven C. Miller, Thomas Edward McGee, Bruce Alan Strangfeld
  • Publication number: 20130080709
    Abstract: A processor may operate in one of a plurality of operating states. In a Normal operating state, the processor is not involved with a memory transaction. Upon receipt of a transaction instruction to access a memory location, the processor transitions to a Transaction operating state. In the Transaction operating state, the processor performs changes to a cache line and data associated with the memory location. While in the Transaction operating state, any changes to the data and the cache line are not visible to other processors in the computing system. These changes become visible upon the processor entering a Commit operating state in response to receipt of a commit instruction. After changes become visible, the processor returns to the Normal operating state. If an abort event occurs prior to receipt of the commit instruction, the processor transitions to an Abort operating state where any changes to the data and cache line are discarded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventors: Steven C. Miller, Martin M. Deneroff, Curt F. Schimmel, Larry Rudolph, Charles E. Leiserson, Bradley C. Kuszmaul, Krste Asanovic
  • Patent number: 8402225
    Abstract: In a computing system, cache coherency is performed by selecting one of a plurality of coherency protocols for a first memory transaction. Each of the plurality of coherency protocols has a unique set of cache states that may be applied to cached data for the first memory transaction. Cache coherency is performed on appropriate caches in the computing system by applying the set of cache states of the selected one of the plurality of coherency protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Silicon Graphics International Corp.
    Inventors: Steven C. Miller, Martin M. Deneroff, Kenneth C. Yeager
  • Patent number: 8327015
    Abstract: A system and method for conveying data include the capability to determine whether a transaction request credit has been received at a computer module, the transaction request credit indicating that at least a portion of a transaction request message may be sent. The system and method also include the capability to determine, if a transaction request message is to be sent, whether at least a portion of the transaction request message may be sent and to send the at least a portion of the transaction request message if it may be sent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Silicon Graphics International Corp.
    Inventors: Steven C. Miller, Thomas Edward McGee, Bruce Alan Strangfeld
  • Patent number: 8321634
    Abstract: A processor may operate in one of a plurality of operating states. In a Normal operating state, the processor is not involved with a memory transaction. Upon receipt of a transaction instruction to access a memory location, the processor transitions to a Transaction operating state. In the Transaction operating state, the processor performs changes to a cache line and data associated with the memory location. While in the Transaction operating state, any changes to the data and the cache line is not visible to other processors in the computing system. These changes become visible upon the processor entering a Commit operating state in response to receipt of a commit instruction. After changes become visible, the processor returns to the Normal operating state. If an abort event occurs prior to receipt of the commit instruction, the processor transitions to an Abort operating state where any changes to the data and cache line are discarded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Silicon Graphics International Corp.
    Inventors: Steven C. Miller, Martin M. Deneroff, Curt F. Schimmel, Larry Rudolph, Charles E. Leiserson, Bradley C. Kuszmaul, Krste Asanovic
  • Patent number: 8281066
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for eliminating duplicate data (de-duplication) in substantially real time using an electronic storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Don Trimmer, Steven C. Miller
  • Patent number: 8255737
    Abstract: The techniques introduced here include storage systems including a storage controller configured to access data and a storage subsystem including a storage device having n ports, where n is an integer greater than one, and where the storage device is configured to store the data and to make the data available to the storage controller via each of the n ports. The storage systems also include a communication fabric configured to couple the storage controller to each of the n ports of the storage device via m paths, where m is an integer greater than n, so that the storage system is configured to tolerate failure in up to m?1 paths through the communication fabric, such that the data in the storage device remains accessible to the storage controller even in the presence of failure in up to m?1 paths of the m paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Radek Aster, Steven C. Miller, Kurtis A. Chan