Patents by Inventor Theodore T. Harris, Jr.

Theodore T. Harris, Jr. 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: 9575800
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using queues corresponding to attribute values and priorities associated with units of work and sub-units of the unit of work to select the units of work and their sub-units to process. There are a plurality of work unit queues, wherein each of the work unit queues are associated with different work unit attribute values that are associated with units of work, wherein a plurality of the work unit queues include records for units of work to process having work unit attribute values associated with the work unit attribute values of the work unit queues, and wherein the work unit queues are each associated with a different priority. A record for a unit of work to perform is added to the work unit queue associated with a priority and work unit attribute value associated with the work unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Theresa M. Brown, Nicolas M. Clayton, Joshua J. Crawford, Lokesh M. Gupta, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Brian D. Hatfield, Matthew Sanchez, David B. Schreiber, Matthew J. Ward
  • Patent number: 9563366
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using queues corresponding to attribute values associated with units of work and sub-units of the unit of work to select the units of work and their sub-units to process. There are a plurality of work unit queues, each associated with different work unit attribute values that are associated with units of work, wherein the work unit queues include records for units of work to process having work unit attribute values associated with the work unit attribute values of the work unit queues. There are a plurality of work sub-unit queues, wherein each are associated with different work sub-unit attribute values that are associated with sub-units of work. Records are added for work sub-units of a unit of work to the work sub-unit queues, and records are selected from the work sub-unit queues to process the sub-units of work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Theresa M. Brown, Nicolas M. Clayton, Lokesh M. Gupta, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Brian D. Hatfield, Matthew Sanchez, David B. Schreiber
  • Patent number: 9514012
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present description, mirroring is provided for a pair of storage units in bidirectional synchronous mirror relationships, and a tertiary storage unit. The mirroring includes multi-target mirroring to write updates written to the first storage unit to both the second storage unit and to a third storage unit. Similarly, for updates written to the second storage unit, multi-target mirroring is employed to write those to both the first storage unit and to the third storage unit. Other aspects are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Theresa M. Brown, Nicolas M. Clayton, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Gregory E. McBride, Carol S. Mellgren, Warren K. Stanley
  • Patent number: 9501327
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for concurrently processing parts of cells of a data structure with multiple processes. Information is provided to indicate a partitioning of the cells of the data structure into a plurality of parts, and having a cursor pointing to a cell in the part. Processes concurrently process different parts of the data structure by performing: determining from the cursor for the part one of the cells in the part to process; processing the cells from the cursor to determine whether to process the unit of work corresponding to the cell; and setting the cursor to identify one of the cells from which processing is to continue in a subsequent iteration in response to processing the units of work for a plurality of the processed cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Theresa M. Brown, Nicolas M. Clayton, Lokesh M. Gupta, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Brian D. Hatfield, Matthew Sanchez, David B. Schreiber
  • Patent number: 9483366
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present description, a copy relationship is established between a storage location at a first site and a storage location at a second site in a data storage system, wherein a dynamically assignable bitmap preset to one of a plurality of different predetermined bit patterns is selected as a function of both the availability of the selected bitmap and the type of predetermined bit pattern identified for the selected bitmap. The selected bitmap may be assigned as an out-of-sync bitmap wherein updates to the storage location at one site, which are to be copied to the storage location at the other site, are indicated in the selected bitmap, and data writes being written to the storage location at the one site, are copied to the storage location at the other site, using the selected bitmap as an out-of-sync bitmap. Other aspects are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Theresa M. Brown, Nedlaya Y. Francisco, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Suguang Li, Mark L. Lipets, Carol S. Mellgren, Raul E. Saba, Alfred E. Sanchez, Warren K. Stanley
  • Publication number: 20160299694
    Abstract: For performing efficient full-stride copy source-to-target operations in a computing storage environment by a processor device, pursuant to a destage operation, a determination is made whether to destage a full stride or one track of data on a target volume by comparing a counted number of modified tracks for the full stride against a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin J. ASH, Lokesh M. GUPTA, Theodore T. HARRIS, JR., Suguang LI
  • Publication number: 20160283130
    Abstract: For performing efficient management of tracks in an asynchronous Peer-to-Peer Redundant Copy (PPRC) operation in a computing storage environment, a correct status of a sequential bit is determined by examining a primary cache, where if data being transferred pursuant to the PPRC operation in a primary track remains in the primary cache, the sequential bit setting found therein is used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lokesh M. GUPTA, Theodore T. HARRIS, JR., Gail A. SPEAR
  • Patent number: 9396121
    Abstract: For performing efficient management of tracks in an asynchronous Peer-to-Peer Redundant Copy (PPRC) operation in a computing storage environment, a correct status of a sequential bit is determined by performing one of: (1) examining a primary cache, where if data being transferred pursuant to the PPRC operation in a primary track remains in the primary cache, the sequential bit setting found therein is used, and (2) an Out-Of-Sync (OOS) bitmap is examined to determine if the sequential bit is set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lokesh M. Gupta, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Gail A. Spear
  • Patent number: 9395925
    Abstract: For performing efficient full-stride copy source-to-target operations in a computing storage environment by a processor device, pursuant to a destage operation, a determination is made whether to destage a full stride or one track of data on a target volume by comparing a counted number of modified tracks for the full stride against a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin J. Ash, Lokesh M. Gupta, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Suguang Li
  • Patent number: 9280296
    Abstract: A primary storage controller receives an input/output (I/O) command from a host, wherein a host timestamp is associated with the I/O command. During a mirroring of storage volumes to a secondary storage controller, the primary storage controller communicates the host timestamp associated with the I/O command to the secondary storage controller, wherein mirrored copies of the storage volumes are timestamped based on at least the host timestamp and an elapsed time since a last host I/O command. A recovery is made from a failure of one or more of the storage volumes in the primary storage controller, by using the timestamped mirrored copies of the storage volumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Joshua J. Crawford, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Matthew J. Kalos, Gail A. Spear, John G. Thompson, Matthew J. Ward
  • Patent number: 9264493
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for asynchronous pausing of the formation of consistency groups. A first copy operation is initiated to copy the source data from the first storage to the first data copy in the second storage. A second copy operation is initiated to copy the first data copy in the second storage to a second data copy in response to forming a consistency group of the source data at the first data copy forms consistent as of a point-in-time with respect to the source data. The first copy operation is suspended to allow for further processing of the first data copy in response to completing the second copy operation. The formation of a next consistency group is restarted between the source data and the first data copy in response to receiving a resume command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nicolas M. Clayton, Joshua J. Crawford, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Carol S. Mellgren, Gail A. Spear, Matthew J. Ward
  • Patent number: 9262344
    Abstract: Provided are techniques for local locking in a bi-directional synchronous mirroring environment. In response to receiving a write operation for a block of data on a first volume, a lock is obtained on a corresponding block of data on a second volume to obtain exclusive access to that block of data on the second volume. in response to determining that an active write indicator is set to indicate that there is not an active write on the second volume, updated data for the corresponding block of data is written to cache for the second volume, the lock is released to remove exclusive access to the corresponding block of data on the second volume, and a transfer complete message is sent to the first volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Theresa M. Brown, Nicolas M. Clayton, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Gregory E. McBride, Carol S. Mellgren, Warren K. Stanley
  • Patent number: 9251230
    Abstract: A first data structure stores indications of storage locations that need to be copied for forming a consistency group. A second data structure stores indications of new host writes, subsequent to starting a point in time copy operation to form the consistency group. Locations of the first data structure and the second data structure are exchanged, subsequent to the consistency group being formed successfully.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Theresa M. Brown, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Mark L. Lipets, Carol S. Mellgren
  • Patent number: 9252922
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to improve performance in backup data storage systems by improving response to errors. The system and method provide for transferring data from a primary storage controller to a secondary storage controller, where the secondary storage controller is linked to the primary storage controller by a plurality of links. The system and method includes transmitting a first transaction from the primary storage controller to the secondary storage controller using a first of a plurality of links. Then, in response to the first transaction crossing a first timeout boundary without completing, the system and method includes transmitting a second transaction from the primary storage controller to the secondary storage controller using a second of the plurality of links, the second of the plurality of links preferentially selected to be on a different network failure boundary from the first of the plurality of links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nicolas M. Clayton, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Gail A. Spear
  • Publication number: 20150331710
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using queues corresponding to attribute values associated with units of work to select the units of work to process. A plurality of queues for each of a plurality of attribute types of attributes are associated with the units of work to process, wherein there are queues for different possible attribute values for each of the attribute types. A unit of work to process is received. A determination is made for each of the attribute types at least one of the queues corresponding to at least one attribute value for the attribute type associated with the received unit of work. A record for the received unit of work is added to each of the determined queues.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Theresa M. Brown, Nicolas M. Clayton, Lokesh M. Gupta, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Brian D. Hatfield, Matthew Sanchez, David B. Schreiber
  • Publication number: 20150331716
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using queues corresponding to attribute values and priorities associated with units of work and sub-units of the unit of work to select the units of work and their sub-units to process. There are a plurality of work unit queues, wherein each of the work unit queues are associated with different work unit attribute values that are associated with units of work, wherein a plurality of the work unit queues include records for units of work to process having work unit attribute values associated with the work unit attribute values of the work unit queues, and wherein the work unit queues are each associated with a different priority. A record for a unit of work to perform is added to the work unit queue associated with a priority and work unit attribute value associated with the work unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Theresa M. Brown, Nicolas M. Clayton, Joshua J. Crawford, Lokesh M. Gupta, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Brian D. Hatfield, Matthew Sanchez, David B. Schreiber, Matthew J. Ward
  • Publication number: 20150331712
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for concurrently processing parts of cells of a data structure with multiple processes. Information is provided to indicate a partitioning of the cells of the data structure into a plurality of parts, and having a cursor pointing to a cell in the part. Processes concurrently process different parts of the data structure by performing: determining from the cursor for the part one of the cells in the part to process; processing the cells from the cursor to determine whether to process the unit of work corresponding to the cell; and setting the cursor to identify one of the cells from which processing is to continue in a subsequent iteration in response to processing the units of work for a plurality of the processed cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Theresa M. Brown, Nicolas M. Clayton, Lokesh M. Gupta, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Brian D. Hatfield, Matthew Sanchez, David B. Schreiber
  • Publication number: 20150331614
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using queues corresponding to attribute values associated with units of work and sub-units of the unit of work to select the units of work and their sub-units to process. There are a plurality of work unit queues, each associated with different work unit attribute values that are associated with units of work, wherein the work unit queues include records for units of work to process having work unit attribute values associated with the work unit attribute values of the work unit queues. There are a plurality of work sub-unit queues, wherein each are associated with different work sub-unit attribute values that are associated with sub-units of work. Records are added for work sub-units of a unit of work to the work sub-unit queues, and records are selected from the work sub-unit queues to process the sub-units of work.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Theresa M. Brown, Nicolas M. Clayton, Lokesh M. Gupta, Theodore T. Harris, JR., Brian D. Hatfield, Matthew Sanchez, David B. Schreiber
  • Publication number: 20150286538
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present description, a copy relationship is established between a storage location at a first site and a storage location at a second site in a data storage system, wherein a dynamically assignable bitmap preset to one of a plurality of different predetermined bit patterns is selected as a function of both the availability of the selected bitmap and the type of predetermined bit pattern identified for the selected bitmap. The selected bitmap may be assigned as an out-of-sync bitmap wherein updates to the storage location at one site, which are to be copied to the storage location at the other site, are indicated in the selected bitmap, and data writes being written to the storage location at the one site, are copied to the storage location at the other site, using the selected bitmap as an out-of-sync bitmap. Other aspects are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Theresa M. Brown, Nedlaya Y. Francisco, Theodore T. Harris, JR., Suguang Li, Mark L. Lipets, Carol S. Mellgren, Raul E. Saba, Alfred E. Sanchez, Warren K. Stanley
  • Publication number: 20150286545
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present description, mirroring is provided for a pair of storage units in bidirectional synchronous mirror relationships, and a tertiary storage unit. The mirroring includes multi-target mirroring to write updates written to the first storage unit to both the second storage unit and to a third storage unit. Similarly, for updates written to the second storage unit, multi-target mirroring is employed to write those to both the first storage unit and to the third storage unit. Other aspects are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Theresa M. Brown, Nicolas M. Clayton, Theodore T. Harris, Jr., Gregory E. McBride, Carol S. Mellgren, Warren K. Stanley