Patents by Inventor Walter W. Otto

Walter W. Otto 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: 9026777
    Abstract: A computer system includes a memory, the memory comprising a hardware boot parameter storage area; an operating system running on the computer system; and reboot logic configured to: store updated boot parameters for the operating system in the hardware boot parameter storage area in the memory; perform a reboot of the operating system with the updated boot parameters; determine whether the reboot of the operating system is successful, and, in the event the reboot of the operating system is successful, automatically propagate the updated boot parameters to a persistent boot parameter storage area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Brooks, Walter W. Otto, Neil Shah, Stephen C. Warren
  • Patent number: 9009456
    Abstract: A method for automatically updating persistent boot parameter storage in a computer system includes storing updated boot parameters for an operating system in the computer system in a hardware boot parameter storage area in a memory of the computer system; performing a reboot of the operating system with the updated boot parameters; determining whether the reboot of the operating system is successful; and, in the event the reboot of the operating system is successful, automatically propagating the updated boot parameters from the hardware boot parameter storage area to a persistent boot parameter storage area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Brooks, Walter W. Otto, Neil Shah, Stephen C. Warren
  • Patent number: 8918617
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to methods, systems and computer program products for defragmenting storage class memory by comparing a utilization rate of the storage class memory to a threshold value. If the utilization rate of the storage class memory is greater than the threshold value, the potentially wasted storage space is then compared to the combined storage capacity of the unclaimed extents of the storage class memory. If the potentially wasted storage space is greater than the combined storage capacity of the unclaimed extents of the storage class memory, a determination is made whether a defragmentation was recently performed. Based on determining that the defragmentation was not recently performed, or that it was recently performed and was productive, performing a defragmentation of the storage class memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher G. Brooker, Alfred F. Foster, Charles E. Mari, Robert Miller, Jr., Harris M. Morgenstern, Walter W. Otto, Steven M. Partlow, Thomas F. Rankin, Scott B. Tuttle, Elpida Tzortzatos
  • Publication number: 20140101427
    Abstract: A computer system includes a memory, the memory comprising a hardware boot parameter storage area; an operating system running on the computer system; and reboot logic configured to: store updated boot parameters for the operating system in the hardware boot parameter storage area in the memory; perform a reboot of the operating system with the updated boot parameters; determine whether the reboot of the operating system is successful, and, in the event the reboot of the operating system is successful, automatically propagate the updated boot parameters to a persistent boot parameter storage area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Brooks, Walter W. Otto, Neil Shah, Stephen C. Warren
  • Patent number: 8688946
    Abstract: An auxiliary storage medium is selected for writing data of a set of one or more pages being paged-out from real memory. The auxiliary storage medium is selected from among a plurality of auxiliary storage media, including differing types of storage media, based on characteristics of the plurality of storage media and/or the attributes of the data being written to the auxiliary storage media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alfred F. Foster, Duane C. Hughes, Charles E. Mari, Robert Miller, Jr., Harris M. Morgenstern, Walter W. Otto, Steven M. Partlow, Thomas F. Rankin, Peter G. Sutton, Elpida Tzortzatos
  • Patent number: 8683169
    Abstract: An auxiliary storage medium is selected for writing data of a set of one or more pages being paged-out from real memory. The auxiliary storage medium is selected from among a plurality of auxiliary storage media, including differing types of storage media, based on characteristics of the plurality of storage media and/or the attributes of the data being written to the auxiliary storage media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alfred F. Foster, Duane C. Hughes, Charles E. Mari, Robert Miller, Jr., Harris M. Morgenstern, Walter W. Otto, Steven M. Partlow, Thomas F. Rankin, Peter G. Sutton, Elpida Tzortzatos
  • Publication number: 20140082317
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to methods, systems and computer program products for defragmenting storage class memory by comparing a utilization rate of the storage class memory to a threshold value. If the utilization rate of the storage class memory is greater than the threshold value, the potentially wasted storage space is then compared to the combined storage capacity of the unclaimed extents of the storage class memory. If the potentially wasted storage space is greater than the combined storage capacity of the unclaimed extents of the storage class memory, a determination is made whether a defragmentation was recently performed. Based on determining that the defragmentation was not recently performed, or that it was recently performed and was productive, performing a defragmentation of the storage class memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher G. Brooker, Alfred F. Foster, Charles E. Mari, Robert Miller, JR., Harris M. Morgenstern, Walter W. Otto, Steven M. Partlow, Thomas F. Rankin, Scott B. Tuttle, Elpida Tzortzatos
  • Publication number: 20140082313
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to methods, systems and computer program products for evacuating a portion of a storage class memory. Upon receiving a request to evacuate the portion of the storage class memory a determination is made if the requested evacuation will result in a storage shortage. Based upon determining that the requested evacuation will not result in a storage shortage, the portion of the storage class memory is initialized for evacuation. After initialization is complete, evacuation of the plurality of address spaces of the portion of the storage class memory is preformed, wherein one or more of the plurality of address spaces are evacuated in parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert Miller, JR., Harris M. Morgenstern, Walter W. Otto, Steven M. Partlow, Thomas F. Rankin, Elpida Tzortzatos
  • Patent number: 8656133
    Abstract: Auxiliary storage is segmented into different types of extents (i.e., ranges of storage), including extents with 4K blocks of storage, extents with 1M blocks of storage, empty extents, and mixed extents that include blocks of storage of various sizes (e.g., 4K blocks and 1M blocks). The auxiliary storage, and in particular, the extents and blocks of storage therein, are managed to reduce storage fragmentation and optimize system performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher G. Brooker, Alfred F. Foster, Duane C. Hughes, Charles E. Mari, Robert Miller, Jr., Harris M. Morgenstern, Walter W. Otto, Steven M. Partlow, Thomas F. Rankin, Elpida Tzortzatos
  • Publication number: 20130283027
    Abstract: A method for automatically updating persistent boot parameter storage in a computer system includes storing updated boot parameters for an operating system in the computer system in a hardware boot parameter storage area in a memory of the computer system; performing a reboot of the operating system with the updated boot parameters; determining whether the reboot of the operating system is successful; and, in the event the reboot of the operating system is successful, automatically propagating the updated boot parameters from the hardware boot parameter storage area to a persistent boot parameter storage area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark A. Brooks, Walter W. Otto, Neil Shah, Stephen C. Warren
  • Publication number: 20120284478
    Abstract: Auxiliary storage is segmented into different types of extents (i.e., ranges of storage), including extents with 4K blocks of storage, extents with 1M blocks of storage, empty extents, and mixed extents that include blocks of storage of various sizes (e.g., 4K blocks and 1M blocks). The auxiliary storage, and in particular, the extents and blocks of storage therein, are managed to reduce storage fragmentation and optimize system performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher G. Brooker, Alfred F. Foster, Duane C. Hughes, Charles E. Mari, Robert Miller, JR., Harris M. Morgenstern, Walter W. Otto, Steven M. Partlow, Thomas F. Rankin, Elpida Tzortzatos
  • Publication number: 20120284457
    Abstract: An auxiliary storage medium is selected for writing data of a set of one or more pages being paged-out from real memory. The auxiliary storage medium is selected from among a plurality of auxiliary storage media, including differing types of storage media, based on characteristics of the plurality of storage media and/or the attributes of the data being written to the auxiliary storage media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alfred F. Foster, Duane C. Hughes, Charles E. Mari, Robert Miller, JR., Harris M. Morgenstern, Walter W. Otto, Steven M. Partlow, Thomas F. Rankin, Peter G. Sutton, Elpida Tzortzatos
  • Publication number: 20120284458
    Abstract: An auxiliary storage medium is selected for writing data of a set of one or more pages being paged-out from real memory. The auxiliary storage medium is selected from among a plurality of auxiliary storage media, including differing types of storage media, based on characteristics of the plurality of storage media and/or the attributes of the data being written to the auxiliary storage media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alfred F. Foster, Duane C. Hughes, Charles E. Mari, Robert Miller, JR., Harris M. Morgenstern, Walter W. Otto, Steven M. Partlow, Thomas F. Rankin, Peter G. Sutton, Elpida Tzortzatos