Patents by Inventor William Price Dawkins
William Price Dawkins 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).
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Publication number: 20160154814Abstract: Systems and methods for improving storage efficiency in an information handling system are provided. In some embodiments, an information handling system including an increased storage efficiency is provided. The information handling system may include a processor associated with a first storage resource and a plurality of second storage resources, where the first storage resource is more reliable than the plurality of second storage resources. The processor may be configured to determine a weight of a file portion, determine a number of copies of the file portion to be stored based at least on the determined weight, and store a copy of the file portion on the first storage resource if the determined number of copies of the file portion is greater than a predetermined storage threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2016Publication date: June 2, 2016Inventors: William Price Dawkins, JR., Stephen Gouze Luning
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Patent number: 9311240Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer system includes a cache having one or more memories and a metadata service. The metadata service is able to receive requests for data stored in the cache from a first client and from a second client. The metadata service is further able to determine whether the performance of the cache would be improved by relocating the data stored in the cache. The metadata service is further operable to relocate the data stored in the cache when such relocation would improve the performance of the cache.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2012Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.Inventors: William Price Dawkins, Jason Philip Gross, Noelan Ray Olson
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Patent number: 9292533Abstract: Systems and methods for improving storage efficiency in an information handling system are provided. In some embodiments, an information handling system including an increased storage efficiency is provided. The information handling system may include a processor associated with a first storage resource and a plurality of second storage resources, where the first storage resource is more reliable than the plurality of second storage resources. The processor may be configured to determine a weight of a file portion, determine a number of copies of the file portion to be stored based at least on the determined weight, and store a copy of the file portion on the first storage resource if the determined number of copies of the file portion is greater than a predetermined storage threshold.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2010Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.Inventors: William Price Dawkins, Stephen Gouze Luning
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Patent number: 9098422Abstract: Systems and methods for managing cache configurations are disclosed. In accordance with a method, a system management control module may receive access rights of a host to a logical storage unit and may also receive a desired caching policy for caching data associated with the logical storage unit and the host. The system management control module may determine an allowable caching policy indicator for the logical storage unit. The allowable caching policy indicator may indicate whether caching is permitted for data associated with input/output operations between the host and the logical storage unit. The system management control module may further set a caching policy for data associated with input/output operations between the host and the logical storage unit, based on at least one of the desired caching policy and the allowable caching policy indicator. The system management control module may also communicate the caching policy to the host.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2010Date of Patent: August 4, 2015Assignee: Dell Products L.P.Inventor: William Price Dawkins
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Publication number: 20150127893Abstract: A method may comprise receiving a page of data to be stored on a storage resource. The method may also comprise determining, for each particular inversion mode of a plurality of inversion modes, the number of bits of the page of data to be inverted to store a representation of the page of data in accordance with the particular inversion mode. The method may additionally comprise determining a selected inversion mode from the plurality of inversion modes for the page of data, the selected inversion mode comprising the inversion mode for which the least number of physical bit transitions are required to store the representation of the page of data in accordance with the selected inversion mode. The method may further comprise storing the representation of the page of data in a data memory in accordance with the inversion mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2015Publication date: May 7, 2015Inventors: Gary B. Kotzur, William Price Dawkins
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Patent number: 8996843Abstract: A method for assigning data in a plurality of physical storage resources for an information handling system is disclosed. The plurality of physical storage resources includes a first tier and a second tier with a lower performance and cost relative to capacity than the first tier. A tier manager hosted on the information handling system and in electronic communication with the plurality of physical storage resources is configured to: determine a seek distance value, operation rate, operation size value, and elapsed time value for each page; and calculate a relative randomness value for each page using the seek distance value, operation rate, operation size value, and elapsed time value determined for each page. A classification module may assign a physical location for each page such that the relative randomness value for each page in the first tier is greater than the relative randomness value for each page in the second tier.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2013Date of Patent: March 31, 2015Assignee: Dell Products L.P.Inventors: William Price Dawkins, Stephen Gouze Luning
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Patent number: 8954651Abstract: A method may comprise receiving a page of data to be stored on a storage resource. The method may also comprise determining, for each particular inversion mode of a plurality of inversion modes, the number of bits of the page of data to be inverted to store a representation of the page of data in accordance with the particular inversion mode. The method may additionally comprise determining a selected inversion mode from the plurality of inversion modes for the page of data, the selected inversion mode comprising the inversion mode for which the least number of physical bit transitions are required to store the representation of the page of data in accordance with the selected inversion mode. The method may further comprise storing the representation of the page of data in a data memory in accordance with the inversion mode.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2011Date of Patent: February 10, 2015Assignee: Dell Products L.P.Inventors: Gary B. Kotzur, William Price Dawkins
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Publication number: 20140047190Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer system includes a cache having one or more memories and a metadata service. The metadata service is able to receive requests for data stored in the cache from a first client and from a second client. The metadata service is further able to determine whether the performance of the cache would be improved by relocating the data stored in the cache. The metadata service is further operable to relocate the data stored in the cache when such relocation would improve the performance of the cache.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2012Publication date: February 13, 2014Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.Inventors: William Price Dawkins, Jason Philip Gross, Noelan Ray Olson
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Publication number: 20130311749Abstract: A method for assigning data in a plurality of physical storage resources for an information handling system is disclosed. The plurality of physical storage resources includes a first tier and a second tier with a lower performance and cost relative to capacity than the first tier. A tier manager hosted on the information handling system and in electronic communication with the plurality of physical storage resources is configured to: determine a seek distance value, operation rate, operation size value, and elapsed time value for each page; and calculate a relative randomness value for each page using the seek distance value, operation rate, operation size value, and elapsed time value determined for each page. A classification module may assign a physical location for each page such that the relative randomness value for each page in the first tier is greater than the relative randomness value for each page in the second tier.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2013Publication date: November 21, 2013Inventors: William Price Dawkins, Stephen Gouze Luning
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Patent number: 8452941Abstract: This disclosure provides a method for assigning data in an information handling system including a plurality of physical storage resources comprising a first tier and a second tier which has a lower performance and cost relative to capacity than the first tier. A tier manager may be hosted on the information handling system and in electronic communication with the plurality physical storage resources. The tier manager may, for each page: determine a seek distance value, determine an operation rate, determine an operation size value, determine an elapsed time value, and calculate a relative randomness value using the seek distance value, operation rate, operation size value, and elapsed time value determined for each page. A classification module may assign a physical location for each page such that the relative randomness value for each page in the first tier is greater than in the second tier.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2009Date of Patent: May 28, 2013Assignee: Dell Products L.P.Inventors: William Price Dawkins, Stephen Gouze Luning
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Publication number: 20130124779Abstract: A method may comprise receiving a page of data to be stored on a storage resource. The method may also comprise determining, for each particular inversion mode of a plurality of inversion modes, the number of bits of the page of data to be inverted to store a representation of the page of data in accordance with the particular inversion mode. The method may additionally comprise determining a selected inversion mode from the plurality of inversion modes for the page of data, the selected inversion mode comprising the inversion mode for which the least number of physical bit transitions are required to store the representation of the page of data in accordance with the selected inversion mode. The method may further comprise storing the representation of the page of data in a data memory in accordance with the inversion mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2011Publication date: May 16, 2013Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.Inventors: Gary B. Kotzur, William Price Dawkins
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Patent number: 8239618Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing problems and disadvantages associated with traditional approaches to preconditioning solid-state devices are provided. A method may include storing at least one preconditioning status parameter indicative of at least one variable associated with preconditioning emulation of a solid state device (SSD) including a flash memory. The method may also include modifying a mapping table based on the at least one preconditioning status parameter to emulate preconditioning of the SSD, the mapping table including information for translating virtual logical block addresses (LBAs) of the SSD as seen by the processor into physical LBAs of the flash memory.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2010Date of Patent: August 7, 2012Assignee: Dell Products L.P.Inventors: Gary B. Kotzur, William Price Dawkins
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Patent number: 8145932Abstract: An information handling system (IHS) provides a method for conserving power. The method includes monitoring at least one performance characteristic of the IHS and determining if the at least one performance characteristic is below a low performance threshold. If the at least one performance characteristic is below the low performance threshold, a first controller is switched into a low power mode, wherein a first set of logical unit numbers (LUNs) are reassigned to a second controller.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2008Date of Patent: March 27, 2012Assignee: Dell Products L.P.Inventors: William Price Dawkins, Gary Benedict Kotzur
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Publication number: 20110302137Abstract: Systems and methods for improving storage efficiency in an information handling system are provided. In some embodiments, an information handling system including an increased storage efficiency is provided. The information handling system may include a processor associated with a first storage resource and a plurality of second storage resources, where the first storage resource is more reliable than the plurality of second storage resources. The processor may be configured to determine a weight of a file portion, determine a number of copies of the file portion to be stored based at least on the determined weight, and store a copy of the file portion on the first storage resource if the determined number of copies of the file portion is greater than a predetermined storage threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2010Publication date: December 8, 2011Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.Inventors: William Price Dawkins, Stephen Gouze Luning
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Publication number: 20110296079Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing problems and disadvantages associated with traditional approaches to preconditioning solid-state devices are provided. A method may include storing at least one preconditioning status parameter indicative of at least one variable associated with preconditioning emulation of a solid state device (SSD) including a flash memory. The method may also include modifying a mapping table based on the at least one preconditioning status parameter to emulate preconditioning of the SSD, the mapping table including information for translating virtual logical block addresses (LBAs) of the SSD as seen by the processor into physical LBAs of the flash memory.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2010Publication date: December 1, 2011Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.Inventors: Gary B. Kotzur, William Price Dawkins
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Publication number: 20110276765Abstract: Systems and methods for managing cache configurations are disclosed. In accordance with a method, a system management control module may receive access rights of a host to a logical storage unit and may also receive a desired caching policy for caching data associated with the logical storage unit and the host. The system management control module may determine an allowable caching policy indicator for the logical storage unit. The allowable caching policy indicator may indicate whether caching is permitted for data associated with input/output operations between the host and the logical storage unit. The system management control module may further set a caching policy for data associated with input/output operations between the host and the logical storage unit, based on at least one of the desired caching policy and the allowable caching policy indicator. The system management control module may also communicate the caching policy to the host.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2010Publication date: November 10, 2011Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.Inventor: William Price Dawkins
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Publication number: 20110072233Abstract: This disclosure provides a method for assigning data in a plurality of physical storage resources for an information handling system. The plurality of physical storage resources includes a first tier of physical storage resources and a second tier which has a lower performance and cost relative to capacity than each of the first tier. A tier manager may be hosted on the information handling system and in electronic communication with the plurality physical storage resources. The tier manager may: determine a seek distance value for each page, determine an operation rate for each page, determine an operation size value for each page, determine an elapsed time value for each page; and calculate a relative randomness value for each page using the seek distance value, operation rate, operation size value, and elapsed time value determined for each page.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2009Publication date: March 24, 2011Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.Inventors: William Price Dawkins, Stephen Gouze Luning
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Publication number: 20090327780Abstract: An information handling system (IHS) provides a method for conserving power. The method includes monitoring at least one performance characteristic of the IHS and determining if the at least one performance characteristic is below a low performance threshold. If the at least one performance characteristic is below the low performance threshold, a first controller is switched into a low power mode, wherein a first set of logical unit numbers (LUNs) are reassigned to a second controller.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2008Publication date: December 31, 2009Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.Inventors: William Price Dawkins, Gary Benedict Kotzur
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Patent number: 7162658Abstract: A system and method for providing automatic data restoration after a storage device failure are disclosed. An agent module detects a failure at a logical unit located at a primary storage device. The agent module locates backup data from the failed logical unit that is stored on a backup storage device and transfers the backup data from the backup storage device to a spare logical unit located on the primary storage device. The agent module then maps the spare logical unit to an address associated with a host in response to detecting the failure at the logical unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2005Date of Patent: January 9, 2007Assignee: Dell Products L.P.Inventors: Richard K. Golasky, William Price Dawkins
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Patent number: 6880101Abstract: A system and method for providing automatic data restoration after a storage device failure are disclosed. An agent module detects a failure at a logical unit located at a primary storage device. The agent module locates backup data from the failed logical unit that is stored on a backup storage device and transfers the backup data from the backup storage device to a spare logical unit located on the primary storage device. The agent module then maps the spare logical unit to an address associated with a host in response to detecting the failure at the logical unit.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2001Date of Patent: April 12, 2005Assignee: Dell Products L.P.Inventors: Richard K. Golasky, William Price Dawkins