Eric R Christensen

US Patent:

6366946, Apr 2, 2002

Filed:

Dec 16, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/213016

Inventors:

Eric R. Christensen - Redmond WA

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 900

US Classification:

709106, 707 8

Abstract:

A technique for processing a critical code section which cannot be executed concurrently by more than one executable unit (e. g. , a thread, a process, a fiber, etc. ). A first executable unit prepares a packet containing a âwork request,â which describes work to be performed by the critical section. If the critical section is not in use by a second executable unit, then the first executable unit enters the critical section and performs the work described in the packet. If the critical section is in use by a second executable unit, then the second executable unit performs the work described in the packet on behalf of the first executable unit, thereby alleviating the necessity for the first executable unit to enter the critical section. In addition to the work request, the packet may also contain: a status indicating whether the work request has been performed, an event to be signaled upon completion of the work request, and/or a list pointer that may be used to link packets together in a linked list.

US Patent:

6408313, Jun 18, 2002

Filed:

Dec 16, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/212173

Inventors:

David G. Campbell - Redmond WA
Eric R. Christensen - Redmond WA

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 1730

US Classification:

707205, 711118, 711170

Abstract:

A dynamic cache management mechanism determines the amount of memory available from a system on which a memory intensive application is running and dynamically manages the amount of cache for which real memory is associated or committed by the system. A background thread periodically queries the operating system to determine how much memory is available for use by applications. If the amount of memory, as identified in a free list is above a predetermined threshold, the application requests more memory for its use. If below the predetermined threshold, the application gives memory back to the operating system. The threshold used by the application to expand and shrink the memory it uses based upon system demand for memory.

US Patent:

7765361, Jul 27, 2010

Filed:

Nov 21, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/562053

Inventors:

Robin Dhananjay Dhamankar - Redmond WA, US
Vishal Kathuria - Woodinville WA, US
Sethu Kalavakur - Redmond WA, US
Gayathri Venkataraman - Redmond WA, US
Avraham Levy - Seattle WA, US
Hanumantha Rao Kodavalla - Sammamish WA, US
Chunjia Li - Issaquah WA, US
Eric Ray Christensen - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 12/16

US Classification:

711135, 711113

Abstract:

To ensure that logs representative of data changes are durably written, localized storage media cache is flushed to force a write to stable storage. Log sequence number tracking is leveraged to determine if log data in a localized storage media cache is likely to have not been written to durable storage. When this condition is likely, a FLUSH_CACHE command is issued to a storage media controller to force a durable write. This allows recovery of data changes to a transactional system even when its associated storage media does not provide write-ordering guarantees. Moreover, flushing of the storage media cache can be accomplished at a frequency that provides an upper bound on a maximum time between a transaction commit and data being made durable.

US Patent:

20060133427, Jun 22, 2006

Filed:

Dec 3, 2004

Appl. No.:

11/003847

Inventors:

Kenneth Wolf - Seattle WA, US
Michael Vernal - Seattle WA, US
Christopher Kaler - Sammamish WA, US
Elliot Waingold - Seattle WA, US
Eric Christensen - Seattle WA, US
Jeffrey Schlimmer - Redmond WA, US
Martin Gudgin - Sale, GB
Siddhartha Puri - Sammamish WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

H04J 3/07

US Classification:

370506000

Abstract:

A mechanism for sending structured data using a corresponding byte stream. Upon accessing structured data such as a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) envelope, a byte stream is generated. The byte stream includes bytes that represent the structured data, as well as a collection of bytes that represents properties about the byte stream such as, for example, a mode of communication. The byte stream may then be passed to a communication module (e.g., a TCP or Named Pipes module) capable of receiving and transmitting the byte stream.

US Patent:

57991847, Aug 25, 1998

Filed:

Aug 17, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/108841

Inventors:

David L. Fulton - Sylvania OH
Eric R. Christensen - Bowling Green OH

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 1230

US Classification:

395602

Abstract:

A system and method for information retrieval includes an input device, a storage device, an output device, and a data file stored in the storage device including n data records, and one or more index files having data corresponding to a key value comprising information derived from a data record, and the record number of the data record containing the data from which the key value is derived. The retrieval system further includes memory for storing a temporary solution bitmask n bits in length where each bit corresponds to a record in the data file and logic for accessing the data file ascertaining the record number for each data record corresponding to a key value which satisfies the search criteria, and logic for setting the bit corresponding to that record number in the temporary solution bitmask. The system also preferably includes logic for analyzing individual search criteria in a search query containing a plurality of search criteria to determine the extent to which the search is optimizable using the present invention, and logic for combining each of the temporary solution bitmasks ascertained for particular search criteria in a query to obtain a final solution bitmask representative of the set of all data records satisfying the query.