John R Drake

US Patent:

53675231, Nov 22, 1994

Filed:

Aug 26, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/112737

Inventors:

Rong-Feng Chang - Chai-yi, TW
John E. Drake - Pittsboro NC
Levent Gun - Durham NC
Lap T. Huynh - Cary NC

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04J 322

US Classification:

370 84

Abstract:

An end-to-end, closed loop flow and congestion control system for packet communications networks exchanges rate request and rate response messages between data senders and receivers to allow the sender to adjust the data rate to avoid congestion and to control the data flow. Requests and responses are piggy-backed on data packets and result in changes in the input data rate in a direction to optimize data throughput. GREEN, YELLOW and RED operating modes are defined to increase data input, reduce data input and reduce data input drastically, respectively. Incremental changes in data input are altered non-linearly to change more quickly when further away from the optimum operating point than when closer to the optimum operating point.

US Patent:

48274119, May 2, 1989

Filed:

Jun 15, 1987

Appl. No.:

7/062272

Inventors:

Andrew H. Arrowood - Raleigh NC
Alan E. Baratz - Chappaqua NY
Philip F. Chimento - Durham NC
John E. Drake - Pittsboro NC
John L. Eisenbies - Raleigh NC
James P. Gray - Chapel Hill NC
Karla J. Norsworthy - Raleigh NC
Diane P. Pozefsky - Chapel Hill NC

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 1516

US Classification:

364300

Abstract:

Each network node in a communications network maintains its own copy of the network topology database defining network resources. Each resource record contains a "timer" field which is initially set to a maximum value but which may be decremented on a daily basis. If the timer field is decremented to zero without being reset, the node unilaterally removes the resource record from its copy of the database. The timer field will normally reach zero only for obsolete resource records since each network node responsible for a resource broadcasts a timer-resetting message for the resource (1) each time the resource status changes, (2) when the node first joins or rejoins the network, and (3) on a periodic (weekly) basis regardless of whether conditions (1) or (2) have occurred.

US Patent:

49724371, Nov 20, 1990

Filed:

Jun 24, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/211321

Inventors:

Andrew P. Citron - Raleigh NC
John E. Drake - Pittsboro NC
Marsha E. Ferree - Raleigh NC
John E. Fetvedt - Raleigh NC
James P. Gray - Chapel Hill NC
Zvonimir Ordanic - Raleigh NC

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04M 320

US Classification:

375 37

Abstract:

The links in a data communications network following Systems Network Architecture may be categorized as limited resource links if those links are shared access transport facilities, such as a switched telephone network, X. 21, X. 25 or token ring local area network facilities. In setting up LU--LU sessions between network users, a limited resource session identifier field is set to a specific value if any of the links in the session data path is defined as a limited resource link. When a conversation between two users ends, the primary logical unit responds by determining whether the session has been identified as a limited resource session. If it has, the primary logical unit initiates action to deactivate the session without waiting for network control operation action. Allowing the primary logical unit to deactivate a limited resources session assures that the limited resource link or links will not remain allocated needlessly to an unused session.

US Patent:

54616115, Oct 24, 1995

Filed:

Jun 7, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/255219

Inventors:

John E. Drake - Pittsboro NC
Elizabeth A. Hervatic - Cary NC
Joseph W. Pace - Cary NC
Ralph J. Potok - Cary NC
David E. Taber - Wake Forest NC

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04Q 1100

US Classification:

370 54

Abstract:

A management system for local area networks ensures selected levels of quality of service to all transmission requests submitted to the management system. This management system is attached to the network and receives requests from all other stations on the network to reserve facilities for a particular quality of service data stream. An allocator in the management system determines if the requested facilities are available and, if so, reserves these facilities for the requesting station. If the facilities are not available, the request is denied. A hierarchical data base containing all of the current parameters of all of the network resources and all of the currently supported data streams is used to support the allocation process.

US Patent:

53655230, Nov 15, 1994

Filed:

Nov 16, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/976826

Inventors:

Jeffrey H. Derby - Chapel Hill NC
Willibald A. Doeringer - Langnau, CH
John E. Drake - Pittsboro NC
Douglas H. Dykeman - Rueschlikon, CH
Liang Li - Chapel Hill NC
Marcia L. Peters - Pittsboro NC
Haldon J. Sandick - Durham NC
Ken Van Vu - Cary NC

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04L 1246
H04L 1266

US Classification:

370 852

Abstract:

Access agents in nodes at the LAN/WAN interface are formed into a group of access agents so that the access agents may be managed by the WAN as a group. The group must maintain group operation integrity in that if communications between agents in the group are broken, the access agents will coalesce into subgroups and continue performing communication jobs as a group activity. Each of the access agents contains a finite state machine to perform the tasks of group formation and maintenance. The formation of interconnected access agents into a group is accomplished by one access agent being identified as a group leader. All other access agents communicating with the group leader within the LAN may then join the group. The maintenance of group activity integrity is accomplished by detecting a break in group communication integrity and thereafter reforming the group into multiple smaller groups. The maintenance of group operation integrity also includes the merger of small groups into a large group when a bridge is added between LAN segments.

US Patent:

53595939, Oct 25, 1994

Filed:

Aug 26, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/112736

Inventors:

Jeffrey H. Derby - Chapel Hill NC
John E. Drake - Pittsboro NC
Claude Galand - Cagnes Sur Mer, FR
Levent Gun - Durham NC
Gerald A. Marin - Chapel Hill NC
Allen L. Roginsky - Durham NC
Theodore E. Tedijanto - Cary NC

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04J 314
H04L 1256

US Classification:

370 17

Abstract:

Access control for a packet communications network includes a dynamic bandwidth updating mechanism which continuously monitors the mean bit rate of the signal source and the loss probability of the connection. These values are filtered to remove noise and then used to test whether the values fall within a pre-defined acceptable adaptation region in the mean bit rate, loss probability plane. Values falling outside of this region trigger bandwidth updating procedures which, in turn, result in acquiring a new connection bandwidth, and determining new filter parameters and new parameters for a leaky bucket access mechanism.

US Patent:

53434730, Aug 30, 1994

Filed:

Aug 7, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/927697

Inventors:

Israel Cidon - Haifa, IL
Richard M. Doney - Durham NC
John E. Drake - Pittsboro NC
Elizabeth A. Hervatic - Apex NC
Kenneth H. Potter - Raleigh NC
Theodore E. Tedijanto - Cary NC

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04Q 139

US Classification:

370 856

Abstract:

A method is disclosed for determining whether to use a preempt/resume protocol or an alternate protocol in transmitting data packets from a local system to a remote system. Each system informs the other whether it supports preempt/resume and provides the sizes of the largest low priority data packets it can send and receive. The local system always elects the alternate protocol unless both support preempt/resume. The local system then selects the lesser of (a) the largest low-priority data packet it can send and (b) the largest low-priority data packet the remote system can receive. Use of prompt/resume is initiated by the local system only where a packet of the selected size would be delayed in reaching the remote system by more than a predetermined interval.

US Patent:

54835224, Jan 9, 1996

Filed:

Nov 2, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/333194

Inventors:

Jeffrey H. Derby - Chapel Hill NC
John E. Drake - Pittsboro NC
John G. Dudley - Raleigh NC
Roch Guerin - Yorktown Heights NY
Marc A. Kaplan - Katonah NY
Gerald A. Marin - Chapel Hill NC
Marcia L. Peters - Pittsboro NC
Kenneth H. Potter - Raleigh NC

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corp. - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04J 324
H04Q 1104
H04L 1256

US Classification:

370 54

Abstract:

Method and apparatus for managing internal-node communications in a packet switching network by calculating optimal routes for packets and addressing subnodes within packet nodes using a specific message format. Internal communication facilities called intranode links connect multiple subnodes within nodes. Each subnode contains a switching mechanism and routes packet to other nodes, subnodes, or user applications using a specific message format. The message format allows specific subnodes anywhere in the network to the addressed by any other subnode, making communications more efficient and simplifying the management of internode links.