Keith Allen Whisnant

US Patent:

7197411, Mar 27, 2007

Filed:

Aug 2, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/195014

Inventors:

Kenny C. Gross - San Diego CA, US
Kalyanaraman Vaidyanathan - San Diego CA, US
Aleksey M. Urmanov - San Diego CA, US
Keith A. Whisnant - La Jolla CA, US
Steven F. Zwinger - Poway CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 1/20

US Classification:

702 60, 702 61, 324 74, 709220, 713300, 713340

Abstract:

A system that generates a dynamic trace of power consumption in a computer system. The system periodically polls current sensors and associated voltage sensors within the computer system to generate dynamic traces of currents and associated voltages for individual components within the computer system. The system then generates a dynamic trace of total power consumption for the computer system based on the dynamic traces of the currents and the associated voltages for the constituent components.

US Patent:

7281112, Oct 9, 2007

Filed:

Feb 28, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/069675

Inventors:

Kenny C. Gross - San Diego CA, US
Steven K. Heller - Acton MA, US
Keith A. Whisnant - La Jolla CA, US
Aleksey M. Urmanov - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 12/00
G06F 7/00
G06F 13/12
G06T 9/00

US Classification:

711170, 345555, 707101, 710 68

Abstract:

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that systematically monitors and records performance information in a computer system. During operation, the system periodically measures a number of performance parameters in the computer system. The system then stores data representing values for the measured performance parameters in a long-term storage space. Next, the system recurrently compresses data stored in the long-term storage space, thereby allowing additional data representing newly collected performance information to be stored in the long-term storage space.

US Patent:

7292962, Nov 6, 2007

Filed:

Mar 25, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/809721

Inventors:

Kenneth C. Gross - San Diego CA, US
Keith Whisnant - La Jolla CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 11/00

US Classification:

702186, 702 57, 702179, 702182

Abstract:

A technique for detecting changes in a signal that is measured and reported by quantization uses a model that is updated in response to the sampling of quantized values representing the signal. In one stage, (i) frequencies of occurrences of different sampled quantized values in the stage are calculated and (ii) mean frequencies for each of the different sampled quantized values in the stage are calculated and recorded. In a next stage, frequencies of occurrences of different sampled quantized values occurring after an end of the preceding stage are calculated and statistically compared with the mean frequencies of the different sampled quantized values determined in the preceding stage. Dependent on this comparison, a notification may be issued indicating the signal is anomalously changing.

US Patent:

7296132, Nov 13, 2007

Filed:

Nov 13, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/598607

Inventors:

Kenny C. Gross - San Diego CA, US
Keith A. Whisnant - San Diego CA, US
Aleksey M. Urmanov - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

SUN Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 12/00
G06F 7/00
G06F 13/00

US Classification:

711170, 707101, 710 68

Abstract:

A system that records performance parameters from a computer system. During operation, the system periodically monitors performance parameters from the computer system and records the monitored performance parameters in a first storage space. Next, the system recurrently compresses the recorded performance parameters. This involves: (1) compressing the recorded performance parameters from the first storage space; (2) if insufficient space is available in a second storage space which is used to store compressed performance parameters, further compressing data in the second storage space to make room for the compressed performance parameters from the first storage space; and (3) storing the compressed performance parameters from the first storage space in the second storage space.

US Patent:

7349823, Mar 25, 2008

Filed:

Feb 22, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/359672

Inventors:

Keith A. Whisnant - La Jolla CA, US
Ramakrishna C. Dhanekula - San Diego CA, US
Kenny C. Gross - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 11/00

US Classification:

702181

Abstract:

Embodiments of the present invention provides a system that optimizes a regression model which predicts a signal as a function of a set of available signals. These embodiments use a genetic technique to optimize the regression model, which involves using a portion of the sample signals used to generate each parent regression model from a pair of best-fit parent regression models to generate a child regression model. In addition, in embodiments of the present invention, the system introduces “mutations” to the set of sample signals used to create the child regression model in an attempt to create more robust child regression models during the optimization process.

US Patent:

7483811, Jan 27, 2009

Filed:

Nov 6, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/593891

Inventors:

Keith A. Whisnant - San Diego CA, US
Kenny C. Gross - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 3/00

US Classification:

702179, 702180, 702188, 702189

Abstract:

A system that uses statistical techniques to selectively transmit data from a sensor. During operation, the system receives a sequence of quantized values from the sensor. The system then determines whether a distribution for the sequence of quantized values indicates that the sensor is observing a real event. If so, the system transmits sensor data for the real event to a receiver.

US Patent:

7483816, Jan 27, 2009

Filed:

Apr 16, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/787533

Inventors:

Kenny C. Gross - San Diego CA, US
Keith A. Whisnant - San Diego CA, US
Ayse K. Coskun - La Jolla CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 19/00
G06F 17/40
G01K 13/00

US Classification:

702182, 340500, 340540, 34087001, 34087005, 34087007, 34087016, 34087017, 374100, 374101, 702 33, 702 34, 702132, 702187, 702189

Abstract:

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system that characterizes the reliability of a computer system. The system first collects samples of a performance parameter from the computer system. Next, the system computes the length of a line between the samples, wherein the line includes a component which is proportionate to a difference between values of the samples and a component which is proportionate to a time interval between the samples. The system then adds the computed length to a cumulative length variable which can be used to characterize the reliability of the computer system.

US Patent:

7523014, Apr 21, 2009

Filed:

Feb 6, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/348655

Inventors:

Keith A. Whisnant - La Jolla CA, US
Kenny C. Gross - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 17/18

US Classification:

702179

Abstract:

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates detecting an anomaly in a signal, wherein the signal is sampled to produce a set of possible quantized signal values. During operation, the system constructs a “reference distribution” for an “occurrence frequency” of a specific quantized signal value from the set of possible quantized signal values. The system then obtains a “deviant distribution” associated with the reference distribution, wherein the deviant distribution has an offset from the reference distribution to indicate an anomaly in the signal. Next, in response to a new occurrence of the specific quantized signal value, the system updates a mean and a variance of the reference distribution for the specific quantized signal value. The system also adjusts the deviant distribution for the specific quantized signal value based on the updated mean and the updated variance of the reference distribution for the specific quantized signal value.