Kenneth E Gross

US Patent:

6930488, Aug 16, 2005

Filed:

Dec 17, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/739826

Inventors:

Kenneth C. Gross - San Diego CA, US
David K. McElfresh - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G01R031/26
G01R031/00
G01T001/24

US Classification:

324501, 324765, 25037001

Abstract:

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates accelerated Soft-Error Rate (SER) testing of circuitry. The system starts by collecting a radioactive gas from the atmosphere and concentrating the radioactive gas in a testing chamber. Once the desired amount of radioactive gas is present in the testing chamber, the system SER tests the circuitry in the testing chamber by bombarding the circuitry with particles emitted from the radioactive gas while running testing procedures.

US Patent:

7076389, Jul 11, 2006

Filed:

Jul 26, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/899709

Inventors:

Kenneth C. Gross - San Diego CA, US
Eugenio J. Schuster Rosa - La Jolla CA, US

Assignee:

SUN Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 19/00

US Classification:

702116

Abstract:

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that validates sensor operability in a computer system. During operation, the system perturbs the computer system with an excitation, wherein the excitation may be physical or software-based. The system then receives a number of responses to the excitation through sensors in the computer system, wherein each response is represented as a value of a variable which may vary with time. Next, the system compares the received responses with a set of reference responses gathered from properly functioning sensors in a reference computer system. The system then determines from the comparison whether the sensors in the computer system are operating properly.

US Patent:

7085681, Aug 1, 2006

Filed:

Dec 22, 2004

Appl. No.:

11/021145

Inventors:

Emrys J. Williams - Palo Alto CA, US
Kenneth C. Gross - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

SUN Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 11/30
G06F 15/00
G21C 17/00

US Classification:

702183

Abstract:

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that monitors a computer system using a plurality of physical sensors. The system operates by polling the plurality of physical sensors in a given sequence at a given rate, wherein each physical sensor monitors a specific physical parameter of the computer system. The system then provides a plurality of measurements from the plurality of physical sensors to a monitoring system. If a given physical sensor detects a parameter that is not within a pre-determined operating range, the system receives an interrupt from the given physical sensor. In response to receiving this interrupt, the system raises an alarm.

US Patent:

7171589, Jan 30, 2007

Filed:

Dec 17, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/739474

Inventors:

Aleksey M. Urmanov - San Diego CA, US
Lawrence G. Votta - Sammamish WA, US
Kenneth C. Gross - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 11/00

US Classification:

714 47, 324760, 702132

Abstract:

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates determining the effects of a temperature variation in a computer system. The system operates by systematically varying the flow of a coolant through the computer system to produce a temperature variation in the computer system while the computer system is operating. While this temperature variation is taking place, the system monitors the computer system to determine effects of the temperature variation on the computer system.

US Patent:

7243265, Jul 10, 2007

Filed:

Oct 22, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/690917

Inventors:

Michael J. Wookey - Los Gatos CA, US
Kenneth C. Gross - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 11/00

US Classification:

714 37, 714 48

Abstract:

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention train a real-time health-monitor for a computer-based system while simultaneously monitoring the health of the system. A plurality of signals that each describe an operating condition of a subject data processing system are monitored in real-time. It is determined whether there is a problem with the subject data processing system by comparing at least one of the monitored signals to a corresponding at least one signal in a known signal dataset. The known signal dataset includes a signal value for at least one signal that describes an operating condition of one of a plurality of subject data processing systems. A new signal dataset having an entry for each monitored signal and a corresponding signal value is prepared simultaneously with monitoring the plurality of signals and determining whether there is a problem.

US Patent:

7292659, Nov 6, 2007

Filed:

Sep 26, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/671705

Inventors:

Kenneth C. Gross - San Diego CA, US
Vatsal Bhardwaj - Seattle WA, US
David M. Fishman - Sunnyvale CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

H03D 1/00
H04L 27/06

US Classification:

375343, 375142, 375150, 714819

Abstract:

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates aligning a first signal with a second signal in a manner that optimizes a correlation between the first signal and the second signal. The system starts by receiving a set of signals, including the first signal and the second signal. The system then determines a correlation between the first signal and the second signal. Next, the system adjusts an alignment between the first signal and again determines a correlation between the first signal and the second signal. If the correlation is greater with the alignment adjustment, the system adjusts the alignment between the first signal and the second signal. This process of adjusting the alignment is repeated for different alignments to find an optimal alignment. Hence, the present invention operates effectively for signal sources which may be independently speeding up and slowing down with respect to each other while under surveillance.

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:

7359834, Apr 15, 2008

Filed:

Mar 24, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/388405

Inventors:

Kalyanaraman Vaidyanathan - San Diego CA, US
Sajjit Thampy - Sunnyvale CA, US
Kenneth C. Gross - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 11/30

US Classification:

702186, 702182

Abstract:

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that monitors system-calls to identify runaway processes within a computer system. First, the system monitors system-calls on the computer system during runtime, to generate a trace of system-calls made. Then, the system analyzes the trace to detect runaway processes.