Mark A Grubbs

US Patent:

6829688, Dec 7, 2004

Filed:

Jun 20, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/177843

Inventors:

Mark Allen Grubbs - Round Rock TX
Gerald Francis McBrearty - Austin TX
Grover Herbert Neuman - Austin TX

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 1314

US Classification:

711162

Abstract:

A system and method for capturing a point-in-time image of a file system utilized within a data storage system employing logical volumes mapped across physical volumes. The point-in-time backup process begins with receipt of a file system backup request. In response to receiving the file system backup request, buffered file system data is written or flushed to the logical volumes. Specifically, in response to the file system backup request, buffered user data is written to the logical volumes, buffered meta data associated with the buffered user data is written to a file system backup log within the logical volumes, and the buffered meta data is written to the logical volumes. A disk copy of the designated physical volumes is initiated in response to the writing of the buffered file system data to the logical volumes.

US Patent:

7346620, Mar 18, 2008

Filed:

Feb 12, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/777722

Inventors:

Mark Allen Grubbs - Round Rock TX, US
Gerald Francis McBrearty - Austin TX, US
Duyen M. Tong - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 7/00

US Classification:

707100, 7071041

Abstract:

A method, system, and program for adjusting the size of a file system and an inline file system log housed in a static logical volume. A computer system includes a logical volume allocated between an file system and its inline file system log. A request is received to adjust the inline log from a current size to a new size while maintaining the size of the logical volume. Storage space is then allocated from within the logical volume to the inline log according to the storage requirement for the new size. Allocating storage space may require decreasing or increasing the amount of storage formerly allocated to the inline log. Then, the inline log is reformatted to the allocated storage space, such that the storage allocated to the inline log for a file system is adjusted while the size of the logical volume housing the inline log and file system remains static.

US Patent:

7447937, Nov 4, 2008

Filed:

Aug 21, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/645041

Inventors:

Mark Allen Grubbs - Round Rock TX, US
Gerald Francis McBrearty - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 11/00

US Classification:

714 6

Abstract:

A method for generating sparse logical volume mirrors within data storage systems is disclosed. After one of the mirrored physical volumes within a mirrored physical volume configuration has been damaged, the damaged physical volume is replaced by a replacement physical volume. Then, each partition within a sparse logical volume associated with the mirrored physical volumes is interrogated. In response to a partition within the sparse logical volume being allocated, the partition is copied to the replacement physical volume. In response to a partition within the sparse logical volume not being allocated, the partition is not copied to the replacement physical volume.

US Patent:

7464114, Dec 9, 2008

Filed:

Sep 27, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/236450

Inventors:

Janet Elizabeth Adkins - Austin TX, US
Mark Allen Grubbs - Round Rock TX, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 17/30
G06F 12/00

US Classification:

707200, 707202, 707204

Abstract:

A processor selects file system metadata. A processor identifies each unit of data in a file system. The processor determines if the unit of data contains file system metadata. The processor writes a unit of data of metadata to a diagnostic file system, provided it was determined that the unit of data contains file system metadata. The processor then determines if the unit of data contains user data. If the unit of data contains user data, the processor writes a sparse object to the diagnostic file.

US Patent:

7567994, Jul 28, 2009

Filed:

Jan 18, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/334669

Inventors:

Janet Elizabeth Adkins - Austin TX, US
Mark Allen Grubbs - Round Rock TX, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 12/00
G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707204, 707200

Abstract:

An operating system creates a current sparse object in a diagnostic file system. Then the operating system processes a change to data contained in a block. The operating system determines if the change is to a metadata block. The operating system encodes the change in a journal log, in response to a determination that the change is to a metadata block. In addition, the operating system writes the block to the current sparse object, in response to a determination that the change is to a metadata block.

US Patent:

7587573, Sep 8, 2009

Filed:

Jan 18, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/334674

Inventors:

Mark Allen Grubbs - Round Rock TX, US
Gunisha Madan - Austin TX, US
Gerald Francis McBrearty - Austin TX, US
Grover Herbert Neuman - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 13/00
G06F 13/28
G06G 12/00
G06F 17/30

US Classification:

711173, 711112, 711165, 707205

Abstract:

Computer implemented method, system and computer program product for shrinking a file system in a data processing system. A computer implemented method for shrinking a file system in a data processing system includes designating an amount by which a file system comprised of a plurality of contiguous blocks is to be shrunk, and removing at least one contiguous intermediate block of the plurality of contiguous blocks from the file system to shrink the file system by the designated amount.

US Patent:

7877426, Jan 25, 2011

Filed:

Jul 17, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/621951

Inventors:

Mark Allen Grubbs - Round Rock TX, US
Gerald Francis McBrearty - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 12/00
G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707830, 707823

Abstract:

A performance-enhancing system and method of accessing file system objects are provided. The system and method entail determining a plurality of file system objects that are frequently being accessed. Each one of these file system objects has a pathname and an inode number. The inode number is used to locate the file system object on a storage system. The pathname of each file system object and its inode number are cross-referenced and cached. Having a whole pathname of a file cross-referenced with its inode number and entered into a memory allows the inode number to be obtained with one memory access instead of the many memory accesses that are usually required.

US Patent:

7890554, Feb 15, 2011

Filed:

Mar 14, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/099777

Inventors:

William B. Brown - Austin TX, US
Mark Allen Grubbs - Round Rock TX, US
Gerald Francis McBrearty - Austin TX, US
Wu Zheng - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707822, 707828

Abstract:

A method, system and apparatus for exporting file systems without having to mount them first are provided. Most Unix-based servers usually mount some system operation critical files at startup. Thus, directories have to be mounted. One or more of these directories are usually used as mount points for mounting other file systems when needed. An extended attribute file is used to provide all information needed to export a file system. Thus, a server need not mount a file system to obtain this information. That is on startup, a server needs only refer to these extended attribute files to obtain the information needed to export the file systems.