Michael J Fortin

US Patent:

6910106, Jun 21, 2005

Filed:

Dec 20, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/325591

Inventors:

Stuart Sechrest - Redmond WA, US
Michael R. Fortin - Redmond WA, US
Mehmet Iyigun - Redmond WA, US
Cenk Ergan - Bellevue WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F012/12

US Classification:

711136, 711134, 711137

Abstract:

A proactive, resilient and self-tuning memory management system and method that result in actual and perceived performance improvements in memory management, by loading and maintaining data that is likely to be needed into memory, before the data is actually needed. The system includes mechanisms directed towards historical memory usage monitoring, memory usage analysis, refreshing memory with highly-valued (e. g. , highly utilized) pages, I/O pre-fetching efficiency, and aggressive disk management. Based on the memory usage information, pages are prioritized with relative values, and mechanisms work to pre-fetch and/or maintain the more valuable pages in memory. Pages are pre-fetched and maintained in a prioritized standby page set that includes a number of subsets, by which more valuable pages remain in memory over less valuable pages. Valuable data that is paged out may be automatically brought back, in a resilient manner. Benefits include significantly reducing or even eliminating disk I/O due to memory page faults.

US Patent:

7017037, Mar 21, 2006

Filed:

Jun 27, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/186164

Inventors:

Michael R. Fortin - Redmond WA, US
Cenk Ergan - Bellevue WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 15/177
G06F 9/00
G06F 12/00

US Classification:

713 2, 713 1, 713100, 711112, 711113, 711114

Abstract:

A method and apparatus to decrease the boot time and the hibernate awaken time of a computer system is presented. Static and dynamic configuration data is stored in flash memory. The size of flash memory is selected so that the initialization time of the configuration data stored in the flash memory is approximately equal to the spin-up time of the disk drive where the operating system is stored. During power down or entry into a hibernate mode, the computer system determines the static and dynamic configuration data to be stored in flash memory based on a history of prior uses. Data is also stored in the flash memory during system operation to reduce the number of times the disk drive is spun up. When the computer system is powered up or awakened from hibernation, the configuration data in flash memory is initialized while the disk drive is spinning up.

US Patent:

7036040, Apr 25, 2006

Filed:

Nov 26, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/304367

Inventors:

Clark D. Nicholson - Seattle WA, US
William J. Westerinen - Sammamish WA, US
Cenk Ergan - Bellevue WA, US
Michael R. Fortin - Redmond WA, US
Mehmet Iyigun - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 11/00

US Classification:

714 6, 714 4, 714 47, 709223, 709224

Abstract:

A method and apparatus is provided that provides a reliable diskless network-bootable computers using a local non-volatile memory (NVM) cache. The NVM cache is used by the computer when the network is temporarily unavailable or slow. The cache is later synchronized with a remote boot server having remote storage volumes when network conditions improve. It is determined if data is to be stored in the NVM cache or the remote storage volume. Data sent to the remote storage volume is transactionally written and the data is cached in the NVM cache if a network outage is occurring or a transaction complete message has not been received. The data stored in the NVM cache allows the user to continue operating during network outages and the computer can be cold-booted using the data in the NVM cache if the network is unavailable.

US Patent:

7082495, Jul 25, 2006

Filed:

Feb 21, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/372734

Inventors:

Dean L. DeWhitt - Sammamish WA, US
Clark D. Nicholson - Seattle WA, US
W. Jeff Westerinen - Sammamish WA, US
Michael R. Fortin - Redmond WA, US
John M. Parchem - Seattle WA, US
Charles P. Thacker - Palo Alto CA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 12/00

US Classification:

711113, 711135

Abstract:

A method and apparatus to improve the read/write performance of a hard drive is presented. The hard drive includes solid state, non-volatile (NV) memory as a read/write cache. Data specified by the operating system is stored in the NV memory. The operating system provides a list of data to be put in NV memory. The data includes data to be pinned in NV memory and data that is dynamic. Pinned data persists in NV memory until the operating system commands it to be flushed. Dynamic data can be flushed by the hard drive controller. Data sent by an application for storage is temporary stored in NV memory in data blocks until the operating system commits it to the disk.

US Patent:

7100040, Aug 29, 2006

Filed:

Aug 16, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/204573

Inventors:

Michael R. Fortin - Redmond WA, US
Cenk Ergan - Bellevue WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 9/00
G06F 9/44
G06F 15/177
G06F 12/02
G06F 12/08
G06F 12/12

US Classification:

713 2, 713 1, 713100, 711111, 711112, 711113

Abstract:

A method and apparatus to decrease the boot time and the hibernate awaken time of a computer system is presented. Static and dynamic configuration data is stored in flash memory. The size of flash memory is selected so that the initialization time of the configuration data stored in the flash memory is approximately equal to the spin-up time of the disk drive where the operating system is stored. During power down or entry into a hibernate mode, the computer system determines the static and dynamic configuration data to be stored in flash memory based on a history of prior uses. Data is also stored in the flash memory during system operation to reduce the number of times the disk drive is spun up. When the computer system is powered up or awakened from hibernation, the configuration data in flash memory is initialized while the disk drive is spinning up.

US Patent:

7107444, Sep 12, 2006

Filed:

Aug 16, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/204705

Inventors:

Michael R. Fortin - Redmond WA, US
Cenk Ergan - Bellevue WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 9/24
G06F 9/445
G06F 15/177
G06F 12/06

US Classification:

713 2, 713 1, 713100, 711112, 711113

Abstract:

A method and apparatus to decrease the boot time and the hibernate awaken time of a computer system is presented. Static and dynamic configuration data is stored in flash memory. The size of flash memory is selected so that the initialization time of the configuration data stored in the flash memory is approximately equal to the spin-up time of the disk drive where the operating system is stored. During power down or entry into a hibernate mode, the computer system determines the static and dynamic configuration data to be stored in flash memory based on a history of prior uses. Data is also stored in the flash memory during system operation to reduce the number of times the disk drive is spun up. When the computer system is powered up or awakened from hibernation, the configuration data in flash memory is initialized while the disk drive is spinning up.

US Patent:

7185155, Feb 27, 2007

Filed:

Jun 9, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/150728

Inventors:

Stuart Sechrest - Redmond WA, US
Michael R. Fortin - Redmond WA, US
Mehmet Iyigun - Redmond WA, US
Cenk Ergan - Bellevue WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 12/00
G06F 13/00

US Classification:

711158, 711136, 711151, 711154

Abstract:

A proactive, resilient and self-tuning memory management system and method that result in actual and perceived performance improvements in memory management, by loading and maintaining data that is likely to be needed into memory, before the data is actually needed. The system includes mechanisms directed towards historical memory usage monitoring, memory usage analysis, refreshing memory with highly-valued (e. g. , highly utilized) pages, I/O pre-fetching efficiency, and aggressive disk management. Based on the memory usage information, pages are prioritized with relative values, and mechanisms work to pre-fetch and/or maintain the more valuable pages in memory. Pages are pre-fetched and maintained in a prioritized standby page set that includes a number of subsets, by which more valuable pages remain in memory over less valuable pages. Valuable data that is paged out may be automatically brought back, in a resilient manner. Benefits include significantly reducing or even eliminating disk I/O due to memory page faults.

US Patent:

7203830, Apr 10, 2007

Filed:

Aug 16, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/204684

Inventors:

Michael R. Fortin - Redmond WA, US
Cenk Ergan - Bellevue WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 9/00
G06F 9/44
G06F 15/177
G06F 12/02
G06F 12/08
G06F 12/12

US Classification:

713 2, 713 1, 713100, 711111, 711112, 711113

Abstract:

A method and apparatus to decrease the boot time and the hibernate awaken time of a computer system is presented. Static and dynamic configuration data is stored in flash memory. The size of flash memory is selected so that the initialization time of the configuration data stored in the flash memory is approximately equal to the spin-up time of the disk drive where the operating system is stored. During power down or entry into a hibernate mode, the computer system determines the static and dynamic configuration data to be stored in flash memory based on a history of prior uses. Data is also stored in the flash memory during system operation to reduce the number of times the disk drive is spun up. When the computer system is powered up or awakened from hibernation, the configuration data in flash memory is initialized while the disk drive is spinning up.