Robert D Block

US Patent:

6658473, Dec 2, 2003

Filed:

Feb 25, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/513655

Inventors:

Robert J. Block - Mountain View CA
James G. Hanko - Redwood City CA
J. Kent Peacock - Menlo Park CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 15173

US Classification:

709226, 709229

Abstract:

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for distributing load in a multiple server computer environment. In one embodiment, a group manager process on each server periodically determines the servers capacity and load (i. e. , utilization) with respect to multiple resources. The capacity and load information is broadcast to the other servers in the group, so that each server has a global view of every servers capacity and current load. When a given terminal authenticates to a server to start or resume one or more sessions, the group manager process of that server first determines whether one of the servers in the group already is hosting a session for that user. If that is the case, one embodiment of the present invention redirects the desktop unit to that server and the load-balancing strategy is not employed. Otherwise, for each resource and server, the proper load balancing strategies are performed to identify which server is best able to handle that particular session.

US Patent:

6789122, Sep 7, 2004

Filed:

Jun 5, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/587677

Inventors:

Gregory L. Slaughter - Palo Alto CA
Bernard A. Traversat - San Francisco CA
Robert J. Block - Mountain View CA
Xiaoyan Zheng - Fremont CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 1100

US Classification:

709229, 709212, 709217, 709219, 714 4

Abstract:

A cluster implements a virtual disk system that provides each node of the cluster access to each storage device of the cluster. The virtual disk system provides high availability such that a storage device may be accessed and data access requests are reliably completed even in the presence of a failure. To ensure consistent mapping and file permission data among the nodes, data are stored in a highly available cluster database. Because the cluster database provides consistent data to the nodes even in the presence of a failure, each node will have consistent mapping and file permission data. A cluster transport interface is provided that establishes links between the nodes and manages the links. Messages received by the cluster transports interface are conveyed to the destination node via one or more links. The configuration of a cluster may be modified during operation.

US Patent:

7401114, Jul 15, 2008

Filed:

Feb 25, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/513015

Inventors:

Robert J. Block - Mountain View CA, US
James G. Hanko - Redwood City CA, US
J. Kent Peacock - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 15/16
G06F 12/00

US Classification:

709203, 709219

Abstract:

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for making a computational service highly available in a multiple server computer environment. In the thin client computing paradigm, end user terminals rely on remote server computers for operation of most functions traditionally associated with personal computing. If the remote server computer fails, all of the users' computers will likewise fail. The present invention provides a solution by implementing a redundant server strategy and a redirection process. One or more servers hosting a communication to the terminal do not contain the only copy of permanent user data. This makes all session hosting servers interchangeable. If a server fails, the failure is detected and the terminal switches to another host server.

US Patent:

60146699, Jan 11, 2000

Filed:

Oct 21, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/954796

Inventors:

Gregory L. Slaughter - Palo Alto CA
Bernard A. Traversat - San Francisco CA
Robert J. Block - Mountain View CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 1730

US Classification:

707 10

Abstract:

The cluster configuration database is a distributed configuration database wherein a consistent copy of the configuration database is maintained on each active node of the cluster. Each node in the cluster maintains its own copy of the configuration database and configuration database operations can be performed from any node. Configuration database updates are automatically propagated to each node in a lock-step manner. If any node experiences a failure, the configuration database uses a reconfiguration protocol to insure consistent data in each node of the cluster. The cluster configuration database uses a two-level consistency update framework to insure consistent data among the nodes. Each local configuration database uses a self-contained consistency record to uniquely identify and stamp each copy of the configuration database. The consistency of each individual copy of the configuration database can be verified from the consistency record.

US Patent:

61611913, Dec 12, 2000

Filed:

May 12, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/076346

Inventors:

Gregory L. Slaughter - Palo Alto CA
Bernard A. Traversat - San Francisco CA
Robert J. Block - Mountain View CA
Xiaoyan Zheng - Fremont CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 1100

US Classification:

714 4

Abstract:

A cluster implements a virtual disk system that provides each node of the cluster access to each storage device of the cluster. The virtual disk system provides high availability such that a storage device may be accessed and data access requests are reliably completed even in the presence of a failure. To ensure consistent mapping and file permission data among the nodes, data are stored in a highly available cluster database. Because the cluster database provides consistent data to the nodes even in the presence of a failure, each node will have consistent mapping and file permission data. A cluster transport interface is provided that establishes links between the nodes and manages the links. Messages received by the cluster transports interface are conveyed to the destination node via one or more links. The configuration of a cluster may be modified during operation.

US Patent:

20160019388, Jan 21, 2016

Filed:

Mar 11, 2013

Appl. No.:

14/773983

Inventors:

- Houston TX, US
Robert Block - Sunnyvale CA, US
Suranjan Pramanik - Sunnyvale CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 21/55

Abstract:

According to an example, a confidence factor function may be applied to determine a confidence factor for a condition of a rule to correlate events. The confidence factor may be an approximation of whether an event or a set of events satisfies the condition in the rule. The confidence factor may be compared to a threshold to determine whether the condition is satisfied.