Robert J Crockett

US Patent:

6578120, Jun 10, 2003

Filed:

Jun 24, 1997

Appl. No.:

08/881118

Inventors:

Robert Nelson Crockett - Tucson AZ
William Frank Micka - Tucson AZ
Robert Wesley Shomler - Morgan Hill CA
Warren Keith Stanley - Tucson AZ

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 1216

US Classification:

711162, 711114, 714 6

Abstract:

A method for assuring consistency between a primary volume and a remote secondary volume wherein a host CPU manages track-to-track transfers using loosely-coupled, storage control unit mediated data paths. The method includes initial volume synchronization in which concurrent updates to primary tracks are serialized by the copy progression at the secondary volume according to address. The method further includes volume resynchronization in the event of extrinsic error, fault, or the like in which bit maps and timestamps are used to determine the status of primary tracks either lost while in flight to the secondary volume or updated during a volume suspension interval. The bit maps and timestamps preserve the most recent version copy order of the tracks on the secondary volume. CONCURRENT UPDATING.

US Patent:

6587933, Jul 1, 2003

Filed:

Jan 26, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/770895

Inventors:

Robert Nelson Crockett - Tucson AZ
William Frank Micka - Tucson AZ
David Michael Shackelford - Tucson AZ

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 1200

US Classification:

711154, 711113, 711122, 711162, 711202, 711203, 711 3, 711207, 709100, 710 3

Abstract:

Provided is a method, system, and program for releasing storage space in a first and second storage devices. Updates to the first storage device are copied to the second storage device to provide secondary storage for the updates. A first and second tables map data sets to addresses in the first and second storage devices, respectively. A first command is detected to invalidate data sets in the first table. The addresses in the first table comprise virtual addresses, and a third table provides a mapping of the virtual addresses to physical storage locations in the first storage device. A second command is generated to update the second table to invalidate the data sets in the second storage device invalidated in the first table by the first command. A third command is detected to invalidate the virtual addresses in the third table used by the data sets invalidated in the first table to free the physical storage locations in the first storage device pointed to by the invalidated virtual addresses. A fourth command is generated that is directed to the physical storage locations in the second storage device used by the invalidated data sets.

US Patent:

6772303, Aug 3, 2004

Filed:

Feb 15, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/785926

Inventors:

Robert Nelson Crockett - Tucson AZ
Ronald Maynard Kern - Tucson AZ
Gregory Edward McBride - Tucson AZ

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 1200

US Classification:

711162, 711161, 711165, 711112, 714 6

Abstract:

Backup storage is resynchronized to primary storage, ensuring that any new updates received during resynchronization are applied in the proper order relative to resynchronization data. Under normal operations, a data mover mirrors data stored in primary storage to backup storage. If an error condition arises, preventing mirroring, the data mover stores newly received data in primary storage without mirroring the data to backup storage. The data mover also identifies this data in an update map. When the error condition ends, the data mover performs a static resynchronization process, serving to update the backup storage with the un-mirrored data, identified in the update map. When new data is received during static resynchronization, a dynamic resynchronization process is invoked to accurately process the updates. Dynamic resynchronization ensures that newly received data records are copied to backup storage in the proper order (if at all) with respect to versions of the same data being processed by static resynchronization.

US Patent:

6842834, Jan 11, 2005

Filed:

Mar 20, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/394300

Inventors:

Robert Nelson Crockett - Tucson AZ, US
William Frank Micka - Tucson AZ, US
Robert Wesley Shomler - Morgan Hill CA, US
Warren Keith Stanley - Tucson AZ, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 1216

US Classification:

711162, 711114, 714 6

Abstract:

A method for assuring consistency between a primary volume and a remote secondary volume wherein a host CPU manages track-to-track transfers using loosely-coupled, storage control unit mediated, data paths. The method includes initial volume synchronization in which concurrent updates to primary tracks are serialized by the copy progression at the secondary volume according to address. The method further includes volume resynchronization in the event of extrinsic error, fault, or the like in which the status of primary tracks updated during a volume suspension interval utilize bit maps to determine status of tracks unmodified during the suspension interval, and updated tracks and timestamps in addition to addresses. The bit maps and timestamps preserve the most recent version copy order of the tracks on the secondary volume.

US Patent:

7003706, Feb 21, 2006

Filed:

May 27, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/445688

Inventors:

Gregory Edward McBride - Tucson AZ, US
Alan George McClure - Tampa FL, US
Robert Nelson Crockett - Tucson AZ, US
Donald Reynold Blea - Tucson AZ, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G11C 29/00

US Classification:

714719, 714 44, 714 47, 711113

Abstract:

Disclosed is an article of manufacture, system, and program for determining device suspension and device blocking. Local session cache usage and residual counts are compared against limit values associated with that session, wherein the limit values comprise a device blocking count, a device blocking percent, a suspend count, and a suspend percent for the local session. If a cache in trouble condition is detected based on the comparison, the cache in trouble condition is processed to determine whether one or more volumes are to be blocked or suspended.

US Patent:

7761431, Jul 20, 2010

Filed:

Feb 16, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/356664

Inventors:

Donald Reynold Blea - Tucson AZ, US
Robert Nelson Crockett - Tucson AZ, US
Gregory Edward McBride - Vail AZ, US
Alan George McClure - Sahuarita AZ, US
David Michael Shackelford - Tucson AZ, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 7/00

US Classification:

707690

Abstract:

Provided are a method, system, and program for consolidating session information for a cluster of sessions in a coupled session environment. Information for each of a plurality of sessions comprising a cluster is stored in a memory of a processor session. Each session associates at least one primary system and at least one secondary system, wherein within each session, updates are copied from the at least one primary system to the at least one secondary system. The session information in the memory for the plurality of sessions is processed to generate consolidated session information for the cluster based on the session information for the sessions in the cluster. The consolidated session information for the cluster is written to a master data set maintaining information for sessions.

US Patent:

7930497, Apr 19, 2011

Filed:

Jan 10, 2008

Appl. No.:

11/972614

Inventors:

Robert Nelson Crockett - Tucson AZ, US
William Frank Micka - Tucson AZ, US
David Michael Shackelford - Tucson AZ, US
Warren Keith Stanley - Loveland CO, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 12/00
G06F 13/00

US Classification:

711162, 711100, 711154

Abstract:

Provided are an article of manufacture, method, and system for using multiple sidefiles to buffer writes to primary storage volumes to transfer to corresponding secondary storage volumes in a mirror relationship. Information is provided on a mirror relationship for primary storage volumes and corresponding secondary storage volumes, wherein writes to the primary storage volumes are transferred to the secondary storage volumes according to the mirror relationship. A plurality of sidefiles are associated with the primary storage volumes in the mirror relationship. A write is received to one of the primary storage volumes in the mirror relationship. One of the sidefiles associated with the primary storage volume for which the write is received is selected and the write is buffered in the selected sidefile. Writes to the primary storage volumes buffered in the sidefiles are transferred to the corresponding secondary storage volumes.

US Patent:

8626722, Jan 7, 2014

Filed:

May 11, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/778063

Inventors:

Donald Reynold Blea - Tucson AZ, US
Robert Nelson Crockett - Tucson AZ, US
Gregory Edward McBride - Vail AZ, US
Alan George McClure - Sahuarita AZ, US
David M. Shackelford - Tucson AZ, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707690, 709223

Abstract:

Provided are a method, system, and program for consolidating session information for a cluster of sessions in a coupled session environment. Information for each of a plurality of sessions comprising a cluster is stored in a memory of a processor session. Each session associates at least one primary system and at least one secondary system, wherein within each session, updates are copied from the at least one primary system to the at least one secondary system. The session information in the memory for the plurality of sessions is processed to generate consolidated session information for the cluster based on the session information for the sessions in the cluster. The consolidated session information for the cluster is written to a master data set maintaining information for sessions.