Timothy R Block

US Patent:

6442713, Aug 27, 2002

Filed:

Mar 30, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/281026

Inventors:

Timothy Roy Block - Rochester MN
Rodney Lee Rabe - Byron MN

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 1100

US Classification:

714 43, 709220

Abstract:

The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a cluster node distress system and method that improves the reliability of a cluster. The cluster node distress system provides a cluster node distress signal when a node on the cluster is about to fail. This allows the cluster to better to determine whether a non-communicating node has failed or has merely been partitioned from the cluster. The preferred cluster node distress system is embedded deeply into the operating system and provides a pre-built node distress signal that can be quickly sent to other nodes in the cluster when an imminent failure of that node is detected, improving the probability that the node distress signal will get out before the node totally fails. When the node distress signal is effectively sent to other nodes in the cluster, the cluster can accurately determine that the node has failed and has not just partitioned from the cluster. This allows the cluster to respond correctly, i. e.

US Patent:

6918051, Jul 12, 2005

Filed:

Apr 6, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/827804

Inventors:

Timothy Roy Block - Rochester MN, US
Robert Miller - Rochester MN, US
Kiswanto Thayib - Rochester MN, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F011/00

US Classification:

714 4, 714 24, 714 31

Abstract:

A clustered computer system, apparatus, program product and method utilize a group member-initiated shutdown process to terminate clustering on a node in an automated and orderly fashion, typically in the event of a failure detected by a group member residing on that node. As a component of such a process, node leave operations are initiated on the other nodes in a clustered computer system, thereby permitting any dependency failovers to occur in an automated fashion. Moreover, other group members on a node to be shutdown are preemptively terminated prior to local detection of the failure within those other group members, so that termination of clustering on the node may be initiated to complete a shutdown operation.

US Patent:

6934768, Aug 23, 2005

Filed:

Oct 23, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/694599

Inventors:

Timothy Roy Block - Rochester MN, US
Kiswanto Thayib - Rochester MN, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F015/16

US Classification:

709248, 709250, 709228

Abstract:

An apparatus, program product and method support the dynamic modification of cluster communication parameters such as a fragmentation size parameter through controllably deferring the processing of a requested fragmentation size change in a source node until after receipt an acknowledgment message for at least one unacknowledged message sent by the source node to a plurality of target nodes. By controllably deferring such processing until it is confirmed that any such previously-unacknowledged messages sent by a source node have been received by any target nodes, synchronization between the source node and the target nodes may be obtained, and a fragmentation size change may occur in a coordinated fashion such that future messages from the source node to the target node will be processed by both the source and the target nodes using the modified fragmentation size parameter.

US Patent:

6944155, Sep 13, 2005

Filed:

Mar 5, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/800398

Inventors:

Timothy Roy Block - Rochester MN, US
Richard Charles Booth - Rochester MN, US
David Robert Engebretsen - Cannon Falls MN, US
Thomas Rembert Sand - Rochester MN, US
Kenneth Micheal Valk - Rochester MN, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04L012/28

US Classification:

370389, 709238, 709223

Abstract:

A method and system for communication in a system area network (SAN) data processing system are described. The SAN includes a plurality of interconnected nodes that each have at least one port for communication. To avoid communication-induced errors that may arise, for example, if multiple nodes share the same node ID, the port of a node in the SAN is marked as “fenced” to prevent transmission of packets of a first traffic type while permitting transmission of packets of a second traffic type. The marking of the port may be recorded, for example, in a configuration register of the port. While the port is fenced, only packets of other than the first traffic type are routed via the port. In one preferred embodiment, the second traffic type represents SAN configuration traffic, and the first traffic type represents non-configuration traffic. In this preferred embodiment, the marking of the port may be removed following communication of configuration traffic utilized to negotiate unique node ID throughout the SAN.

US Patent:

6983324, Jan 3, 2006

Filed:

Oct 23, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/694586

Inventors:

Timothy Roy Block - Rochester MN, US
Kiswanto Thayib - Rochester MN, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 15/16

US Classification:

709228, 709204, 709205, 709221, 709232, 709248

Abstract:

An apparatus, program product and method support the dynamic modification of cluster communication parameters through a distributed protocol whereby individual nodes locally confirm initiation and status information for every node participating in a parameter modification operation. By doing so, individual nodes are also able to locally determine the need to undo locally-performed parameter modifications should any other node be incapable of performing a parameter modification. Moreover, specifically with respect to cluster communication parameters such as heartbeat parameters, such parameters may be dynamically modified by configuring a sending node to send a heartbeat message to a receiving node, with the heartbeat message indicating that a heartbeat parameter is to be modified. In response to the heartbeat message, the receiving node may then send an acknowledgment message to the sending node that indicates whether the heartbeat parameter has been modified in the receiving node. Further, modification of the heartbeat parameter in the sending node may be deferred until the acknowledgment message from the receiving node indicates that the heartbeat parameter has been modified in the receiving node.

US Patent:

6993034, Jan 31, 2006

Filed:

Oct 15, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/173090

Inventors:

Timothy Roy Block - Rochester MN, US
Robert Miller - Rochester MN, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04L 12/56

US Classification:

370401, 709245, 370390

Abstract:

According to the present invention, a communications protocol supporting cluster configurations more complex than a single LAN is disclosed. A cluster destination address table (CDAT) is used in conjunction with a network message servicer to communicate between computer systems in a cluster. Each computer system preferably contains a cluster servicer, a CDAT, and a network message servicer. The CDAT contains network addresses, status and adapter information for each computer system in a cluster. Although computer systems may have alternate network addresses when they have multiple adapters, the CDAT indexes primary and alternate address information under a single named system. Thus, redundant connections amongst computer systems are identified, while still using the numeric addresses upon which the network message servicer is based. To send a message using the methods of the present invention, the cluster servicer retrieves a network address for a computer system from a CDAT. A message to be sent and the retrieved address are passed to the network message servicer, preferably an Internet Protocol suite.

US Patent:

7028157, Apr 11, 2006

Filed:

Apr 24, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/422680

Inventors:

Timothy Roy Block - Rochester MN, US
Shawn Michael Lambeth - Pine Island MN, US
Thomas Rembert Sand - Rochester MN, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 12/00

US Classification:

711173, 711170, 711171, 711172, 718100, 718104

Abstract:

A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment dynamically allocate and/or deallocate data structures on demand to respective partitions in a logically-partitioned electronic device. The data structures are associated with an adapter, and the partitions may use the data structures to access the adapter and, in an embodiment, to send and/or receive messages across a network.

US Patent:

7088715, Aug 8, 2006

Filed:

Sep 3, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/933598

Inventors:

Timothy Roy Block - Rochester MN, US
Richard Charles Booth - Rochester MN, US
David Robert Engebretsen - Cannon Falls MN, US
Thomas Rembert Sand - Rochester MN, US
Kenneth Micheal Valk - Rochester MN, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04L 12/28

US Classification:

370389, 709238, 709223, 370392

Abstract:

A method and system for communication in a system area network (SAN) data processing system are described. The SAN includes a plurality of interconnected nodes that each have at least one port for communication. To avoid communication-induced errors that may arise, for example, if multiple nodes share the same node ID, the port of a node in the SAN is marked as “fenced” to prevent transmission of packets of a first traffic type while permitting transmission of packets of a second traffic type. The marking of the port may be recorded, for example, in a configuration register of the port. While the port is fenced, only packets of other than the first traffic type are routed via the port. In one preferred embodiment, the second traffic type represents SAN configuration traffic, and the first traffic type represents non-configuration traffic. In this preferred embodiment, the marking of the port may be removed following communication of configuration traffic utilized to negotiate unique node ID throughout the SAN.