David C Fields

US Patent:

8032707, Oct 4, 2011

Filed:

Nov 14, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/271400

Inventors:

Mehmet Iyigun - Bellevue WA, US
Yevgeniy Bak - Redmond WA, US
Michael Fortin - Redmond WA, US
David Fields - Redmond WA, US
Cenk Ergan - Bellevue WA, US
Alexander Kirshenbaum - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 12/00
G06F 13/00
G06F 13/28
G06F 9/26
G06F 9/34

US Classification:

711118, 711 3, 711207

Abstract:

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for managing cache metadata providing a mapping between addresses on a storage medium (e. g. , disk storage) and corresponding addresses on a cache device at data items are stored. In some embodiments, cache metadata may be stored in a hierarchical data structure comprising a plurality of hierarchy levels. Only a subset of the plurality of hierarchy levels may be loaded to memory, thereby reducing the memory “footprint” of cache metadata and expediting the process of restoring the cache metadata during startup operations. Startup may be further expedited by using cache metadata to perform operations associated with reboot. Thereafter, as requests to read data items on the storage medium are processed using cache metadata to identify addresses at which the data items are stored in cache, the identified addresses may be stored in memory. When the computer is later shut down, instead of having to transfer the entirety of the cache metadata from memory to storage, only the subset of the plurality of hierarchy levels and/or the identified addresses previously loaded to memory may be transferred (e. g. , to the cache device), thereby expediting the shutdown of the computer.

US Patent:

8117239, Feb 14, 2012

Filed:

Mar 25, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/055012

Inventors:

David Fields - Kirkland WA, US
Paolo Marcucci - Seattle WA, US
Carlos Brito - Sammamish WA, US
Scott Hysom - Issaquah WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 7/00

US Classification:

707803

Abstract:

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for aggregating schema data from two or more schemas are provided. Embodiments of the present invention include receiving schema definitions for two or more schemas. An aggregated property description for an individual property that is common to the two or more schemas may be created. The aggregated property description includes property attribute values that are the same for the property description in both schemas. Where the attribute values are different, rules may be applied to determine which attribute value to include in the aggregated property description. In one embodiment, the less capable of the two different attribute values is included in the aggregated property description.

US Patent:

8135914, Mar 13, 2012

Filed:

Aug 30, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/221542

Inventors:

Mehmet Iyigun - Kirkland WA, US
Yevgeniy M. Bak - Redmond WA, US
Michael Fortin - Redmond WA, US
David Fields - Redmond WA, US
Cenk Ergan - Bellevue WA, US
Alexander Kirshenbaum - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 12/00
G06F 13/00
G06F 13/28
G06F 9/26
G06F 9/34

US Classification:

711118, 711 3, 711207

Abstract:

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for managing cache metadata providing a mapping between addresses on a storage medium (e. g. , disk storage) and corresponding addresses on a cache device at data items are stored. In some embodiments, cache metadata may be stored in a hierarchical data structure comprising a plurality of hierarchy levels. When a reboot of the computer is initiated, only a subset of the plurality of hierarchy levels may be loaded to memory, thereby expediting the process of restoring the cache metadata and thus startup operations. Startup may be further expedited by using cache metadata to perform operations associated with reboot. Thereafter, as requests to read data items on the storage medium are processed using cache metadata to identify addresses at which the data items are stored in cache, the identified addresses may be stored in memory. When the computer is later shut down, instead of having to transfer the entirety of the cache metadata from memory to storage, only the subset of the plurality of hierarchy levels and/or the identified addresses previously loaded to memory may be transferred (e. g. , to the cache device), thereby expediting the shutdown of the computer.

US Patent:

8229963, Jul 24, 2012

Filed:

Mar 25, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/054998

Inventors:

David Fields - Kirkland WA, US
Paolo Marcucci - Seattle WA, US
Carlos Brito - Sammamish WA, US
Chris McConnell - Redmond WA, US
Scott Hysom - Issaquah WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 7/00
G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707793, 707803

Abstract:

Embodiments of the present invention provide a schema to describe the structure of a data store that may be used to query the data store. The schema may include a property description describing static and contextual attributes of a property of the data store. The schema may also include a property reference describing contextual attributes of a property of the data store, while referencing static attributes from a property description in another schema. In some instances, the schema may further describe item types and/or kinds for the data store.

US Patent:

20100070701, Mar 18, 2010

Filed:

Nov 14, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/271472

Inventors:

Mehmet Iyigun - Bellevue WA, US
Yevgeniy Bak - Redmond WA, US
Michael Fortin - Redmond WA, US
David Fields - Redmond WA, US
Cenk Ergan - Bellevue WA, US
Alexander Kirshenbaum - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 12/08
G06F 12/00

US Classification:

711113, 711133, 711E12001, 711E12019, 711E12022

Abstract:

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for ensuring that the contents of a non-volatile memory device may be relied upon as accurately reflecting data stored on disk storage across a power transition such as a reboot. For example, some embodiments of the invention provide techniques for determining whether the cache contents and/or or disk contents are modified during a power transition, causing cache contents to no longer accurately reflect data stored in disk storage. Further, some embodiments provide techniques for managing cache metadata during normal (“steady state”) operations and across power transitions, ensuring that cache metadata may be efficiently accessed and reliably saved and restored across power transitions.

US Patent:

20120173824, Jul 5, 2012

Filed:

Feb 2, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/365093

Inventors:

Mehmet Iyigun - Kirkland WA, US
Yevgeniy Bak - Redmond WA, US
Michael Fortin - Redmond WA, US
David Fields - Kirkland WA, US
Cenk Ergan - Bellevue WA, US
Alexander Kirshenbaum - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 12/08

US Classification:

711144, 711141, 711E12019, 711E12037, 711E12026

Abstract:

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for managing cache metadata providing a mapping between addresses on a storage medium (e.g., disk storage) and corresponding addresses on a cache device at which data items are stored. In some embodiments, cache metadata may be stored in a hierarchical data structure comprising a plurality of hierarchy levels. When a reboot of the computer is initiated, only a subset of the plurality of hierarchy levels may be loaded to memory, thereby expediting the process of restoring the cache metadata and thus startup operations. Startup may be further expedited by using cache metadata to perform operations associated with reboot.

US Patent:

20120304119, Nov 29, 2012

Filed:

May 27, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/117598

Inventors:

Scott D. Hoogerwerf - Seattle WA, US
David C. Fields - Kirkland WA, US
Michael J. Gilmore - Bothell WA, US
Rolf A. Ebeling - Kirkland WA, US
Steven J. Ball - Seattle WA, US
Manav Mishra - Kirkland WA, US
Tyler K. Beam - Redmond WA, US
Robert H. Liao - Bellevue WA, US
Benjamin J. Karas - Seattle WA, US
Matthew P. Duignan - Seattle WA, US
Jensen Harris - Bellevue WA, US
Richard Jacob White - Seattle WA, US
Lyon Wong - Issaquah WA, US
Dennis L. Davis - Bothell WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 3/048
G06F 17/30

US Classification:

715810

Abstract:

A file access request is received from an application. One or more file types for the file access request are identified, and one or more file hosts supporting files of the identified one or more file types are also identified. A user interface is displayed, the user interface including a hosted area. Within the hosted area, at least one of the one or more file hosts displays a portion of the user interface identifying one or more files of at least one file host that can be selected for retrieval, or one or more locations that can be selected to which the one or more files are saved.

US Patent:

20130179414, Jul 11, 2013

Filed:

Jan 6, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/345612

Inventors:

Scott David Hoogerwerf - Seattle WA, US
David Charles Fields - Kirkland WA, US
Michael John Novak - Redmond WA, US
Richard Jacob White - Bellevue WA, US
Dennis Lawrence Davis - Bothell WA, US
Gabriel Shawn DeBacker - Carnation WA, US
Jeffrey Jay Johnson - Bellevue WA, US
Manav Mishra - Kirkland WA, US
Steven James Ball - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 7/00

US Classification:

707694, 707E1701, 707E17005

Abstract:

The claimed subject matter provides for systems and/or methods for accessing and/or updating files by a first application in which the first application does not have direct accessibility to said file. In some embodiments, file host applications that are not directly accessible to said first application may be connected to through a file picker extensibility point that enable the first application to acquire files through an operating system user experience. In these various embodiments, the system may provide for one or more of the following functionalities: (1) refreshing content that is controlled by a file host application; (2) updating content that is controlled by a file host application; (3) exporting files from an application to a file host application; (4) a user interface for export operations and file host application intervention and (5) a file host extensibility point provided by the operating system.