Martin Patterson

US Patent:

6597956, Jul 22, 2003

Filed:

Aug 2, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/630440

Inventors:

Ashar Aziz - Fremont CA
Tom Markson - San Mateo CA
Martin Patterson - Mountain View CA
Mark Gray - Mountain View CA

Assignee:

Terraspring, Inc. - Fremont CA

International Classification:

G05B 1918

US Classification:

700 3, 700 99, 700101, 709104, 709105, 709208, 709209, 712 31

Abstract:

A Virtual Server Farm (VSF) is created out of a wide scale computing fabric (âComputing Gridâ) which is physically constructed once and then logically divided up into VSFs for various organizations on demand. Allocation and control of the elements in the VSF is performed by a control plane connected to all computing, networking, and storage elements in the computing grid through special control ports. The control plane is comprised of a control mechanism hierarchy that includes one or more master control process mechanisms communicatively coupled to one or more slave control process mechanisms. The one or more master control process mechanisms instruct the slave control process mechanisms to establish VSFs by selecting subsets of processing and storage resources.

US Patent:

6779016, Aug 17, 2004

Filed:

Feb 11, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/502170

Inventors:

Ashar Aziz - Fremont CA
Tom Markson - San Mateo CA
Martin Patterson - Mountain View CA

Assignee:

Terraspring, Inc. - Fremont CA

International Classification:

G06F 1516

US Classification:

709201, 709104, 709105, 709107, 709205, 709208, 709209, 709226

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus providing a dynamically sized, highly scalable and available server farm are disclosed. A Virtual Server Farm (VSF) is created out of a wide scale computing fabric (âComputing Gridâ) which is physically constructed once and then logically divided up into VSFs for various organizations on demand. Each organization retains independent administrative control of a VSF. A VSF is dynamically firewalled within the Computing Grid. A allocation and control of the elements in the VSF is performed by a Control Plane connected to all computing, networking, and storage elements in the computing grid through special control ports. The internal topology of each VSF is under control of the Control Plane. No physical rewiring is necessary in order to construct VSFs in many different configurations, including single-tier Web server or multi-tier Web-server, application server, database server configurations. Each tier of a multi-tier VSF (e. g.

US Patent:

7093005, Aug 15, 2006

Filed:

May 22, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/863945

Inventors:

Martin Patterson - Mountain View CA, US

Assignee:

Terraspring, Inc. - Fremont CA

International Classification:

G06F 15/177

US Classification:

709220, 709221, 715513

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for defining and deploying a networked computer system features creating and storing a graphical representation using a graphical editor to drag and drop icons representing computing elements and network elements into a workspace, such that a logical configuration of the networked computer system is represented by the graphical representation. A corresponding textual representation of the computer system is automatically created and stored according to a structured markup language. Based on the textual representation, one or more commands are generated for configuring an operable computer system that conforms to the logical configuration. The commands may be directed to one or more devices that are interconnected to one or more computing elements and storage devices, to instruct the devices to logically connect the computing elements and storage devices into the computer system. In one embodiment, a graphical representation of the logical configuration of the networked computer system is created, based on a user selection from a palette of one or more graphical icons that represent computing elements and network elements of the computer system, and a user selection of graphical interconnections of the icons. As a result, a real-world virtual server farm or data center may be created and deployed.

US Patent:

7146233, Dec 5, 2006

Filed:

Nov 20, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/301497

Inventors:

Ashar Aziz - Fremont CA, US
Thomas Markson - Palo Alto CA, US
Martin Patterson - Palo Alto CA, US
Mark Gray - Mountain View CA, US
Osman Ismael - Palo Alto CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 19/00
G06F 3/00

US Classification:

700101, 719314

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus providing, controlling and managing a dynamically sized, highly scalable and available server farm are disclosed. A Virtual Server Farm (VSF) is created out of a wide scale computing fabric (“Computing Grid”) which is physically constructed once and then logically divided up into VSFs for various organizations on demand. Each organization retains independent administrative control of a VSF. A VSF is dynamically firewalled within the Computing Grid. Allocation and control of the elements in the VSF is performed by a control plane connected to all computing, networking, and storage elements in the computing grid through special control ports. The internal topology of each VSF is under control of the control plane. A request queue architecture is also provided for processing work requests that allows selected requests to be blocked until required human intervention is satisfied.

US Patent:

7237077, Jun 26, 2007

Filed:

Dec 8, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/731681

Inventors:

Martin Patterson - Menlo Park CA, US
Shriram Krishnan - Oakland CA, US
Jayaraman Manni - Santa Clara CA, US
Benjamin H. Stoltz - Mountain View CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 12/00

US Classification:

711162, 711152

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for replicating an image from a source to a destination disk are provided. Specific embodiments may be optimized for single source to multiple destination replication requests, for example. In one embodiment, the present invention provides tools and techniques for synchronous data replication responsive to asynchronous same-source-to-different-destination replication requests.

US Patent:

7370013, May 6, 2008

Filed:

Jul 23, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/911925

Inventors:

Ashar Aziz - Fremont CA, US
Thomas Markson - San Mateo CA, US
Martin Patterson - Mountain View CA, US
Mark Gray - Mountain View CA, US
Christopher J. Conway - Palo Alto CA, US
Patrick A Tickle - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06Q 40/00

US Classification:

705 40, 705 5, 709202

Abstract:

A novel approach for determining an amount to be billed to a customer for the use of resources is based upon usage data and value data. The usage data indicates usage, by the customer, of a set of one or more resources during a specified period of time. The set of one or more resources may be dynamically selected and de-selected from a plurality of resources at any time. For example, the set of one or more resources may comprise a VSF as described herein. The value data indicates generally value provided by each resource from the set of one or more resources used during the specified period of time. The value provided by each resource may be expressed in service units per unit time and a charge may be applied for each service unit consumed during a specified period of time. Example billing schemes to which the approach is applicable include, without limitation, basic billing, flex billing, event flex billing and open flex billing.

US Patent:

7463648, Dec 9, 2008

Filed:

Jan 24, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/042813

Inventors:

Christopher M. Eppstein - Mountain View CA, US
Ashar Aziz - Fremont CA, US
Thomas Markson - Palo Alto CA, US
Martin Patterson - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

H04J 3/16
G06F 15/16

US Classification:

370468, 709227, 709229, 709249

Abstract:

An approach for allocating resources to an apparatus based on resource requirements generally involves a resource allocator receiving a request that specifies resource requirements for the apparatus. A resource allocator determines whether resources are available that satisfy the resource requirements. If resources are available that satisfy a resource requirement, the resource allocator indicates that the resource requirement is fulfilled and the resources are allocated to the apparatus. If resources are not available that satisfy a resource requirement, the resource allocator indicates that the resource requirement is not fulfilled and the resources are not allocated to the apparatus. The apparatus is implemented based on the allocated resources. A resource requirement can be optional so that if the optional resource requirement is not fulfilled, the apparatus can still be implemented. Conversely, a resource requirement can be necessary so that if the necessary resource requirement is not fulfilled, the apparatus is not implemented.

US Patent:

7503045, Mar 10, 2009

Filed:

Aug 11, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/917163

Inventors:

Ashar Aziz - Fremont CA, US
Tom Markson - San Mateo CA, US
Martin Patterson - Mountain View CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 9/46
G06F 15/173
G06F 15/16

US Classification:

718104, 718105, 709225, 709226, 709229

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus providing a dynamically sized, highly scalable and available server farm are disclosed. A Virtual Server Farm (VSF) is created out of a wide scale computing fabric (“Computing Grid”) which is physically constructed once and then logically divided up into VSFs for various organizations on demand. Each organization retains independent administrative control of a VSF. A VSF is dynamically firewalled within the Computing Grid. Allocation and control of the elements and topology in the VSF is performed by a Control Plane connected to all computing, networking, and storage elements in the computing grid through special control ports. No physical rewiring is necessary in order to construct VSFs in many different configurations, including single-tier Web server or multi-tier Web-server, application server, database server configurations.