William C Terrell

US Patent:

20050010812, Jan 13, 2005

Filed:

Jun 19, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/464886

Inventors:

William Terrell - Austin TX, US
Steven Bade - Georgetown TX, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04L009/00

US Classification:

713201000

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for automatically collecting, combining, and storing operating system environment information in a trusted location on the data processing system to provide a persistent store record of all operating system events leading up to the detection of a problem. The software for the ‘black box’ device is a combination of existing system software and logging capability with the added ‘black box’ specific software functions required to generate, time-stamp, cryptographically sign and log events to the secure logging device. Operating system environment information is collected, entered into a log, and stored in a trusted location on the system. The information in this log may be used to analyze system crashes caused by security breaches. Determinations can be made from the log if the system was at correct security software ‘patch’ level or if network services were incorrectly configured or enabled.

US Patent:

49791079, Dec 18, 1990

Filed:

Dec 11, 1987

Appl. No.:

7/132672

Inventors:

Hira Advani - Austin TX
William L. Terrell - Austin TX

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 3023
G06F 314

US Classification:

364200

Abstract:

A process for the modification of device configuration in a computer system is designed to be easy-to-use by the user of the computer system yet allow the user flexibility in the specification of device configuration. The computer system stores parameter values of various default devices and devices already installed in the computer system. When the user invokes an "ADDDEV" command, the system prompts the user to enter one of a plurality of commands such as add, change or delete. Assuming the user enters the add command, the system prompts the user to enter the name of a default device or a similar device already installed in the system. When that information is entered by the user, the system determines from the stored parameters for the default or similar device which parameters must be re-specified by the user for the device to be added to the system. The system then prompts the user to enter only those parameters requiring respecification. Once those parameters have been respecified, the system stores the respecified parameters together with those parameters common to both the default or similar device and the added device thereby installing the added device in the computer system.

US Patent:

49741519, Nov 27, 1990

Filed:

Dec 11, 1987

Appl. No.:

7/132673

Inventors:

Hira Advani - Austin TX
William L. Terrell - Austin TX

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 314
G06F 1310

US Classification:

364200

Abstract:

A screen-oriented process is used for configuring devices in an open computer system. The computer system includes an operating system having device drivers, and the operating system can be run as a virtual machine on a virtual resource manager wherein a procedure is used to bind the device drivers of the operating system and the virtual resource manager and an attached device on a particular port of an adapter using device dependent information. The configuring process initially requires the creation of device dependent information files for a plurality of devices and device types, and these files are installed in the computer system. Each file includes adpater specific information and device specific information consolidated in a single file. The user may invoke a configuration command, and the system responds by displaying a plurality of commands such as add, change, delete and show and prompts the user to choose a command. If the add command is chosen, the system displays a list of predefined devices and adapters of the device type specified by the user and prompts the user to choose from among the predefined devices and adapters in the list.