Charles E Nichols

Title: The Innovations of Charles E. Nichols

Introduction

Charles E. Nichols is a notable inventor based in Wichita, Kansas, with a remarkable portfolio of 15 patents. His work primarily focuses on advancements in input/output scheduling and firmware reprogramming in storage systems. Nichols has made significant contributions to the field of technology, particularly in optimizing processing workloads and enhancing storage controller functionalities.

Latest Patents

One of Nichols' latest patents is titled "Balanced, opportunistic multicore I/O scheduling from non-SMP applications." This invention presents a system for dynamically configuring and scheduling input/output (I/O) workloads among processing cores. The system groups resources related to each other and/or not multicore safe into work nodes. When execution is required, these work nodes are added to a global queue accessible by all processing cores. Any available processing core can pull and process the next work node to completion, ensuring that the associated work is completed by the same core without needing additional protections for non-multicore safe resources.

Another significant patent is focused on "Methods and structure for near-live reprogramming of firmware in storage systems using a hypervisor." This invention outlines methods for reprogramming firmware in a storage controller within a virtual machine management (VMM) environment. The current firmware operates in a virtual machine controlled by a hypervisor, while the new firmware is loaded into a separate virtual machine. The new firmware initializes the current firmware to quiesce its processing and requests the hypervisor to map data between the two virtual machines, ultimately taking control of the storage controller.

Career Highlights

Throughout his career, Charles E. Nichols has worked with prominent companies such as LSI Logic Corporation and LSI Corporation. His experience in these organizations has allowed him to develop and refine his innovative ideas, contributing to the advancement of technology in the industry.

Collaborations

Nichols has collaborated with notable individuals in his field, including Donald Roman Humlicek and William Hetrick. These collaborations have likely fostered an environment of creativity and innovation, leading to the development of groundbreaking technologies.

Conclusion

Charles E. Nichols is a distinguished inventor whose contributions to technology have significantly impacted the fields of I/O scheduling and firmware reprogramming. His innovative patents and career achievements reflect his dedication to advancing technology and improving system efficiencies.