International Business Machines Corporation

Other

Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Simon C Chu

Richard Alan Dayan

David Benson Rhoades

William Joseph Piazza

Gregory Brian Pruett

Eric Richard Kern

William W Buchanan, Jr

Peter Thomas Donovan

Gregory William Dake

Paul Brian Tippett

James L Matlock

Antonio Abbondanzio

David Michael Green

Chih-Chin Hsieh

Tseng-Chien Lin

Karl Ross Shultz

James Franklin Macon, Jr

Brandon John Ellison

William Paul Zeggert

Jeffrey Wayne Anderson

Akram Abboud

John Michael Brantly

Peter Gerard Chin

Timothy J Green

Thomas William Lange

Richard Edwin Harper

William Gavin Holland

Thomas M Brey

Steven Wade Hunter

Linda Ann Riedle

James Edward Hughes

Dean Alan Kalman

William Bradley Schwartz

Joseph Edward Bolan

Barbara E Ballard

Adam Lee Soderlund

Benjamin Russell Grimes

Andrew Hamilton Wray

Sujatha Pothireddy

Michael Scott Rollins

Michael D Day, Ii

Stephen Woodrow Murphrey

Hoyt Conis Simmons

Richard Christopher Fore

David Joseph Doria

Michael R Primm

Gayle Colby Steinbugler

Robert V Miller

Gregg Matthew Margosian

Frank Cassatt Harwood

Jianping Yang

James F Boland, Iv

Jeffrey Lee Barrett

Christopher C Gaskins

Linda A Rledle

William M Privette

Paul Brian Tippet

Travis Daren Appleman

Sharon Lynn Sanders-Fore

Robert Paul Rowe

Robert K Christner

Marty Eugene Turner

Dehumidifier

A method for interlocking a plurality of servers to a server system is disclosed. The method comprises assigning an identifier to each of the plurality of servers, wherein the identifier associates each of the plurality of servers to the server system, thereby defining a plurality of interlocked servers.

Method for interlocking a server to a server system and a computer system utilizing the same

Methods, apparatuses, and media to protect sensitive information in data storage devices are disclosed. Embodiments comprise a method of transmitting and receiving unique identification information of components of a computer system, comparing the information with previously saved information in the storage device, and not allowing access to the data if the information is substantially different. In some embodiments, the storage device may simply prevent access to the information. In other embodiments, the storage device may erase the information after detecting a change in the computer system. In other embodiments, the storage device may provide various options for effectively resetting the unique identification stored in the data storage device so that the device may be used in an altered system.

Methods and apparatuses for protecting data on mass storage devices

The present invention provides a way to secure data accessed by a software package pre-loaded on a computer system (for delivery to a customer). Specifically, under the present invention, customer data is loaded on a computer system along with any software package(s) that access the customer data prior to shipping the computer system to the customer. Also prior to shipping, a set (e.g., one or more) of passwords for accessing the data such as an administrative password and a hard disk password are set. After the computer system is shipped to the customer, confirmation of proper delivery will be sought. Once this confirmation is received, an access code such as a key or the set of passwords themselves will be shipped to the customer to unlock and use the data.

Securing data accessed by a software package pre-loaded on a computer system

Systems, methods, and software for analyzing the layout of computer equipment racks in a datacenter. One embodiment involves obtaining the position relative to the computer room of each of a plurality of temperature sensors distributed among a plurality of computer components mounted between opposing intake and exhaust ends of each computer equipment rack. The layout of the computer equipment racks is automatically determined from the positions of the temperature sensors, and a representation of the layout of the computer equipment racks is electronically stored or displayed. The actual layout is compared to target layout parameters to score the layout.

Automated analysis of datacenter layout using temperature sensor positions

An aggregated server blade system includes a plurality of individual server blades and a management module which can be designated as a bootable device. A boot list maintained and executed in each server blade includes a management module entry in its list of bootable devices. In response to the management module entry being selected or otherwise made active as the bootable device for a particular blade, an alternative bootable-devices list maintained on the management module is referenced and the boot process proceeds according to the alternative list.

Multi-tiered boot list

Applying firmware updates to servers in a data center, the servers including one or more active servers and a standby server, each server mapped to separate remote computer boot storage, including applying the firmware updates to the standby server; selecting an active server for firmware updating; powering off the selected active server by the system management server; remapping the standby server to the remote computer boot storage for the selected active server; rebooting the standby server from the remote computer boot storage for the selected active server, designating the standby server as an active server; remapping the selected active server to the remote computer boot storage formerly mapped to the standby server; and rebooting the selected active server from the remote boot storage formerly mapped to the standby server, designating the selected active server as a standby server.

Applying firmware updates to servers in a data center

Identifying an operating system running on a computer system. In one aspect of the invention, an enumeration pattern is collected, the enumeration pattern describing an enumeration of a device that has been performed between the device and the operating system running on a host computer system. The type of the operating system running on the host computer system is identified based on the collected enumeration pattern.

Method for using device enumeration information to identify an operating system running on a computer system

A method and system for a failover management module for a server blade chassis. A virtual out-of-band network connects management modules in different server blade chassis. Upon a detection of a failure of the management module(s) in a first server blade chassis, a management module in a second server blade chassis takes over control of the first server blade chassis.

Management module failover across multiple blade center chassis

A method and system for load balancing switch modules in a server system and a computer system utilizing the same is disclosed. In a first aspect, the method comprises assigning each of a plurality of servers to a switch module of a plurality of switch modules, such that a number of servers assigned to each of the plurality of switch modules is substantially equal. In a second aspect, a computer system comprises a plurality of servers coupled to a plurality of switch modules, a management module, and a load balancing mechanism coupled to the management module, wherein the load balancing mechanism assigns each of the plurality of servers to a switch module of the plurality of switch modules, such that a number of servers assigned to each of the plurality of switch modules is substantially equal.

Method and system for load balancing switch modules in a server system and a computer system utilizing the same

A system in which a networked device automatically evaluates hacker attack notification information and, based thereon, selects and executes responses to the attack. The notification may include information such as the address of the infected system, identification of the specific worm, and a list of vulnerable applications and operating systems. The evaluation is based on factors including criticality and vulnerability of applications running on the system and connectivity of the device. A variety of automatic responses can be selected, including notification of network administration, shutdown of the device or services running on the device, updating and activation of anti-virus software, and selective handling of data sent from the address of the suspect network device. The selection of responses can occur automatically based on rules input during setup or by intervention of network administration.

Automatic client responses to worm or hacker attacks

This invention is useful in a networked system with densely packaged servers or server blades. The servers are connected to a system management network, a communication network and an image server. A management module attached to the system management network and a network switch monitors and controls network booting from an image server on the communication network to prevent over commitment of network and image server resources in order to avoid a boot storm. The management module collects system information and calculates the number of servers or clients the networked system can boot at any one instant of time without burdening the system. The management module logic controls booting via the system management network and service processor elements, which can block server booting and release servers to boot when other servers have completed their boot process.

System and method for prevention of boot storms in a computer network

A system remotely boots a plurality of server blades in a blade center to update each blade. A temporary network is created to provide an out-of-band communication channel between a management module and the plurality of server blades. The management module receives and saves the original boot sequence for each server blade and alters each boot sequence such that each server blade begins with a network boot. After receiving an initial transmission over the network containing server blade boot instructions and storing the boot instructions in a temporary boot server, subsequent server blade boot requests from the network are intercepted and the stored boot instructions are re-routed from the temporary boot server to each of the remaining blades in the blade server thus removing the need for repeated boot packet transmission over the network.

Server blade network boot method that minimizes required network bandwidth

Growing community of inventors

Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America

Simon C Chu