Joseph M Kidder20 Ski Hill Dr, Tilton, NH 03276

6654903, Nov 25, 2003

May 20, 2000

09/574440

Terrence S. Pearson - Hollis NH
Barbara A. Fox - Arlington MA
Joseph D. Kidder - Arlington MA
Umesh Bhatt - Nashua NH

Equipe Communications Corporation - Acton MA

G06F 1100

714 4, 714 43

The invention provides a method for fault isolation in a computer system, such as a network device. The method calls for providing a plurality of modular processes, and forming groups, based on hardware in the computer system, of one or more of the plurality of modular processes. A fault within a group is detected, and recovery from the detected fault is accomplished without affecting processes or hardware in other groups.

6694450, Feb 17, 2004

May 20, 2000

09/574439

Joseph D. Kidder - Arlington MA
Nicholas A. Langrind - Carlisle MA
Barbara A. Fox - Arlington MA
Richard L. Whitesel - Nashua NH

Equipe Communications Corporation - Acton MA

G06F 1100

714 15, 714 13, 707204

A distributed software redundancy design is disclosed to minimize network outages and other problems associated with component/process failures by spreading software backup (in the so-called âhot stateâ) across multiple elements. The distributed redundancy architecture of the present invention also permits the location of the hardware backup element to float, that is, if a primary element fails, the functions can be transferred over to the backup element. When the failed primary element is replaced, the replacement hardware can serve as the hardware backup. If one or more of the primary processes on a particular element experiences a software fault, the processor on the line card may terminate and restart the failing process or processes. Once the process or processes are restarted, a copy of the last known dynamic state (i. e. , the backup state) can be retrieved a from corresponding backup processes executing on a second line card and initiate an audit process to synchronize retrieved state with the dynamic state of associated other processes.

6708291, Mar 16, 2004

May 20, 2000

09/574340

Joseph D. Kidder - Arlington MA

Equipe Communications Corporation - Acton MA

G06F 1100

714 39, 714 26, 714 27, 714 46, 714 57

Computer systems and methods of data processing are disclosed in which hierarchical descriptors define levels of fault/event management to intelligently monitor hardware and software and proactively take action in accordance with a defined fault policy. A fault policy based on a defined hierarchy ensures that for each particular type of failure the most appropriate action is taken. Hierarchical descriptors can be used to provide information specific to each failure or event. The hierarchical descriptors provide granularity with which to report faults, take action based on fault history and apply fault recovery policies. The descriptors can be stored in a master event log file or local event log files through which faults and events may be tracked and displayed to the user and allow for fault detection at a fine granular level and proactive response to events. In addition, the descriptors can be matched with descriptors in a fault policy to determine the recovery action to be taken.

6715097, Mar 30, 2004

May 20, 2000

09/574436

Joseph D. Kidder - Arlington MA

Equipe Communications Corporation - Acton MA

G06F 1100

714 2, 709104

Computer systems and methods of data processing are disclosed in which hierarchical levels of fault/event management are provided that intelligently monitor hardware and software and proactively take action in accordance with a defined fault policy. A fault policy based on a defined hierarchy ensures that for each particular type of failure the most appropriate action is taken. In one embodiment, a master Software Resiliency Manager (SRM) serves as the top hierarchical level fault/event manager, with one or more slave SRMs serving as the next hierarchical level fault/event manager. The software applications resident on each board can also include sub-processes (e. g. , local resiliency managers or LRMs) that serve as the lowest hierarchical level fault/event managers.

6742134, May 25, 2004

May 20, 2000

09/574965

Peter Pothier - Townsend MA
Joseph D. Kidder - Arlington MA
Nicholas A. Langrind - Carlisle MA

Equipe Communications Corporation - Acton MA

F06F 1100

714 4

The present invention provides a computer system having a control process and a device driver process that is in communication with the control process, and a local back-up process, independent of both the control process and the device driver process. The local back-up process facilitates recovery of the device driver process. In one aspect of the invention, the computer system is a network device that includes a control plane and a data plan. The control plane includes a control process, and the data plane includes a device driver process. A local back-up process, independent of both the control process and the device driver process, facilitates recovery of the device driver process if the device driver process is terminated.

6880086, Apr 12, 2005

Feb 5, 2001

09/777468

Joseph D. Kidder - Arlington MA, US
Michael B. Mahler - Boylston MA, US
Edward L. Perreault - Dunstable MA, US
Margaret Stearns - Hollis NH, US
Jim Hurley - Acton MA, US

CIENA Corporation - Linthicum MD

G06F009/00

713191, 713200, 713177

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for facilitating hot upgrades of software components within a telecommunications network device through the use of “signatures” generated by a signature generating program. After installation of a new software release within the network device, only those software components whose signatures do not match the signatures of corresponding and currently executing software components are upgraded. Signatures promote hot upgrades by identifying only those software components that need to be upgraded. Since signatures are automatically generated for each software component as part of putting together a new release a quick comparison of two signatures provides an accurate assurance that either the software component has changed or has not. Thus, signatures provide a quick, easy way to accurately determine the upgrade status of each software component.

6983362, Jan 3, 2006

May 20, 2000

09/574352

Joseph D. Kidder - Arlington MA, US

Ciena Corporation - Linthicum MD

G06F 15/177

713 1, 713 2, 713100, 714 2, 714 3, 714 5, 714 7, 707 2, 707 6, 707202

Computer systems and methods of data processing are disclosed in which fault/event management is carried out in accordance with a configurable fault recovery policy. In addition, computer systems and methods of data processing are disclosed in which hierarchical levels of fault management (or more generally “event” management) are provided in accordance with the configurable fault policy.

7054272, May 30, 2006

Jul 14, 2000

09/616477

Chris R Noel - Acton MA, US
Corey Simons - Waltham MA, US
Joseph D Kidder - Arlington MA, US
Nicholas A Langrind - Carlisle MA, US
Brian Branscomb - Hopkinton MA, US
Jonathan D Madsen - Arlington MA, US

CIENA Corporation - Linthicum MD

H04J 1/16

370241, 370390, 370465

The present invention provides an upper layer network device with one or more physical layer data test ports. The data supplied to the test ports reflects the data received by the network device with minimal modification and no upper layer translation or processing, and supplying the data to the test ports does not impact or disrupt the service provided by the network device. Only a small portion of the network device need be operable to send data to the test ports. In addition, the test ports are programmable while the network device is operating and without impacting its operation. Moreover, because the test ports are programmable—that is, they are not dedicated—they may be re-programmed for normal device operation.