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Christopher Ward

Christopher Ward, Yorktown Heights, NY US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20110016368System and Method for Automated Configuration Control, Audit Verification and Process Analytics - A method for auditing and verifying configuration items (CIs) in an information technology (IT) configuration management database (CMDB) includes identifying which configuration item (CI) types should be part of an audit, defining link rules to link an authorized CI type stored in a CMDB to an actual CI type that is part of an IT infrastructure, retrieving all authorized CI instances of the identified CI types from the CMDB, retrieving all actual CI instances of the identified CI types from a discovery upload of a current IT environment, comparing the actual CI instances to the authorized CI instances, and taking remedial action when variances are discovered.01-20-2011
20110029767System and Method for Transforming Configuration Data Items in a Configuration Management Database - A system, method and apparatus for performing information transformations on an information stream composed of configuration items (CIs) for improving data quality and extending the capabilities of a configuration management database (CMDB). In one embodiment the data transformations ensure that a CMDB can be used to manage environments that use Network Address Translation by the modification of the signatures of analyzed CIs so that the resulting set of CIs is unique. The modification is applied to augment the signature with a domain specific prefix so that, when loaded into the enterprise wide CMDB, a CI is uniquely identified.02-03-2011

Christopher Ward, Glen Ridge, NJ US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20080208792Methods and Apparatus for Management of Configuration Item Lifecycle State Transitions - Techniques for managing a plurality of configuration items in an information repository are provided. Lifecycle state transitions of the plurality of configuration items are regulated in accordance with one or more lifecycle state transition diagrams and, when a life cycle state transition involves a protected life cycle state, one or more request for change identifiers.08-28-2008
20080209398Methods and Apparatus for Authentication of Configuration Items Via Configuration Item Change Analysis - Techniques for authenticating one or more configuration items in an information repository are provided comprising the step of running an audit on the one or more configuration items in accordance with a change history of each of the one or more configuration items and one or more request for change identifiers.08-28-2008
20080222645Process Execution Management Based on Resource Requirements and Business Impacts - Techniques are presented for managing execution of processes on a data processing system The data processing system comprises process instances that are each an execution of a corresponding process. Each process instance comprises activity instances. Business impacts are determined for the process instances, the activity instances, or both. Order of execution of the activity instances is managed by allocating resources to activity instances in order to achieve an objective defined in terms of the business impacts. In another embodiment, requests are received for the execution of the processes. For a given request, one or more of the operations of assigning, updating, aggregating, and weighting of first business impacts associated with the given request are performed to create second business impacts associated with the given request. Additionally, requests can be modified. Modification can include changing the process requested or process input as deemed appropriate, combining related requests into a single request, or both. Unmodified requests and any modified requests are managed.09-11-2008
20080300837Methods, Computer Program Products and Apparatus Providing Improved Selection of Agreements Between Entities - The exemplary embodiments of the invention provide methods, computer program products and apparatus that describe techniques for improved selection of agreements between entities, such as between a service provider and another entity (e.g., a supplier or customer of the service provider). In one non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, a method includes: providing a workflow model for a plurality of sub-processes, wherein the plurality of sub-processes has a plurality of second values, wherein each sub-process of the plurality of sub-processes has a different second value of the plurality of second values corresponding to a property common to each sub-process of the plurality of sub-processes, wherein the workflow model is a workflow model of a process; determining a first probability distribution of a first value for the process based on a plurality of second probability distributions for the plurality of second values, wherein each second probability distribution of the plurality of second probability distributions is for a different second value of the plurality of second values; and selecting an agreement based on the determined first probability distribution of the first value, wherein the selected agreement is an agreement to be used between a first entity and a second entity.12-04-2008
20090016346APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RELIABLE, FAST, AND SCALABLE MEULTCAST MESSAGE DELIVERY IN SERVICE OVERLAY NETWORKS - A method to organize nodes into an overlay network and to disseminate multicast messages within this overlay both through an efficient tree embedded in the overlay and through gossips exchanged between overlay neighbors. Regardless of the size of the system, this invention incurs a constant low overhead on each node.01-15-2009
20090248461Apparatus and Methods for Decomposing Service Processes and for Identifying Alternate Service Elements in Service Provider Environments - Methods, apparatus and computer program products decompose a service process into service process operations; filter the service operations based on at least one pre-determined criterion; identify at least one different service process operation to be used to replace an existing service process operation; and replace the existing service process operation with the at least one different service process operation. The service process can be decomposed using specific service features derived from reference service processes. The pre-determined criterion used to filter the service operations can constitute a service level; a service category; or a service process feature. A service process feature describes core functionality of the service.10-01-2009
20090327001DEFINING AND IMPLEMENTING CONFIGURATION STANDARDS FOR FACILITATING COMPLIANCE TESTING IN AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ENVIRONMENT - A method for facilitating compliance testing in an information technology (IT) environment is provided. The method includes defining each IT component of an enterprise as a set of attribute value pairs represented as a configuration item (CI) and defining relationships among the CIs. Configuration Standards for the CIs are defined to include scope identifying CIs to which the Configuration Standards apply and restrictions defining requirements for compliance. Compliance testing is performed for IT components of the enterprise against a selected Configuration Standards by determining, depending on the scope and the restrictions of each of the selected Configuration Standards, which of the IT components within the scope of the selected Configuration Standards fails to meet the restrictions of respective ones of the selected Configuration Standards; and by outputting results as a list, which includes each of the IT components that failed to meet respective ones of the selected Configuration Standards.12-31-2009
20110295898System And Method For Incident Processing Through A Correlation Model - Disclosed is a method, system and a computer program for correlating an incident service ticket with an incident resource ticket. The method includes, in response to a creation of an incident service ticket in a certain service category; searching with a data processor for open incident resource tickets of the same or similar category; searching with the data processor based on a set of similarity rules for corresponding critical configuration items defined in business service configuration items and, if both searches succeed, searching with the data processor found incident resource tickets ordered by time using found critical configuration items and, if a match is found, declaring the incident service ticket to be correlated with the matching incident resource ticket. The exemplary embodiments further provide that, if both searches do not succeed, or if a match is not found, obtaining input from a dependency tree for the business service configuration items and if no related service configuration items for the service category are identified then concluding the performance of the method, otherwise searching with the data processor found incident resource tickets ordered by time using found related service configuration items. If no associated resource tickets are available then the method performs constraint adaptive probing of resources determined from the dependency tree to attempt to generate at least one corresponding resource ticket, and to search on any corresponding resource tickets that are generated for related configuration items.12-01-2011

Patent applications by Christopher Ward, Glen Ridge, NJ US

Christopher Ward, Marietta, PA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20090291791TENSIONER ASSEMBLY WITH SEALED PULLEY - A pulley assembly operable in connection with a tensioner assembly is provided for tensioning a belt. The pulley assembly includes one or more elements for sealing the pulley to protect the pulley assembly in harsh environments. For instance, the pulley assembly may include one or more shields for protecting the pulley from contaminants entering the interior of the pulley assembly that can lead to premature failure.11-26-2009

Christopher Ward, Hawthorne, NY US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20110173405SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REDUCING LATENCY TIME WITH CLOUD SERVICES - A system and method for reducing service latency includes dividing an information technology service for a customer into an infrastructure management service and a data management service. Data associated with the information technology service is stored in a backup memory. A set of infrastructure images related to the information technology service is stored at a cloud service provider. The infrastructure images are updated with software updates and hardware updates, as needed, and the data associated with the information technology service is updated through backup and restore mechanisms. The set of infrastructure images that have been updated with data with latest updates are started for recovery, continuity, testing, etc.07-14-2011

Christopher Ward, Baltimore, MD US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20120034620COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR ADHESION OF INTACT CELLS TO AN APPARATUS - Bio-adhesive compositions that include an extra-cellular matrix protein, bovine serum albumin conjugated with a fluorophore, and an aggregate are provided. The bio-adhesive composition may also include at least one component selected from the group consisting of collagen type IV, laminin, and chitosan. Also provided are methods of making the present compositions, that include taking a desired amount of extracellular matrix gel to liquid form of extracellular matrix; adding a desired amount of bovine serum albumin conjugated with a fluorophore; adding a desired amount of aggregate; and mixing. Further provided are methods for attaching cells to an apparatus using the present bio-adhesive compositions, and methods of attaching the present bio-adhesive compositions to an apparatus. Also provided are kits that include the present composition, components thereof or apparatuses, having the present composition attached thereto.02-09-2012

Christopher Ward, Zutphen NL

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20120038393Mode Dependent Driving of the Center Tap in Ethernet Communications - An output stage comprising a current mode line driver, a voltage mode line driver, and a center-tapped transformer for coupling data provided by the line drivers to a transmission line is provided herein. The output stage is configured to operate in a backwards compatible Ethernet communication device. For example, the Ethernet communication device is configured to support 10G Ethernet and legacy Ethernet modes of 10BASE-T, 100BASE-T, and 1000BASE-T. The current mode line driver can be utilized while operating in the 10G Ethernet mode to provide high linearity. The voltage mode line driver can be utilized while operating in legacy mode to conserve power. In order to accommodate the use of two different line drivers, a switch and/or a voltage regulator is used to couple/decouple a dc voltage to a center-tap of the transformer based on which of the two different line drivers is currently active.02-16-2012

Christopher Ward, Mol BE

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20120039699SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR FORMING STACKS - A method of forming layered stacks of bundles includes providing a gripping appliance comprising a first gripping assembly and a second gripping assembly. The first gripping assembly is configured for grasping one or more first bundles and the second gripping assembly is configured for grasping one or more second bundles. The first and second gripping assemblies are configured such that first and second bundles grasped thereby may be reoriented relative to one another. The method further includes retrieving from a first location one or more first bundles with the first gripping assembly and one or more second bundles with the second gripping assembly and transporting the first and second bundles to a second location, During transport of the first and second bundles, the bundles are reoriented relative to one another. The bundles are deposited at a selected position in the second location to form at least a partial layer of a layered stack of bundles.02-16-2012