Techniques for managing service definitions in an intelligent workload management system

• US 10,114,678 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus Software, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Micro Focus Software, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Sabin, Jason Allen, Jorgensen, Michael John, Kranendonk, Nathaniel Brent, Larsen, Kal A., Carter, Stephen R
• Primary Examiner(s): Boswell, Beth V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Folashade
• Application Number:
  US12/789,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,077 Days
• Field of Search: 705 727
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing

Abstract

Techniques for managing service definitions in an intelligent workload management system are provided. Workloads and software products are assembled as a single unit with custom configuration settings. The single unit represents a recallable and reusable service definition for a service that can be custom deployed within designated cloud processing environments.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

acquiring;

by workload management service manager that executes on one or more processors, workload images for workloads using workload identifiers, each workload image representing a workload executable version for a particular workload;

obtaining, by the workload management service manager, product images for software products using product identifiers;

each product image representing a product executable version for a particular software product;

setting, by the workload management service manager, configuration parameters for each workload and product executable version, the configuration parameters including Domain Name System (DNS) servers, security protocols, and identity services for authentication, and customizing the configuration parameters based on combinations of the workloads and the software products being assembled;

producing, by the workload management service manager, a service image for a custom service, wherein the producing includes assembling each workload and product executable version with the configuration parameters together as a single logical unit accessible from a single reference to the custom service that provides access to each workload and the product executable version, wherein producing further includes providing within the service image a startup sequencer that shares an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the service image as provided by a particular DNS server when the service image is deployed, and automatically instantiating and executing the service image on a machine as the custom service;

deploying, by the workload management service manager, the service image and testing the custom service in a cloud processing environment, wherein testing further includes scheduling and performing tests within the cloud processing environment on the service image based on automatic evaluation of an identity-based policy for an administrator;

the cloud processing environment, and the custom service and determining the identity-based policy based on identities for the administrator, the cloud processing environment, and the custom service;

dynamically and interactively adjusting, by the workload management service manager over time, some of the configuration parameters based on results of the testing to modify the service image representing a modified custom service, wherein adjusting further includes dynamically enhancing the custom service through the modified service based on a dynamic feedback loop where the results from the testing are evaluated and adjustments are made to the configuration parameters defining the service image, wherein adjusting receiving from the startup sequencer runtime information and the IP address for the service image;

cataloguing, by the workload management service manager, the service image in a service repository; and

recalling, by the workload management service manager, a deployed instance of the service image and producing, by the workload management service manager, a different version of the service image by using the service image from the service repository and;

altering the configuration parameters, adding new workload images, removing some of the workload images, adding new product images, and removing some of the product images.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, authenticating, by the workload management service manager, the workload images and the product images via workload image identities and product image identities.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising, assigning, by the workload management service manager, a service image identity for the service image and maintaining with the service image for subsequent authentication of the custom service via the service image identity.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, interactively receiving, by the workload management service manager, the workload identifiers, the product identifiers, and at least some of the configuration parameters.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein setting further includes dynamically prompting, by the workload management service manager, an administrator to supply or define at least some of the configuration parameters.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein producing further includes creating a service definition data structure that establishes a relationship for cloning instances of the workloads and the software products with the configuration parameters to form the service image and recording the relationship for reuse.