Dynamic network resource brokering

• US 20040181476A1
• Filed: 03/13/2003
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Storage Technologies Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Storage Technologies Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, William R., McSweeney, David M., Gallant-Talavia, Nicole D.
• Application Number:
  US10/389,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20040181476A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for identifying and mapping the business-driven IT policies to network resources and automatically brokering resources accordingly is disclosed. A software-based client/server architecture may be used, in an exemplary embodiment, to provision network server, processor, and storage resources according to the policies, service level objectives, and/or service level agreements needed to meet IT infrastructure customer needs with appropriately differentiated service.

Claims

1. A method of brokering network resources, comprising:

interpreting one or more policies into one or more rules;

detecting a first resource configuration;

modifying said first resource configuration into a second resource configuration by

monitoring the status of said resource configuration;

comparing said status to one or more of said rules;

automatically provisioning said first resource configuration into said second resource configuration in response to said comparing; and

periodically updating said modifying based on repeating said detecting said first resource configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said periodically detecting further comprises predicting a future status.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said policies define differentiated levels of service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting further comprises discovering an initial resource configuration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said resource configuration comprises one or more servers and zero or more memory elements.

6. An apparatus for brokering network resources, comprising:

means for interpreting one or more policies into one or more rules;

means for detecting a first resource configuration;

means for modifying said first resource configuration into a second resource configuration by

monitoring the status of said resource configuration;

comparing said status to one or more of said rules;

automatically provisioning said first resource configuration into said second resource configuration in response to said comparing; and

means for periodically updating said modifying based on repeating said detecting said first resource configuration.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said means for detecting further comprise means for predicting a future status.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said policies define differentiated levels of service.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said means for detecting further comprise means for discovering an initial resource configuration.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said resource configuration comprises one or more servers and zero or more memory elements.

11. A computer system for use in brokering network resources, comprising computer instructions for:

interpreting one or more policies into one or more rules;

detecting a first resource configuration;

modifying said first resource configuration into a second resource configuration by

monitoring the status of said resource configuration;

comparing said status to one or more of said rules;

automatically provisioning said first resource configuration into said second resource configuration in response to said comparing; and

periodically updating said modifying based on repeating said detecting said first resource configuration.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said detecting further comprises predicting a future status.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said policies define differentiated levels of service.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said detecting further comprises discovering an initial resource configuration.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said resource configuration comprises one or more servers and zero or more memory elements.

16. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program executable by a plurality of server computers, the computer program comprising computer instructions for:

interpreting one or more policies into one or more rules;

detecting a first resource configuration;

modifying said first resource configuration into a second resource configuration by

monitoring the status of said resource configuration;

comparing said status to one or more of said rules;

automatically provisioning said first resource configuration into said second resource configuration in response to said comparing; and

periodically updating said modifying based on repeating said detecting said first resource configuration.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said detecting further comprises predicting a future status.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said policies define differentiated levels of service.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said detecting further comprises discovering an initial resource configuration.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said resource configuration comprises one or more servers and zero or more memory elements.

21. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, comprising computer instructions for:

interpreting one or more policies into one or more rules;

detecting a first resource configuration;

modifying said first resource configuration into a second resource configuration by

monitoring the status of said resource configuration;

comparing said status to one or more of said rules;

automatically provisioning said first resource configuration into said second resource configuration in response to said comparing; and

periodically updating said modifying based on repeating said detecting said first resource configuration.

22. The computer data signal of claim 21, wherein said detecting further comprises predicting a future status.

23. The computer data signal of claim 21, wherein said policies define differentiated levels of service.

24. The computer data signal of claim 21, wherein said detecting further comprises discovering an initial resource configuration.

25. The computer data signal of claim 21, wherein said resource configuration comprises one or more servers and zero or more memory elements.