Architecture for a centralized management system

• US 20050188071A1
• Filed: 02/19/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HCL Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kumhyr, David Bruce, Childress, Rhonda L., Christiance, Kenneth David, Machovec, Gregg W., Pennell, Neil Raymond, Lamb, Michael Arthur
• Granted Patent: US 7,418,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures

Abstract

An example of a solution provided here comprises: providing a logical design, including at least one hub containing central management tools, and a plurality of lower tiers containing local management tools; placing components according to the design; and providing, from the hub, one or more management functions. The lower tiers include one or more elements chosen from RIM'"'"'s, spokes, and POD'"'"'s.

Claims

1. A method of managing computing resources in a network, said method comprising:

providing a logical design, including

at least one hub containing central management tools; and

a plurality of lower tiers containing local management tools;

placing components according to said design; and

providing, from said hub, one or more functions chosen from

event management,

infrastructure monitoring,

license management,

software distribution,

workflow distribution,

logging,

service level agreement management,

provisioning,

metering,

rating, and

reconciliation;

wherein said plurality of lower tiers includes one or more elements chosen from

RIM'"'"'s,

spokes, and

POD'"'"'s.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a first RIM; and

providing a first spoke connected to said first RIM.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sharing said first RIM among customers;

or

dedicating said first RIM to one customer.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing a second RIM;

in case of a failure in said first RIM, connecting said first spoke to said second RIM; and

employing said second RIM to take over one or more functions of said first RIM.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sharing said first spoke among customers;

or

dedicating said first spoke to one customer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a POD; and

sharing a POD among customers;

or

dedicating a POD to one customer.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising placing a customer in an appropriate POD.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing continued use of pre-existing management tools.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing software distribution further comprises:

providing a hub master software package library in said hub;

providing a RIM software repository in said RIM;

providing a POD software cache in said POD;

receiving said software in said RIM software repository, from said hub master software package library; and

receiving said software in said POD software cache, from said RIM software repository.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a spoke software distribution host in said spoke.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in case of a RIM failure, initiating software distribution from said spoke software distribution host, and

receiving said software in said POD software cache, from said spoke software distribution host.

12. A system of managing computing resources in a network, said system comprising:

means for central management, including a hub;

means for local management, including

at least one RIM,

at least one spoke, and

at least one POD;

and

means for connecting said means for central management, and said means for local management.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for allowing continued use of pre-existing management tools.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said means for central management further comprises means for event management.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said means for central management further comprises means for license management.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said means for central management further comprises means for workflow distribution.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein said means for central management further comprises means for service level agreement management.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein said means for central management further comprises means for provisioning.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said means for local management further comprises at least one operating system build server in said POD.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said means for local management further comprises at least one operating system build server in said RIM.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein said means for central management further comprises means for metering.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein said means for central management further comprises means for software distribution.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said means for software distribution further comprises a hub master software package library in said hub;

and

said means for local management further comprises;

a RIM software repository in said RIM;

a POD software cache in said POD;

means for receiving said software in said RIM software repository, from said hub master software package library; and

means for receiving said software in said POD software cache, from said RIM software repository.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a spoke software distribution host in said spoke.

25. A computer-usable medium, having computer-executable instructions for managing computing resources in a network, said computer-usable medium comprising:

means for central management, employing a hub;

means for local management, employing

at least one RIM,

at least one spoke, and

at least one POD;

and

means for connecting said means for central management, and said means for local management.

26. The computer-usable medium of claim 25, further comprising means for allowing continued use of pre-existing management tools.

27. The computer-usable medium of claim 25, wherein said means for central management further comprises means for event management.

28. The computer-usable medium of claim 25, wherein said means for central management further comprises means for license management.

29. The computer-usable medium of claim 25, wherein said means for central management further comprises means for workflow distribution.

30. The computer-usable medium of claim 25, wherein said means for central management further comprises means for service level agreement management.

31. The computer-usable medium of claim 25, wherein said means for central management further comprises means for provisioning.

32. The computer-usable medium of claim 31, wherein said means for local management further comprises at least one operating system build server in said POD.

33. The computer-usable medium of claim 31, wherein said means for local management further comprises at least one operating system build server in said RIM.

34. The computer-usable medium of claim 25, wherein said means for central management further comprises means for metering.

35. The computer-usable medium of claim 25, wherein said means for central management further comprises means for software distribution.

36. The computer-usable medium of claim 35, wherein said means for software distribution further comprises a hub master software package library in said hub;

and

said means for local management further comprises;

a RIM software repository in said RIM;

a POD software cache in said POD;

means for receiving said software in said RIM software repository, from said hub master software package library; and

means for receiving said software in said POD software cache, from said RIM software repository.

37. The computer-usable medium of claim 36, further comprising a spoke software distribution host in said spoke.