Managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment

• US 20060149576A1
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twitter Inc (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Seaman, James W., Ernest, Leslie Mark, Moraca, William Louis Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, system, and program for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment are provided. A grid service for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment detects a grid job passing a timing entry point, and flowing towards a grid environment provided by a grid vendor. When the grid job is detected passing the timing entry point, the grid service starts a timer to monitor an amount of time from the grid job passing the timing entry point until a result of the grid job passes a timing exit point while flowing away from the grid environment. When the grid service detects the result of the grid job passing the timing exit point, the grid service determines whether a value of the timer exceeds a timing term agreed to in a service level agreement specifying performance requirements for said grid job agreed to by said grid vendor, such that compliance with the service level agreement is automatically managed within the grid environment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, comprising:

responsive to detecting a grid job passing a timing entry point flowing towards a grid environment provided by a grid vendor, starting a timer to monitor an amount of time from said grid job passing said timing entry point to a result of said grid job passing a timing exit point while flowing away from said grid environment;

responsive to detecting said result of said grid job passing said timing exit point, determining whether a value of said timer exceeds a timing term agreed to in a service level agreement specifying performance requirements for said grid job, wherein said grid vendor agrees to said performance requirements in said service level agreement for handling said grid job, such that compliance with said service level agreement is automatically managed within said grid environment.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, further comprising:

responsive to said value of said timer exceeding said timing term agreed to in said service level agreement, calculating a restitution fee to compensate a client submitting said grid job; and

controlling reconciliation with said client through said restitution fee.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 2 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, wherein controlling reconciliation with said client through said restitution fee further comprises:

directing a payment to said client for said restitution fee.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 2 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, wherein controlling reconciliation with said client through said restitution fee further comprises:

crediting an internal account for said client with said restitution fee, wherein said client submits said grid job from a system within said grid environment.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, further comprising:

responsive to detecting that said value of said timer is less than said timing term, calculating a bonus credit for said grid environment for reflecting a difference between said value of said timer and said timing term.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, further comprising:

responsive to detecting said grid job passing a timing entry point flowing towards said grid environment, retrieving said service level agreement previously agreed to by said grid vendor for said grid job;

responsive to detecting in said service level agreement that said grid job is a transaction processing type of grid job associated with a plurality of grid jobs, adding said value of said timer to a cumulative timer for tracking whether said plurality of grid jobs are processed within said timing term agreed to in said service level agreement for said plurality of grid jobs; and

responsive to detecting in said service level agreement that said grid job is a batch type of grid job, waiting for a last result of said grid job to pass said timing exit point before stopping said timer.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, wherein said grid vendor agrees to said service level agreement for a plurality of jobs received from a particular client submitting said grid job.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, further comprising:

receiving a bid request for said grid job from a client, wherein said bid request specifies said performance requirements;

determining whether said grid environment can handle said performance requirements; and

responsive to a determination that said grid environment can handle said performance requirements, returning a bid offer to said client to handle said grid job in compliance with said performance requirements.

9. A system for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, comprising:

a grid service enabled to monitor a grid environment provided by a grid vendor;

said grid service further comprising;

means, responsive to detecting said grid job passing a timing entry point flowing towards said grid environment, for starting a timer to monitor an amount of time from said grid job passing said timing entry point to a result of said grid job passing a timing exit point while flowing away from said grid environment;

means, responsive to detecting said result of said grid job passing said timing exit point, for determining whether a value of said timer exceeds a timing term agreed to in a service level agreement specifying performance requirements for said grid job, wherein said grid vendor agrees to said performance requirements in said service level agreement for handling said grid job.

10. The system according to claim 9 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, said grid service further comprising:

means, responsive to said value of said timer exceeding said timing term agreed to in said service level agreement, calculating a restitution fee to compensate a client submitting said grid job; and

means for controlling reconciliation with said client through said restitution fee.

11. The system according to claim 10 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, wherein said means for controlling reconciliation with said client through said restitution fee further comprises:

means for directing a payment to said client for said restitution fee.

12. The system according to claim 10 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, wherein said means for controlling reconciliation with said client through said restitution fee further comprises:

means for crediting an internal account for said client with said restitution fee, wherein said client submits said grid job from a system within said grid environment.

13. The system according to claim 9 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, said grid service further comprising:

means, responsive to detecting that said value of said timer is less than said timing term, for calculating a bonus credit for said grid environment for reflecting a difference between said value of said timer and said timing term.

14. The system according to claim 9 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, said grid service further comprising:

means, responsive to detecting said grid job passing a timing entry point flowing towards said grid environment, for retrieving said service level agreement previously agreed to by said grid vendor for said grid job;

means, responsive to detecting in said service level agreement that said grid job is a transaction processing type of grid job associated with a plurality of grid jobs, for adding said value of said timer to a cumulative timer for tracking whether said plurality of grid jobs are processed within said timing term agreed to in said service level agreement for said plurality of grid jobs; and

means, responsive to detecting in said service level agreement that said grid job is a batch type of grid job, for waiting for a last result of said grid job to pass said timing exit point before stopping said timer.

15. The system according to claim 9 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, wherein said grid vendor agrees to said service level agreement for a plurality of jobs received from a particular client submitting said grid job.

16. The system according to claim 9 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, said grid service further comprising:

means for receiving a bid request for said grid job from a client, wherein said bid request specifies said performance requirements;

means for determining whether said grid environment can handle said performance requirements; and

means, responsive to a determination that said grid environment can handle said performance requirements, for returning a bid offer to said client to handle said grid job in compliance with said performance requirements.

20. The computer program product according to claim 10 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, wherein said means for controlling a reconciliation with said client through said restitution fee further comprises:

means for controlling a crediting of an internal account for said client with said restitution fee, wherein said client submits said grid job from a system within said grid environment.

17. A computer program product, residing on a computer readable medium, for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, comprising:

means for enabling detection of a grid job passing a timing entry point flowing towards a grid environment;

means, for triggering a timer to monitor an amount of time from said grid job passing said timing entry point to a result of said grid job passing a timing exit point while flowing away from said grid environment;

means for enabling detection of said result of said grid job passing said timing exit point; and

means for controlling a determination of whether a value of said timer exceeds a timing term agreed to in a service level agreement specifying performance requirements for said grid job, wherein said grid vendor agrees to said performance requirements in said service level agreement for handling said grid job.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, further comprising:

means, responsive to detecting that said value of said timer exceeds said timing term agreed to in said service level agreement, for calculating a restitution fee to compensate a client submitting said grid job; and

means for controlling a reconciliation with said client through said restitution fee.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, wherein said means for controlling a reconciliation with said client through said restitution fee further comprises:

means for controlling distribution of a payment to said client for said restitution fee.

21. The computer program product according to claim 17 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, further comprising:

means, responsive to detecting that said value of said timer is less than said timing term, for calculating a bonus credit for said grid environment for reflecting a difference between said value of said timer and said timing term.

22. The computer program product according to claim 17 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, further comprising:

means, responsive to detecting said grid job passing a timing entry point flowing towards said grid environment, for retrieving said service level agreement previously agreed to by said grid vendor for said grid job;

means, responsive to detecting in said service level agreement that said grid job is a transaction processing type of grid job associated with a plurality of grid jobs, for adding said value of said timer to a cumulative timer for tracking whether said plurality of grid jobs are processed within said timing term agreed to in said service level agreement for said plurality of grid jobs; and

means, responsive to detecting in said service level agreement that said grid job is a batch type of grid job, for waiting for a last result of said grid job to pass said timing exit point before stopping said timer.

23. The computer program product according to claim 17 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, further comprising:

means for enabling receipt of a bid request for said grid job from a client, wherein said bid request specifies said performance requirements;

means for controlling a determination of whether said grid environment can handle said performance requirements; and

means, responsive to a determination that said grid environment can handle said performance requirements, for controlling distribution of a bid offer to said client to handle said grid job in compliance with said performance requirements.