Autonomic computing system with model transfer

• US 20070245004A1
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chess, David, Segal, Alla, Hanson, James, Whalley, Ian, Tesauro, Gerald, Das, Rajashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for autonomic control and optimization of computing systems. A plurality of component models for one or more components in an autonomic computing system are maintained in a system level database. These component models are obtained from a source external to the management server including the components associated with the models. Component models are added or removed from the database or updated as need. A system level management server in communication with the database utilizes the component models maintained in the system level database and generic component models as needed to compute an optimum state of the autonomic computing system. The autonomic computing system is managed in accordance with the computed optimum state.

Claims

1. A method for autonomic system management comprising:

maintaining within an autonomic computing system component models for one or more components in the autonomic computing system that comprises a plurality of components, wherein at least one of the component models is obtained from a source external to the management server and all of the component models are accessible by a management server for the autonomic computing system;

accessing at least one of the component models maintained in the autonomic computing system using the management server;

computing an updated operational state for the autonomic computing system using the accessed component models, the updated operational state associated with improved autonomic computing system behavior in at least one measure of behavior over a current operational state of the autonomic computing system; and

managing the autonomic computing system in accordance with the computed updated operational state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein all of the component models are obtained from a source external to the management server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the source external to the management server comprises a component associated with the component model supplied from the external source.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein all of the component models are supplied from components associated with those models.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the component models further comprises updating existing component models in the autonomic computing system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the component models further comprises adding a new component model for each new component added to the autonomic computing system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of adding a new model comprises obtaining the new component model from a source external to the management server.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of adding the new component model further comprises:

identifying new components added to the autonomic computing system; and

obtaining a corresponding component model from each new component.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of obtaining the new component model further comprises:

establishing communication between the management server and the new component;

searching at least one source external to the management server for all new component models associated with the new component and supported by the management server;

generating a list of all new component models supported by the management server;

identifying a preferred new component model from the generated list; and

obtaining the identified preferred new component model from the source external to the management server.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of obtaining the new component model further comprises:

establishing communication between the management server and the new component;

requesting a new component model from the new component;

communicating a list of supported languages for the new component model from the management server to the new component;

reviewing all available new component models;

generating a list of all new component models expressed in languages supported by the management server;

identifying a preferred new component model from the generated list; and

communicating the identified, preferred new component model from the new component to the management server.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of adding new component-supplied component models further comprises:

identifying the new component to be added to the system;

establishing communication between the management server and the new component;

communicating a list of supported languages for the new component model from the management server to the new component;

reviewing all available new component models;

generating a list of all new component models expressed in languages supported by the management server;

identifying a preferred new component-supplied component model from the generated list; and

communicating the identified, preferred new component-supplied component model from the new component to the management server.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the component models further comprises:

identifying existing components that have been removed from the autonomic computing system; and

removing existing component models associated with the removed components from the autonomic computing system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of accessing the component models further comprises;

identifying components within the autonomic computing system for which component models are not maintained in the autonomic computing system; and

obtaining a generic model for each identified component for which a component model is not maintained in the autonomic computing system; and

the step of computing the updated operational state for the autonomic computing system further comprises computing the updated operational state for the autonomic computing system using the accessed component models and the obtained generic models.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of managing the autonomic computing system in accordance with the computed optimum state further comprises adjusting operational states of one or more components, setting control variables for one or more components, adjusting resource allocation within the autonomic computing system or combinations thereof.

15. A method for autonomic system management comprising:

maintaining within an autonomic computing system component models for one or more components in the autonomic computing system that comprises a plurality of components;

communicating the component models to a plurality of components within the autonomic computing system such that at any given component at least one of the component models communicated to that component is obtained from a source external to that component;

selecting one of the plurality of components to which the components models have been communicated to function as the management server to compute an updated operational state;

computing an updated operational state for the autonomic computing system at the selected component using at least one of the communicated component models, the updated operational state associated with improved autonomic computing system behavior in at least one measure of behavior over a current operational state of the autonomic computing system; and

managing the autonomic computing system in accordance with the computed updated operational state.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of selecting one of the plurality of components further comprises using a leader election algorithm to select the component.

17. A computer-readable medium containing a computer-readable code that when read by a computer causes the computer to perform a method for autonomic system management comprising:

maintaining within an autonomic computing system component models for one or more components in the autonomic computing system that comprises a plurality of components, wherein at least one of the component models is obtained from a source external to the management server and all of the component models are accessible by a management server for the autonomic computing system;

accessing at least one of the component models maintained in the autonomic computing system using the management server;

computing an updated operational state for the autonomic computing system using the accessed component models, the updated operational state associated with improved autonomic computing system behavior in at least one measure of behavior over a current operational state of the autonomic computing system; and

managing the autonomic computing system in accordance with the computed updated operational state.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein all of the component models are obtained from a source external to the management server.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the source external to the management server comprises a component associated with the component model supplied from the external source.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein:

the step of accessing the component models further comprises;

identifying components within the autonomic computing system for which component models are not maintained in the autonomic computing system; and

obtaining a generic model for each identified component for which a component model is not maintained in the autonomic computing system; and

the step of computing the updated operational state for the autonomic computing system further comprises computing the updated operational state for the autonomic computing system using the accessed component models and the obtained generic models.