Service Delivery Using Profile Based Management

• US 20070282985A1
• Filed: 06/05/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rajamony, Ramakrishnan, Goldberg, Itzhack, Childress, Rhonda L., Tross, Martin J., Van Hensbergen, Eric, Herger, Lorraine M., Rafalovich, Ziv
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5012 Processor sets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5061 Partitioning or combining of resources

Abstract

A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for automatically aggregating entities via a profile-driven management. A profile is created, wherein the profile includes a set of search criteria comprising one or more server attributes. A list of attributes of each server in the data processing system is obtained. Servers in the plurality of servers whose attributes meet the set of search criteria specified in the profile are then grouped to form a profile group. Once the servers are grouped into a profile, an administrative action may be performed on all of the servers in the profile group simultaneously.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method in a data processing system for managing a plurality of servers using profiles, the computer implemented method comprising:

creating a profile, wherein the profile includes a set of search criteria comprising one or more server attributes;

obtaining a list of attributes of each server in the data processing system;

grouping servers in the plurality of servers whose attributes meet the set of search criteria specified in the profile to form a profile group; and

performing an administrative action on all of the servers in the profile group simultaneously.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein grouping the servers is performed automatically or semi-automatically.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein if the grouping is performed automatically, transparently grouping the servers without prompting for user approval.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein if the grouping is performed semi-automatically, providing suggestions of servers eligible to be grouped to a user, and grouping the eligible servers only upon receiving user approval.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the profile is created by a user via an administrative interface.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the profile is automatically created based on results of an administrative action.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the list of attributes of each server is performed by at least one of a server advertising its attributes, scanning the server to determine its attributes, or tagging the server with existential attributes.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein reports are generated based on profile membership.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating policies to the profile.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating policy variables to the profile.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating constraints to the profile.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the servers are grouped into a hierarchy of profiles, with all servers being members of a root profile, and each server being a member of its own profile at a leaf.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein servers are moved among profile groups as the servers'"'"' attributes change.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein a server is a member of zero, one, or more profile groups.

15. A data processing system for managing a plurality of servers using profiles, the data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device contains computer usable code;

at least one managed device connected to the bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus; and

a processing unit connected to the bus, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable code to create a profile, wherein the profile includes a set of search criteria comprising one or more server attributes, obtain a list of attributes of each server in the data processing system, group servers in the plurality of servers whose attributes meet the set of search criteria specified in the profile to form a profile group, and perform an administrative action on all of the servers in the profile group simultaneously.

16. A computer program product for managing a plurality of servers using profiles, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code tangibly embodied thereon, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code for creating a profile, wherein the profile includes a set of search criteria comprising one or more server attributes;

computer usable program code for obtaining a list of attributes of each server in the data processing system;

computer usable program code for grouping servers in the plurality of servers whose attributes meet the set of search criteria specified in the profile to form a profile group; and

computer usable program code for performing an administrative action on all of the servers in the profile group simultaneously.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein grouping the servers is performed automatically or semi-automatically.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein if the grouping is performed automatically, the servers are transparently grouped without prompting for user approval.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein if the grouping is performed semi-automatically, suggestions of servers eligible to be grouped are provided to a user, and grouping the eligible servers only upon receiving user approval.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein servers are moved among profile groups as the servers'"'"' attributes change.