Providing Policy-Based Application Services to an Application Running on a Computing System

• US 20080104452A1
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Blocksome, Michael A., Smith, Brian E., Archer, Charles J., Ratterman, Joseph D., Sidelnik, Albert
• Granted Patent: US 8,656,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3447 Performance evaluation by modeling

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, products are disclosed for providing policy-based application services to an application running on a computing system. The computing system includes at least one compute node. The compute node includes an application and a plurality of application services of a service type. Providing policy-based application services to an application running on a computing system includes establishing, on the compute node, a service policy specifying one of the application services of the service type for use by the application, establishing a performance ruleset, the performance ruleset specifying rules for analyzing the performance of the computing system, measuring performance of the computing system, and adjusting the service policy in dependence upon the performance ruleset and the measured performance. Providing policy-based application services to an application running on a computing system may also include accessing, by the application, the specified application service.

Claims

1. A method of providing policy-based application services to an application

running on a computing system, the computing system comprising at least one compute node, the compute node comprising an application and a plurality of application services of a service type, the method comprising:

establishing, on the compute node, a service policy specifying one of the application services of the service type for use by the application;

establishing a performance ruleset, the performance ruleset specifying rules for analyzing the performance of the computing system;

measuring performance of the computing system; and

adjusting the service policy in dependence upon the performance ruleset and the measured performance.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing, by the application, the specified application service.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each application service is characterized by operating parameters, the method further comprising:

adjusting the operating parameters of the specified application service in dependence upon the performance ruleset and the measured performance.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the computing system is a distributed computing system further comprising one or more application service nodes;

one or more of the application services are distributed among the application service nodes; and

the service policy also specifies an application service node that is to provide the specified application service.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein measuring performance of the computing system further comprises measuring performance of the compute node.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein measuring performance of the computing system further comprises measuring performance of the application service nodes.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

administering the application service nodes in dependence upon the performance ruleset and the measured performance.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein administering the application service nodes in dependence upon the performance ruleset and the measured performance further comprises:

determining whether one of the application service nodes is over-utilized in dependence upon the performance ruleset and the measured performance; and

allocating an additional application service node to provide the application services provided by the over-utilized application service node.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein administering the application service nodes in dependence upon the performance ruleset and the measured performance further comprises:

determining whether one of the application service nodes is under-utilized in dependence upon the performance ruleset and the measured performance; and

reconfiguring the under-utilized application service node.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the distributed computing system is a parallel computer.

11. A computing system for providing policy-based application services to an application, the computing system comprising at least one compute node, the compute node comprising an application and a plurality of application services of a service type, the computing system further comprising computer processors and computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processors, the computer memory also having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

establishing, on the compute node, a service policy specifying one of the application services of the service type for use by the application;

establishing a performance ruleset, the performance ruleset specifying rules for analyzing the performance of the computing system;

measuring performance of the computing system; and

adjusting the service policy in dependence upon the performance ruleset and the measured performance.

12. The computing system of claim 11 further comprising computer program instructions capable of accessing, by the application, the specified application service.

13. The computing system of claim 11 wherein the computing system is a distributed computing system further comprising one or more application service nodes, one or more of the application services are distributed among the application service nodes, and the service policy also specifies an application service node that is to provide the specified application service, the computing system further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

administering the application service nodes in dependence upon the performance ruleset and the measured performance.

14. A computer program product for providing policy-based application services to an application running on a computing system, the computing system comprising at least one compute node, the compute node comprising an application and a plurality of application services of a service type, the computer program product disposed upon a signal bearing medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

establishing, on the compute node, a service policy specifying one of the application services of the service type for use by the application;

establishing a performance ruleset, the performance ruleset specifying rules for analyzing the performance of the computing system;

measuring performance of the computing system; and

adjusting the service policy in dependence upon the performance ruleset and the measured performance.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a recordable medium.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a transmission medium.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising computer program instructions capable of accessing, by the application, the specified application service.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein:

the computing system is a distributed computing system further comprising one or more application service nodes;

one or more of the application services are distributed among the application service nodes; and

the service policy also specifies an application service node that is to provide the specified application service.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

determining whether one of the application service nodes is over-utilized in dependence upon the performance ruleset and the measured performance; and

allocating an additional application service node to provide the application services provided by the over-utilized application service node.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

determining whether one of the application service nodes is under-utilized in dependence upon the performance ruleset and the measured performance; and

reconfiguring the under-utilized application service node.