Method and Apparatus for Dynamic Provisioning in Data Processing Environment

• US 20090271607A1
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Karve, Alexei Arun, Mohindra, Ajay, Segal, Alla, Rendahl, Randy Allan
• Granted Patent: US 8,601,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5011 the resources being hardware resources other than CPUs, Servers and Terminals

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for the dynamic introduction of new components to be used during provisioning of solutions in data processing system environments such as service delivery environments. For example, in a provisioning system that manages provisioning of components in a data processing system, an automated method of dynamically provisioning one or more new components in the data processing system comprises the provisioning system performing the following steps. The provisioning system accepts a registration of a new component during a runtime period of the data processing system, wherein the new component has not been previously registered in the data processing system prior to the runtime period, and further wherein the registration comprises obtaining information relating to at least one of one or more prerequisites and a configuration associated with the new component. The provisioning system causes a modification to the data processing system by enabling use of the registered new component therein.

Claims

1. In a provisioning system that manages provisioning of components in a data processing system, an automated method of dynamically provisioning one or more new components in the data processing system, the method comprising the provisioning system performing steps of:

accepting a registration of a new component during a runtime period of the data processing system, wherein the new component has not been previously registered in the data processing system prior to the runtime period, and further wherein the registration comprises obtaining information relating to at least one of one or more prerequisites and a configuration associated with the new component;

permitting selection of the registered new component in response to a provisioning request; and

causing a modification to the data processing system by enabling use of the registered new component therein.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration of the new component further comprises a user registering the new component via a user interface associated with the provisioning system such that the user enters the information relating to at least one of the one or more prerequisites and the configuration associated with the new component into the provisioning system via the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration of the new component further comprises a user registering the new component via entry of a deployment descriptor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration of the new component further comprises a component registration management module associated with the provisioning system processing the obtained information relating to at least one of the one or more prerequisites and the configuration associated with the new component.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the processing step further comprises the component registration management module cross-referencing at least a portion of the obtained information associated with the new component with corresponding information associated with an existing, already-registered component in the data processing system.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the processing step further comprises the component registration management module determining at least one policy applicable to the new component.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the applicable policy further comprises one or more of a policy indicative of how the new component is to be shared in the data processing system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the provisioning system permitting selection of the registered new component in response to a provisioning request further comprises a user selecting the registered new component via a user interface associated with the provisioning system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface used for selection further comprises a separate screen for each registered component that the user is permitted to select.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using the new component as a prerequisite for provisioning another new component.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the new component comprises at least one of a middleware component, an operating system component, and a hardware component.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtained information is in the form of metadata described in the Extensible Markup Language.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a component prerequisite comprises at least one of a local prerequisite and a remote prerequisite.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a component prerequisite comprises a specification of at least one of a type and a number of servers required to provision the component.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the specification further comprises a filter that narrows server selection.

16. An article of manufacture for dynamically provisioning one or more new components in a data processing system via a provisioning system that manages provisioning of components in the data processing system, the article comprising a computer readable storage medium having one or more programs embodied therewith wherein the one or more programs, when executed by a computer, perform steps of:

accepting a registration of a new component during a runtime period of the data processing system, wherein the new component has not been previously registered in the data processing system prior to the runtime period, and further wherein the registration comprises obtaining information relating to at least one of one or more prerequisites and a configuration associated with the new component;

permitting selection of the registered new component in response to a provisioning request; and

causing a modification to the data processing system by enabling use of the registered new component therein.

17. In a provisioning system that manages provisioning of components in a data processing system, apparatus for dynamically provisioning one or more new components in the data processing system, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor operatively coupled to the memory and configured to;

accept a registration of a new component during a runtime period of the data processing system, wherein the new component has not been previously registered in the data processing system prior to the runtime period, and further wherein the registration comprises obtaining information relating to at least one of one or more prerequisites and a configuration associated with the new component;

permit selection of the registered new component in response to a provisioning request; and

cause a modification to the data processing system by enabling use of the registered new component therein.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the registration of the new component further comprises a user registering the new component via a user interface such that the user enters the information relating to at least one of the one or more prerequisites and the configuration associated with the new component into the provisioning system via the user interface.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the registration of the new component further comprises a user registering the new component via entry of a deployment descriptor.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the registration of the new component further comprises a component registration management module processing the obtained information relating to at least one of the one or more prerequisites and the configuration associated with the new component.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processing step further comprises the component registration management module cross-referencing at least a portion of the obtained information associated with the new component with corresponding information associated with an existing, already-registered component in the data processing system.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processing step further comprises the component registration management module determining at least one policy applicable to the new component.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the applicable policy further comprises one or more of a policy indicative of how the new component is to be shared in the data processing system.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the step of the provisioning system permitting selection of the registered new component in response to a provisioning request further comprises a user selecting the registered new component via a user interface.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the user interface used for selection further comprises a separate screen for each registered component that the user is permitted to select.