CONTEXTUAL DATA CENTER MANAGEMENT UTILIZING A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT

• US 20100313145A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dillenberger, Donna N., Keller, Neal M., Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R., Zlatsin, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,386,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Contextual data center management utilizing a virtual environment is described. In one embodiment, there is a data center management tool for managing a physical data center from a representation of the physical data center operating in a virtual universe. The data center management tool includes a data center contextual object component configured to obtain a data center contextual object that describes operational information of the physical data center in the virtual universe. An operational change component is configured to implement at least one operational change to the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe. The at least one operational change is implemented as a function of the data center contextual object. A management component is configured to manage the physical data center pursuant to a result obtained from implementing the at least one operational change.

Claims

1. A method for managing a physical data center from a representation of the physical data center operating in a virtual universe, comprising:

obtaining a data center contextual object that describes operational information of the physical data center in the virtual universe;

implementing at least one operational change to the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe, wherein the at least one operational change is implemented as a function of the data center contextual object; and

managing the physical data center pursuant to a result obtained from implementing the at least one operational change to the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the data center contextual object comprises receiving a selection made by an avatar online in the virtual universe that is responsible for the physical data center, wherein the avatar selection is made from a plurality of predefined data center contextual objects.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of predefined data center contextual objects comprises high load context, site failure context, and security context.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the avatar selection comprises a weighted combination of data center contextual objects selected from the plurality of predefined data center contextual objects.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the data center contextual object comprises identifying a new data center contextual object from the operational information.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the identifying of the new data center contextual object comprises using unsupervised and supervised machine learning techniques to identify the new data center contextual object.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the identifying of the new data center contextual object comprises observing actions of an avatar online in the virtual universe that is responsible for the physical data center and classifying the actions according to one of market forces, voting, or an auction.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising simulating operation of the physical data center in the virtual universe as a function of the data center contextual object.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the implementing of the at least one operational change comprises monitoring actions of an avatar online in the virtual universe that is responsible for the physical data center, wherein the monitoring comprises ensuring that the actions are consistent with the data center contextual object.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the implementing of the at least one operational change comprises placing restrictions on allowable actions that an avatar online in the virtual universe can perform on the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the implementing of the at least one operational change comprises employing a hybrid support agent to manage the physical data center through the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe, wherein the hybrid support agent comprises a blend of at least one software agent and at least one human agent that takes the form of a single operator avatar.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the implementing of the at least one operational change comprises utilizing a consultant avatar to manage the physical data center through the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe, wherein the consultant avatar possesses experience that is relevant to the data center contextual object.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the implementing of the at least one operational change comprises providing a visualization of the physical data center through the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe, wherein the visualization comprises a depiction of the data center contextual object in the form of at least one attribute and value associated therewith.

14. A computer system for managing a physical data center from a representation of the physical data center operating in a virtual universe, comprising:

at least one processing unit;

memory operably associated with the at least one processing unit; and

a data center management tool storable in memory and executable by the at least one processing unit, the tool comprising;

a data center contextual object component configured to obtain a data center contextual object that describes operational information of the physical data center in the virtual universe;

an operational change component configured to implement at least one operational change to the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe, wherein the at least one operational change is implemented as a function of the data center contextual object; and

a management component configured to manage the physical data center pursuant to a result obtained from implementing the at least one operational change to the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe.

15. The computer system according to claim 14, wherein the data center contextual object component is configured to receive a selection made by an avatar online in the virtual universe that is responsible for the physical data center, wherein the avatar selection is made from a plurality of predefined data center contextual objects.

16. The computer system according to claim 15, wherein the avatar selection comprises a weighted combination of data center contextual objects selected from the plurality of predefined data center contextual objects.

17. The computer system according to claim 14, wherein the data center contextual object component is configured to identify a new data center contextual object from the operational information.

18. The computer system according to claim 14, further comprising a simulation component configured to simulate operation of the physical data center in the virtual universe as a function of the data center contextual object.

19. The computer system according to claim 14, wherein the at least one operational change is selected from the group consisting of monitoring actions of an avatar online in the virtual universe that is responsible for the physical data center, placing restrictions on allowable actions that the avatar can perform on the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe, employing a hybrid support agent to manage the physical data center through the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe, utilizing a consultant avatar to manage the physical data center through the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe and providing a visualization of the data center contextual object as represented in the virtual universe.

20. A computer-readable medium storing computer instructions, which when executed, enables a computer system to manage a physical data center from a representation of the physical data center operating in a virtual universe, the computer instructions comprising:

obtaining a data center contextual object that describes operational information of the physical data center in the virtual universe;

implementing at least one operational change to the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe, wherein the at least one operational change is implemented as a function of the data center contextual object; and

managing the physical data center pursuant to a result obtained from implementing the at least one operational change to the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 20, wherein the obtaining of the data center contextual object comprises one of receiving a selection made from a plurality of predefined data center contextual objects or identifying a new data center contextual object from the operational information.

22. The computer-readable medium according to claim 21, further comprising simulating operation of the physical data center in the virtual universe as a function of the data center contextual object.

23. The computer-readable medium according to claim 20, wherein the at least one operational change is selected from the group consisting of monitoring actions of an avatar online in the virtual universe that is responsible for the physical data center, placing restrictions on allowable actions that the avatar can perform on the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe, employing a hybrid support agent to manage the physical data center through the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe, utilizing a consultant avatar to manage the physical data center through the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe and providing a visualization of the data center contextual object as represented in the virtual universe.

24. A method for providing a data center management tool as a service within a virtual universe for facilitating management of a physical data center from a representation of the physical data center operating in the virtual universe, comprising:

deploying the data center management tool in a computer system as a service for facilitating management of the physical data center from the virtual universe, wherein the data center management tool is operable to;

obtain a data center contextual object that describes operational information of the physical data center in the virtual universe;

implement at least one operational change to the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe, wherein the at least one operational change is implemented as a function of the data center contextual object;

manage the physical data center pursuant to a result obtained from implementing the at least one operational change to the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe; and

charge a management fee to an owner of the physical data center.

25. A method for deploying a data center management tool for use in a computer system that manages a physical data center from a representation of the physical data center operating in a virtual universe, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure operable to;

obtain a data center contextual object that describes operational information of the physical data center in the virtual universe;

implement at least one operational change to the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe, wherein the at least one operational change is implemented as a function of the data center contextual object; and

manage the physical data center pursuant to a result obtained from implementing the at least one operational change to the representation of the physical data center in the virtual universe.