PROVISIONER WITHIN CLOUD CONSOLE--DEFINING IMAGES OF AN ENTERPRISE TO BE OPERABLE ON DIFFERENT CLOUD COMPUTING PROVIDERS

• US 20110055399A1
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Richter, Owen E., Tung, Teresa Sheausan, Savjani, Vipul
• Granted Patent: US 9,086,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3404 for parallel or distributed programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual middleware or OS functionality using virtual machines to implement generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking G06F11/1484
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A method, computer-readable medium, and system for provisioning computing resources across multiple cloud providers and/or data centers are disclosed. A graphical user interface is used to select a plurality of computing resources and at least one cloud provider and/or at least one data center for providing the plurality of computing resources. Scripts associated with the at least one cloud provider and/or at least one data center are accessed, where each script is capable of automatically setting up a computing resource on an associated cloud provider or associated data center. The scripts are then used to automatically allocate and/or configure the computing resources on the at least one cloud provider and/or at least one data center. As such, computing resources can be automatically provisioned using a generic graphical user interface and without a user having skills or credentials specific to each cloud provider and/or data center.

Claims

1. A method of provisioning a plurality of computing resources, said method comprising:

accessing a user selection of said plurality of computing resources and of a plurality of cloud providers operable to implement said plurality of computing resources, wherein said user selection is input via a graphical user interface generic to said plurality of cloud providers;

accessing a plurality of scripts associated with said plurality of cloud providers, wherein each script of said plurality of scripts corresponds to a respective cloud provider of said plurality of cloud providers, and wherein each script of said plurality of scripts is operable to allocate a computing resource on said respective cloud provider; and

automatically allocating, using said plurality of scripts, said plurality of computing resources on said plurality of cloud providers.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing a user selection of a data center operable to implement at least one computing resource of said plurality of computing resources;

accessing at least one script associated with said data center; and

automatically allocating, using said at least one script, said at least one computing resource on said data center.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of computing resources are selected from a group consisting of at least one processing resource, at least one storage resource, at least one network resource, at least one operating system, at least one software application, at least one software application configuration, state data, and another type of data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of computing resources are operable to implement at least one virtual machine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface is operable to automatically suggest said plurality of computing resources based on at least one user-defined attribute.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface is operable to automatically suggest said plurality of cloud providers based on at least one user-defined attribute.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

assigning a user permission level to a user, wherein said user permission level defines at least one operation said user is allowed to perform on a component associated with said plurality of computing resources.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said at least one operation is selected from a group consisting of creation of said component, deletion of said component, updating of said component and using said component.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said component is selected from a group consisting of an image, an instance, a file system, storage, and a static IP address.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method of provisioning a plurality of computing resources, said method comprising:

accessing a user selection of said plurality of computing resources and of a plurality of cloud providers operable to implement said plurality of computing resources, wherein said user selection is input via a graphical user interface generic to said plurality of cloud providers;

accessing a plurality of scripts associated with said plurality of cloud providers, wherein each script of said plurality of scripts corresponds to a respective cloud provider of said plurality of cloud providers, and wherein each script of said plurality of scripts is operable to allocate a computing resource on said respective cloud provider; and

automatically allocating, using said plurality of scripts, said plurality of computing resources on said plurality of cloud providers.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said method further comprises:

accessing a user selection of a data center operable to implement at least one computing resource of said plurality of computing resources;

accessing at least one script associated with said data center; and

automatically allocating, using said at least one script, said at least one computing resource on said data center.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said plurality of computing resources are selected from a group consisting of at least one processing resource, at least one storage resource, at least one network resource, at least one operating system, at least one software application, at least one software application configuration, state data, and another type of data.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said plurality of computing resources are operable to implement at least one virtual machine.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said graphical user interface is operable to automatically suggest said plurality of computing resources based on at least one user-defined attribute.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said graphical user interface is operable to automatically suggest said plurality of cloud providers based on at least one user-defined attribute.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said method further comprises:

assigning a user permission level to a user, wherein said user permission level defines at least one operation said user is allowed to perform on a component associated with said plurality of computing resources.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said at least one operation is selected from a group consisting of creation of said component, deletion of said component, updating of said component and using said component.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said component is selected from a group consisting of an image, an instance, a file system, storage, and a static IP address.

19. A system comprising a processor and a memory, wherein said memory comprises instructions that when executed by said system implement a method of provisioning a plurality of computing resources, said method comprising:

accessing a user selection of said plurality of computing resources and of a plurality of cloud providers operable to implement said plurality of computing resources, wherein said user selection is input via a graphical user interface generic to said plurality of cloud providers;

accessing a plurality of scripts associated with said plurality of cloud providers, wherein each script of said plurality of scripts corresponds to a respective cloud provider of said plurality of cloud providers, and wherein each script of said plurality of scripts is operable to allocate a computing resource on said respective cloud provider; and

automatically allocating, using said plurality of scripts, said plurality of computing resources on said plurality of cloud providers.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said method further comprises:

accessing a user selection of a data center operable to implement at least one computing resource of said plurality of computing resources;

accessing at least one script associated with said data center; and

automatically allocating, using said at least one script, said at least one computing resource on said data center.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said plurality of computing resources are selected from a group consisting of at least one processing resource, at least one storage resource, at least one network resource, at least one operating system, at least one software application, at least one software application configuration, state data, and another type of data.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein said plurality of computing resources are operable to implement at least one virtual machine.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein said graphical user interface is operable to automatically suggest said plurality of computing resources based on at least one user-defined attribute.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein said graphical user interface is operable to automatically suggest said plurality of cloud providers based on at least one user-defined attribute.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein said method further comprises:

assigning a user permission level to a user, wherein said user permission level defines at least one operation said user is allowed to perform on a component associated with said plurality of computing resources.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said at least one operation is selected from a group consisting of creation of said component, deletion of said component, updating of said component and using said component.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said component is selected from a group consisting of an image, an instance, a file system, storage, and a static IP address.