METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MONITORING CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20110131499A1
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: RIVEROS, Gerry Edward, FERRIS, James Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,529,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45591 Monitoring or debugging support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• 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 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• 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 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms

Abstract

A monitoring system can provide monitoring services to users of cloud computing environment. The monitoring system can receive access information from users subscribing to the monitoring services. Once received, the monitoring system can access clouds utilizing the access information and monitor the computing processes instantiated in the clouds and associated with the user. The monitoring system can monitor the computing processes and collect information such as usage of cloud resources, number and type of computing processes instantiated, software programs utilized by the computing processes.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring cloud computing environments, comprising:

receiving a request from a user to monitor at least one cloud, the request comprising access information for the at least one cloud;

accessing the at least one cloud utilizing the access information to determine information about the computing processes supported by the at least one cloud and associated with the user; and

providing a report to the user of the information about the computing processes supported by the at least one cloud.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

storing the access information associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 2, the method further comprising:

storing the information about the computing process associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one cloud comprises a subscription cloud or a cloud controlled by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the computing processes comprise at least one of usage of resources of the at least one cloud, number of computing processes, type of computing processes, and software programs utilized by the computing processes.

6. The method of claim 1, providing an interface to receive the request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing processes comprise at least one of a virtual machine, a software appliance, and a software program.

8. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for causing a processing system to perform a method, comprising:

receiving a request from a user to monitor at least one cloud, the request comprising access information for the at least one cloud;

accessing the at least one cloud utilizing the access information to determine information about the computing processes supported by the at least one cloud and associated with the user; and

providing a report to the user of the information about the computing processes supported by the at least one cloud.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

storing the access information associated with the user.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, the method further comprising:

storing the information about the computing process associated with the user.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the at least one cloud comprises a subscription cloud or a cloud controlled by the user.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the information about the computing processes comprise at least one of usage of resources of the at least one cloud, number of computing processes, type of computing processes, and software programs utilized by the computing processes.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, providing an interface to receive the request.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the computing processes comprise at least one of a virtual machine, a software appliance, and a software program.

15. A system for monitoring a cloud computing environment, comprising:

a network interface to at least one cloud of computing systems; and

a processor communicating with the network interface and executing a monitoring module, the monitoring module being configured to—

receive a request from a user to monitor the at least one cloud, the request comprising access information for the at least one cloud;

access the at least one cloud utilizing the access information to determine information about the computing processes supported by the at least one cloud and associated with the user; and

provide a report to the user of the information about the computing processes supported by the at least one cloud.

16. The system of claim 15, the monitoring module being further configured to—

store the access information associated with the user.

17. The system of claim 16, the monitoring module being further configured to—

store the information about the computing process associated with the user.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one cloud comprises a subscription cloud or a cloud controlled by the user.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the information about the computing processes comprise at least one of usage of resources of the at least one cloud, number of computing processes, type of computing processes, and software programs utilized by the computing processes.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing processes comprise at least one of a virtual machine, a software appliance, and a software program.