RESERVING SERVICES WITHIN A CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20110138051A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kendzierski, Michael D., Dawson, Christopher J., Seaman, James W., Diluoffo, Vincenzo V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,615,584 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

The present invention provides a solution for reserving Cloud services within a Cloud computing environment. Under the present invention, a customer/user can select a service for use sometime in the future. By scheduling in the future, the user can guarantee the service will be available for a specific price and set of service levels. One factor is that advanced reservation affects the cost of the service and the bounds by which the service levels of the service may change. The further in advance the job is scheduled, the tighter the bounds of the service level may be for a specific price. Advanced reservation may also guarantee execution on a preferred provider rather than being moved to a partner Cloud.

Claims

1. A method for reserving Cloud services within a Cloud computing environment, comprising:

receiving a request for reserving a Cloud service within the Cloud computing environment;

generating a list comprising a set of entries that correlates at least one Cloud service provider capable of providing the Cloud service with an associated price and service level; and

reserving the Cloud service with a Cloud service provider from the list.

2. The method of claim 1, the request being received from a Cloud service usage estimator that estimates potential Cloud service needs based on least one of the following:

historical data, trending data, or subscription agreements between Cloud service users and Cloud service providers.

3. The method of claim 1, the request being received from a user in need of the Cloud service.

4. The method of claim 3, the associated price and service level being based on a subscription agreement between the user and the at least one Cloud service provider.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising returning a response to the user, the response identifying the Cloud service provider and its associated price and service level.

6. The method of claim 1, the set of entries being ranked within the list using a weighted scheme.

7. The method of claim 6, the weighted scheme being based on needs of a user requesting the Cloud service.

8. A service reservation manager for reserving Cloud services within a Cloud computing environment, comprising:

a memory medium comprising instructions;

a bus coupled to the memory medium;

a processor coupled to the bus that when executing the instructions causes the service reservation manager to;

receive a request for reserving a Cloud service within the Cloud computing environment;

generate a list comprising a set of entries that correlates at least one Cloud service provider capable of providing the Cloud service with an associated price and service level; and

reserve the Cloud service with a Cloud service provider from the list.

9. The service reservation manager of claim 8, the request being received from a Cloud service usage estimator that estimates potential Cloud service needs based on least one of the following:

historical data, trending data, or subscription agreements between Cloud service users and Cloud service providers.

10. The service reservation manager of claim 8, the request being received from a user in need of the Cloud service.

11. The service reservation manager of claim 10, the associated price and service level being based on a subscription agreement between the requester and the at least one Cloud service provider.

12. The service reservation manager of claim 10, the Cloud service manager being further caused to return a response to the user, the response identifying the Cloud service provider and its associated price and service level.

13. The service reservation manager of claim 8, the set of entries being ranked within the list using a weighted scheme.

14. The service reservation manager of claim 13, the weighted scheme being based on needs of a user requesting the Cloud service.

15. A computer readable medium containing a program product for reserving Cloud services within a Cloud computing environment, the computer readable medium comprising program code for causing a computer to:

receive a request for reserving a Cloud service within the Cloud computing environment;

generate a list comprising a set of entries that correlates at least one Cloud service provider capable of providing the Cloud service with an associated price and service level; and

reserve the Cloud service with a Cloud service provider from the list.

16. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 15, the request being received from a Cloud service usage estimator that estimates potential Cloud service needs based on least one of the following:

historical data, trending data, or subscription agreements between Cloud service users and Cloud service providers.

17. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 15, the request being received from a user in need of the Cloud service.

18. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 17, the associated price and service level being based on a subscription agreement between the requester and the at least one Cloud service provider.

19. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 17, the computer readable medium further comprising program code for causing the computer to return a response to the user, the response identifying the Cloud service provider and its associated price and service level.

20. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 15, the set of entries being ranked within the list using a weighted scheme.

21. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 20, the weighted scheme being based on needs of a user requesting the Cloud service.

22. A method for deploying a system for reserving Cloud services within a Cloud computing environment, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

receive a request for reserving a Cloud service within the Cloud computing environment;

generate a list comprising a set of entries that correlates at least one Cloud service provider capable of providing the Cloud service with an associated price and service level; and

reserve the Cloud service with a Cloud service provider from the list.