HYBRID CLOUD INTEGRATOR PLUG-IN COMPONENTS

• US 20120203908A1
• Filed: 02/08/2011
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Beaty, Kirk A., Breiter, Gerd, Lindquist, David B., Naik, Vijay K., Reinhardt, Holger, Schmidt, Marc-Thomas H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,063,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

Integrating data processing resources across a hybrid cloud includes providing a plug-in software component configured to be installed in a software framework. When the plug-in software component is activated, it may generate an interface for a consumer of data processing resources. Using this interface, the consumer of data processing resources may request the use of data processing resources provided as a service on the hybrid cloud. In response, the plug-in software component may acquire the requested data processing resources via interfaces provided by the various data processing resources. A number of different data processing resources may have different interface requirements. However, the first interface generated by the plug-in software component may provide a single vendor neutral interface for accessing data processing resources on the hybrid cloud by the consumer of data processing resources.

Claims

1. A computer program product for integrating data processing resources, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to provide a first interface for a consumer of data processing resources;

second program instructions to communicate with first data processing resources via data processing resource interfaces of the first data processing resources, wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service;

third program instructions to use the first data processing resources for the consumer of data processing resources via the data processing resource interfaces of the first data processing resources, responsive to a communication from the consumer of data processing resources via the first interface;

wherein the first, second, and third program instructions form a plug-in software component configured to be installed in a software framework; and

wherein the first, second, and third program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the consumer of data processing resources comprises a workload management system selected from the group of workload management systems consisting of an automated workload management system, a manually operated workload management system, and an automated workload management system operating in combination with a human operator.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the second program instructions comprise program instructions to communicate with a plurality of the first data processing resources via the data processing resource interfaces, wherein each of the plurality of the first data processing resources has a different application programming interface for the data processing resource interface.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

fourth program instructions defining requirements for using the first data processing resources of a number of different cloud types via the data processing resource interfaces of the number of different cloud types;

wherein the fourth program instructions comprise plug-ins to the plug-in software component; and

wherein the fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the third program instructions comprise program instructions selected from the group of program instruction for using the first data processing resources for the consumer of data processing resources consisting of :

program instructions to acquire the first data processing resources for use by the consumer of data processing resources;

program instructions to release the first data processing resources that are no longer needed for use by the consumer of data processing resources;

program instructions to change a quality of the first data processing resources for use by the consumer of data processing resources;

program instructions to change a quantity of the first data processing resources for use by the consumer of data processing resources; and

program instructions to integrate management services for managing the use of the first data processing resources by the consumer of data processing resources with management services for managing second data processing resources for use by the consumer of data processing resources.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first data processing resources are selected from the group of data processing resources provided as a service consisting of infrastructure as a service, software as a service, platform as a service, and storage as a service.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service on a hybrid cloud.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein:

the consumer of data processing resources comprises second data processing resources;

the software framework is installed on the second data processing resources; and

the hybrid cloud comprises the second data processing resources.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the hybrid cloud is selected from the group of hybrid clouds consisting of:

a first hybrid cloud wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service on a public cloud and the second data processing resources are provided on a private cloud;

a second hybrid cloud wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service on a private cloud and the second data processing resources are provided on another private cloud; and

a third hybrid cloud wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service on a public cloud and the second data processing resources are provided on another public cloud.

10. A method for integrating data processing resources, comprising:

generating, by a processor unit, a first interface for a consumer of data processing resources;

receiving, by the processor unit, via the first interface, a request from a consumer of data processing resources to acquire first data processing resources, wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service;

responsive to receiving the request, acquiring, by the processor unit, the first data processing resources for the consumer of data processing resources via data processing resource interfaces of the first data processing resources.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising activating a plug-in software component in a software framework to activate the generating, receiving and acquiring by the processor unit.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising loading, by the processor unit, a number of plug-ins into the plug-in software component, wherein the number of plug-ins define requirements for acquiring the first data processing resources of a number of different cloud types via the data processing resource interfaces of the number of different cloud types.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the request is received from a workload management system via the first interface; and

wherein the workload management system is selected from the group of workload management systems consisting of an automated workload management system, a manually operated workload management system, and an automated workload management system operating in combination with a human operator.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein acquiring the first data processing resources comprises communicating with a plurality of the first data processing resources via the data processing resource interfaces, wherein each of the plurality of the first data processing resources has a different application programming interface for the data processing resource interface.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first data processing resources are selected from the group of data processing resources provided as a service consisting of infrastructure as a service, software as a service, platform as a service, and storage as a service.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service on a hybrid cloud.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the consumer of data processing resources comprises second data processing resources; and

the hybrid cloud comprises the second data processing resources.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the hybrid cloud is selected from the group of hybrid clouds consisting of:

a first hybrid cloud wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service on a public cloud and the second data processing resources are provided on a private cloud;

a second hybrid cloud wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service on a private cloud and the second data processing resources are provided on another private cloud; and

a third hybrid cloud wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service on a public cloud and the second data processing resources are provided on another public cloud.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a data processing system configured to;

install a plug-in software component in a software framework;

use the plug-in software component to generate a first interface for a consumer of data processing resources;

receive, via the first interface, a request from a consumer of data processing resources to use first data processing resources, wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service; and

use the plug-in software component to acquire the first data processing resources for use by the consumer of data processing resources via data processing resource interfaces of the first data processing resources, responsive to receiving the request from the consumer of data processing resources.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the data processing system is configured to load a number of plug-ins into the plug-in software component, wherein the number of plug-ins define requirements for acquiring the first data processing resources of a number of different cloud types via the data processing resource interfaces of the number of different cloud types.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the data processing system is configured to acquire the first data processing resources via data processing resource interfaces of a plurality of first data processing resources, wherein each of the plurality of first data processing resources has a different application programming interface for the data processing resource interface.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first data processing resources are selected from the group of data processing resources provided as a service consisting of infrastructure as a service, software as a service, platform as a service, and storage as a service.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service on a hybrid cloud.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein:

the consumer of data processing resources comprises second data processing resources;

the software framework is installed on the second data processing resources; and

the hybrid cloud comprises the second data processing resources.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the hybrid cloud is selected from the group of hybrid clouds consisting of:

a first hybrid cloud wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service on a public cloud and the second data processing resources are provided on a private cloud;

a second hybrid cloud wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service on a private cloud and the second data processing resources are provided on another private cloud; and

a third hybrid cloud wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service on a public cloud and the second data processing resources are provided on another public cloud.