HYBRID CLOUD INTEGRATOR

• US 20120204169A1
• 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: Breiter, Gerd, Lindquist, David B., Naik, Vijay K., Reinhardt, Holger, Schmidt, Marc-Thomas H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,009,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing

Abstract

A hybrid cloud integrator provides a capability for integrating data processing resources provided as services across a hybrid cloud. The hybrid cloud integrator includes a software framework that provides for installing, configuring, activating, and controlling operation of a number of plug-in software components. The plug-in software components are configured to provide for using data processing resources provided as a service to process a consumer workload.

Claims

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

a computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to load a number of plug-in software components in a software framework, wherein the number of plug-in software components are configured to provide for using first data processing resources by a consumer of data processing resources to process a workload, wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service;

second program instructions to make configuration parameters of the number of plug-in software components available to a user via a user interface, wherein the configuration parameters define operating characteristics of the number of plug-in software components;

third program instructions to receive the configuration parameters from the user via the user interface;

fourth program instructions to activate the number of plug-in software components by the consumer of data processing resources;

fifth program instructions to control operation of the number of plug-in software components by the consumer of data processing resources after the number of plug-in software components is activated;

wherein the software framework comprises the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth program instructions; and

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

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

sixth program instructions to provide communications between the number of plug-in software components;

wherein the software framework comprises the sixth program instructions; and

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

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the number of plug-in software components are configured to provide a function for using the first data processing resources by the consumer of data processing resources selected from the group of functions consisting of a first function for deploying the first data processing resources, a second function for controlling use of data by the first data processing resources, and a third function for monitoring data processing by the first data processing resources.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein:

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

the consumer data processing resources are configured to use automatically the number of plug-in software components for using the first data processing resources to process the workload.

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

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein:

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

the hybrid cloud comprises the second data processing resources.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, 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.

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

providing, in a data processing system, a software framework;

loading a number of plug-in software components in the software framework, wherein the number of plug-in software components are configured to provide for using first data processing resources by a consumer of data processing resources to process a workload, wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service;

making configuration parameters of the number of plug-in software components available to a user on a user interface via the software framework, wherein the configuration parameters define operating characteristics of the number of plug-in software components;

receiving the configuration parameters from the user interface via the software framework;

activating the number of plug-in software components by the consumer of data processing resources via the software framework; and

controlling operation of the number of plug-in software components by the consumer of data processing resources via the software framework after the number of plug-in software components is activated.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising communicating between the number of plug-in software components via the software framework.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the number of plug-in software components provide a function for using the first data processing resources by the consumer of data processing resources selected from the group of functions consisting of deploying the first data processing resources, controlling use of data by the first data processing resources, and monitoring data processing by the first data processing resources.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the consumer of data processing resources comprises consumer data processing resources, and further comprising automatically using the number of plug-in software components by the consumer data processing resources for using the first data processing resources to process the workload.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service on a hybrid cloud.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

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

the hybrid cloud comprises the second data processing resources.

14. The method of claim 13, 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.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a user interface;

a workload manager configured to automatically use first data processing resources to process a workload, wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service; and

an integrator connected for communication with the user interface and the workload manager, wherein the integrator comprises a software framework and is configured to;

load a number of plug-in software components in the software framework, wherein the number of plug-in software components are configured to provide for using the first data processing resources by the workload manager to process the workload;

make configuration parameters of the number of plug-in software components available to a user on the user interface via the software framework, wherein the configuration parameters define operating characteristics of the number of plug-in software components;

receive the configuration parameters from the user interface via the software framework;

activate the number of plug-in software components by the workload manager via the software framework; and

control operation of the number of plug-in software components by the workload manager via the software framework after the number of plug-in software components is activated.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the integrator is further configured to provide communications between the number of plug-in software components via the software framework.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the number of plug-in software components are configured to provide a function for using the first data processing resources by the workload manager selected from the group of functions consisting of a first function for deploying the first data processing resources, a second function for controlling use of data by the first data processing resources, and a third function for monitoring data processing by the first data processing resources.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the workload manager is configured to use automatically the number of plug-in software components to automatically use the first data processing resources to process the workload.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first data processing resources are provided as a service on a hybrid cloud.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the workload manager is implemented on second data processing resources; and

the hybrid cloud comprises the second data processing resources.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, 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.