Managing Computing Environment Entitlement Contracts and Associated Resources Using Cohorting

• US 20130007761A1
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Sullivan, Patrick J., Thorburn, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,812,679 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

Mechanisms are provided for managing computing resources relative to a computing environment entitlement contract. These mechanisms generate one or more computing environment entitlement contract (CEEC) data structures, each CEEC data structure defining terms of a business level agreement between a contracting party and a provider of the data processing system. A CEEC cohort is generated comprising a collection of CEECs having similar terms. Utilization of a collection of computing resources in accordance with the similar terms of the collection of CEECs is monitored to identify a usage pattern within the CEEC cohort. Membership of a CEEC in the CEEC cohort based on the identified usage pattern is modified based on the monitored utilization.

Claims

1. A method, in a data processing system comprising at least one computing device and a plurality of computing resources, for monitoring a use of the computing resources relative to a computing environment entitlement contract, comprising:

generating, by the at least one computing device, one or more computing environment entitlement contract (CEEC) data structures, each CEEC data structure defining terms of a business level agreement between a contracting party and a provider of the data processing system, wherein the terms of the CEEC data structure specify a set of computing resources having a specified configuration that are to be used by the contracting party for a specified purpose at a specified level and pattern of intensity for a specified period of time;

generating, by the at least one computing device, a CEEC cohort comprising a collection of CEEC data structures having similar terms;

monitoring, by the at least one computing device, utilization of a collection of computing resources in accordance with the similar terms of the collection of CEEC data structures to identify a usage pattern within the CEEC cohort; and

modifying, by the at least one computing device, a membership of a CEEC data structure in the CEEC cohort based on the identified usage pattern.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a CEEC cohort comprising a collection of CEEC data structures having similar terms comprises:

defining a profile specifying parameters used to define a CEEC cohort and specifying characteristics of CEEC data structures that may be included as members of the CEEC cohort;

applying the profile to data in CEEC data structures of the one or more CEEC data structures to determine which CEEC data structures meet requirements specified by the parameters of the profile; and

selecting one or more CEEC data structures to include in the collection of CEEC data structures of the CEEC cohort.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the profile specifies at least one of which computing resource utilization metric information, associated with CEEC data structures, is evaluated to determine membership of the CEEC data structures in the CEEC cohort, or patterns of utilization associated with the computing resource utilization metric information required for membership of CEEC data structures in the CEEC cohort.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the profile specifies the similar terms that each CEEC data structure must have in order to be a member of the CEEC cohort.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

updating entries in a CEEC database based on the selection of the one or more CEEC data structures to include an identifier of the CEEC cohort in entries of the CEEC database corresponding to the selected one or more CEEC data structures.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the profile comprises first criteria for evaluating the computing resource utilization metric information to determine whether a CEEC data structure is a member of the CEEC cohort, and wherein the first criteria comprises a time frame over which to make the evaluation, a basis for measuring the computing resource utilization, and a bias for performing the evaluation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the profile further comprises second criteria for determining when to adjust membership of CEEC data structures in the CEEC cohort and corresponding actions associated with the second criteria.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second criteria and corresponding actions specify ranges of computing resource utilization metric information which results in a corresponding action being performed, wherein the corresponding actions comprise a buy action for acquiring additional CEEC data structures in the CEEC cohort via a CEEC marketplace, a sell action for removing CEEC data structures from the CEEC cohort via the CEEC marketplace, a hold action for doing nothing, and a retire action for permanently retiring a CEEC data structure.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein modifying the membership of the CEEC data structure in the CEEC cohort based on the identified usage pattern comprises:

applying the second criteria to the identified usage pattern to identify a corresponding action; and

performing the corresponding action to the CEEC data structure to thereby modify the membership of the CEEC cohort.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the corresponding action performed on the CEEC data structure is to migrate the CEEC data structure to a different CEEC cohort in accordance with another profile associated with the different CEEC cohort.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein migrating the CEEC data structure comprises nullifying the CEEC data structure in the CEEC cohort and creating a new CEEC data structure associated with the different CEEC cohort to replace the nullified CEEC data structure.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the new CEEC data structure comprises terms different from the nullified CEEC data structure, and wherein the terms of the new CEEC data structure approximate the identified usage pattern.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, wherein the computer readable program, when executed in a data processing system comprising at least one computing device, causes a computing device of the at least one computing device to:

generate one or more computing environment entitlement contract (CEEC) data structures, each CEEC data structure defining terms of a business level agreement between a contracting party and a provider of the data processing system, wherein the terms of the CEEC data structure specify a set of computing resources having a specified configuration that are to be used by the contracting party for a specified purpose at a specified level and pattern of intensity for a specified period of time;

generate a CEEC cohort comprising a collection of CEEC data structures having similar terms;

monitor utilization of a collection of computing resources in accordance with the similar terms of the collection of CEEC data structures to identify a usage pattern within the CEEC cohort; and

modify a membership of a CEEC data structure in the CEEC cohort based on the identified usage pattern.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein generating a CEEC cohort comprising a collection of CEEC data structures having similar terms comprises:

defining a profile specifying parameters used to define a CEEC cohort and specifying characteristics of CEEC data structures that may be included as members of the CEEC cohort;

applying the profile to data in CEEC data structures of the one or more CEEC data structures to determine which CEEC data structures meet requirements specified by the parameters of the profile; and

selecting one or more CEEC data structures to include in the collection of CEEC data structures of the CEEC cohort.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the profile specifies at least one of which computing resource utilization metric information, associated with CEEC data structures, is evaluated to determine membership of the CEEC data structures in the CEEC cohort, or patterns of utilization associated with the computing resource utilization metric information required for membership of CEEC data structures in the CEEC cohort.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the profile specifies the similar terms that each CEEC data structure must have in order to be a member of the CEEC cohort.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

updating entries in a CEEC database based on the selection of the one or more CEEC data structures to include an identifier of the CEEC cohort in entries of the CEEC database corresponding to the selected one or more CEEC data structures.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the profile comprises first criteria for evaluating the computing resource utilization metric information to determine whether a CEEC data structure is a member of the CEEC cohort, and wherein the first criteria comprises a time frame over which to make the evaluation, a basis for measuring the computing resource utilization, and a bias for performing the evaluation.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the profile further comprises second criteria for determining when to adjust membership of CEEC data structures in the CEEC cohort and corresponding actions associated with the second criteria.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the second criteria and corresponding actions specify ranges of computing resource utilization metric information which results in a corresponding action being performed, wherein the corresponding actions comprise a buy action for acquiring additional CEEC data structures in the CEEC cohort via a CEEC marketplace, a sell action for removing CEEC data structures from the CEEC cohort via the CEEC marketplace, a hold action for doing nothing, and a retire action for permanently retiring a CEEC data structure.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein modifying the membership of the CEEC data structure in the CEEC cohort based on the identified usage pattern comprises:

applying the second criteria to the identified usage pattern to identify a corresponding action; and

performing the corresponding action to the CEEC data structure to thereby modify the membership of the CEEC cohort.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the corresponding action performed on the CEEC data structure is to migrate the CEEC data structure to a different CEEC cohort in accordance with another profile associated with the different CEEC cohort.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein migrating the CEEC data structure comprises nullifying the CEEC data structure in the CEEC cohort and creating a new CEEC data structure associated with the different CEEC cohort to replace the nullified CEEC data structure.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the new CEEC data structure comprises terms different from the nullified CEEC data structure, and wherein the terms of the new CEEC data structure approximate the identified usage pattern.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

generate one or more computing environment entitlement contract (CEEC) data structures, each CEEC data structure defining terms of a business level agreement between a contracting party and a provider of the data processing system, wherein the terms of the CEEC data structure specify a set of computing resources having a specified configuration that are to be used by the contracting party for a specified purpose at a specified level and pattern of intensity for a specified period of time;

generate a CEEC cohort comprising a collection of CEEC data structures having similar terms;

monitor utilization of a collection of computing resources in accordance with the similar terms of the collection of CEEC data structures to identify a usage pattern within the CEEC cohort; and

modify a membership of a CEEC data structure in the CEEC cohort based on the identified usage pattern.