COORDINATION ENGINE FOR CLOUD SELECTION

• US 20130067090A1
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: BATROUNI, MARWAN, ASHKAR, SHADY N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,781,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/022 Multivendor or multi-standard integration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for selecting and managing a public cloud-computing network to host a client'"'"'s account information are provided. Initially, the client issues a request to a coordination engine, which understands rules language of various public clouds, to update the account information residing on a target cloud. The target cloud was previously selected from the various public clouds as a function of desirable criteria specified by the client in light of properties (e.g., pricing, security, and reliability) dynamically abstracted from the public clouds. When addressing the request, the coordination engine extracts command(s) from the request and automatically translates the command(s) consistent with the rules language of the target cloud. Upon delivery to the target cloud, the translated command(s) affect reading of or writing to the account information. Accordingly, the client is absolved from converting instructions into a format that is expected by the target cloud.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for assigning workload to one or more candidate computer networks based on criteria provided from a client, the method comprising:

receiving a request for computing resources from the client;

receiving the criteria associated with the request, wherein the criteria specify client-preferred properties of the one or more candidate computer networks;

employing a coordination engine to perform an analysis of the criteria with respect to metrics, wherein the processes of analyzing comprises;

(a) accessing the metrics at a metrics database, wherein the metrics are mined from the one or more candidate computer networks; and

(b) comparing the criteria against the metrics, respectively;

based on the comparison, in part, targeting at least one computer network, from the one or more candidate computer networks, which exhibits metrics that satisfy the criteria; and

initiating interaction with the at least one targeted computer network.

2. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the request comprises instructions to run an application on virtual machines available at the one or more candidate computer networks, and wherein the application is associated with the client'"'"'s account.

3. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the request comprises instructions to maintain data on a storage location available at the one or more candidate computer networks, and wherein the data is associated with the client'"'"'s account.

4. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the criteria define particular attributes of the one or more candidate computer networks that pertain to at least one of security, availability, cost, scalability, or geo-redundancy.

5. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein one or more candidate computer networks comprise a private enterprise network and at least one public cloud-computing network.

6. The computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises employing the coordination engine to manage usage of the client'"'"'s account across the private enterprise network and the at least one targeted computer network.

7. The computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the employing the coordination engine to manage usage of the client'"'"'s account across the private enterprise network and the at least one targeted computer network comprises overseeing an application running on virtual machines provisioned on the at least one targeted network.

8. The computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the employing the coordination engine to manage usage of the client'"'"'s account across the private enterprise network and the at least one targeted computer network comprises tracking data maintained at a storage location provisioned on the at least one targeted network.

9. The computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises employing the coordination engine to provision the computer resources on the at least one targeted computer network in order to meet the request.

10. The computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the employing the coordination engine to manage usage of the client'"'"'s account across the private enterprise network and the at least one targeted computer network comprises load-balancing usage between the at least one targeted computer network and another public cloud-computing network.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the process of analyzing further comprises:

accessing rules from a rules database; and

applying the rules to affect an outcome of the comparison of the criteria against the metrics.

12. A computerized method for distributing workload to one or more public computing networks external to a private enterprise network, the method comprising:

receiving a request issued from a user of the private enterprise network to update account information hosted on the one or more public computing networks;

identifying a target network from the one or more public computing networks that is responsible for hosting the account information;

extracting one or more commands from the request, wherein the one or more commands represent, in part, instructions for implementing the update;

translating the one or more commands into a format consistent with a rules language observed by the target network when interacting with an external source; and

initiating a distribution of the one or more translated commands to computing resources, associated with the target network, that are designated to implement the update to the account information.

13. The computerized method of claim 12, further comprising, upon establishing the account information on the target network, releasing to the administrator a token that exposes, among other things, at least one location of the account information within the one or more public computing networks.

14. The computerized method of claim 13, further comprising:

parsing the request upon receipt;

recognizing the token is appended to the request; and

reading the token to realize the at least one location on the target network hosting the account information.

15. The computerized method of claim 14, when the one or more translated commands comprise at least one of a read script, a write script, or a pull-down script.

16. A computer system for performing a method that monitors properties of one or more public clouds and selects an appropriate public cloud for hosting account information based on the properties, the computer system comprising a processing unit coupled to a computer storage medium, the computer storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of computer software components executable by the processing unit, the computer software components comprising:

a rules data store that persists terms provided by an administrator associated with a private cloud, wherein the terms expose criteria the administrator deems valuable for an external cloud-computing network to embody;

a metrics data store that accepts and maintains the properties that describe qualities of the one or more public clouds designated as candidates for hosting the account information;

one or more agents that are programmed to dynamically collect the properties by crawling the one or more candidate public clouds and to report the collected properties to the metrics data store; and

a coordination engine to decide which of the one or more candidate public clouds to select as a target cloud for hosting the account information, wherein deciding comprises;

(a) accessing the rules data store to examine the terms;

(b) accessing the metrics data store to examine the properties;

(c) selecting the target cloud as a function of an analysis of the properties in light of the terms; and

(d) sending a request to the target cloud to allocate computing resources for hosting at least a portion of the account information.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the private cloud represents a private cloud-computing network operated by the administrator, and wherein the target cloud represents at least one public cloud-computing network operated by a cloud-service provider.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the software components further comprise a feedback mechanism that evaluates the decision of the coordination engine to access whether the target cloud satisfies the terms incident to being selected.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the one or more agents comprise a pricing agent that is programmed to retrieve expected fees for usage from the one or more candidate public clouds.

20. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the one or more agents comprise a security agent that is programmed to measure a level of security imposed by the one or more candidate public clouds.