METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PLANNING APPLICATION DEPLOYMENT

• US 20130097597A1
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gibson, Jonathan David, Stuempfle, Matthew A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,858,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455

Abstract

According to one example, there is provided a method of deploying applications in a computer system. The method comprises obtaining, for each of a plurality of computer applications, a set of application characteristics, assigning, based on the obtained characteristics, each of the plurality of applications to one of a set of predetermined application models, and determining, based in part on the obtained characteristics and in part on application model compatibility data, a set of hardware characteristics, a virtual server distribution plan, and an application distribution plan.

Claims

1. A method of planning application deployment in a computer system, comprising:

obtaining, for each of a plurality of computer applications, a set of application characteristics;

assigning, based on the obtained characteristics, each of the plurality of applications to one of a set of predetermined application models; and

determining, based in part on the obtained characteristics and in part on application model compatibility data, a set of hardware characteristics, a virtual server distribution plan, and an application distribution plan.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining comprises:

determining an initial virtual server distribution plan;

determining a set of hardware characteristics;

revising the initial virtual server distribution plan in accordance with the determined set of hardware characteristics; and

determining an application distribution plan.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined set of hardware characteristics define characteristics of a set of computing hardware suitable for executing the set of applications, wherein the determined virtual distribution plan defines a number and type of virtual servers to be deployed on each of the defined computing hardware, and wherein the application distribution plan defines which of the set of applications are to be deployed on which of the virtual servers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a revised virtual server distribution plan includes determining the characteristics and number of virtual servers suitable for executing the set of applications on the determined computing hardware.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assigning further comprises, where it is determined that an application does not suitably match any of the predetermined application models, generating a new application mod&

based on characteristics of the application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of generating a new application model comprises determining the closest matching application mod&

and generating a new application model based on the determined closest matching application model.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a virtual server deployment plan and an application deployment plan further comprises:

determining a plurality of different sets of hardware characteristics, virtual server deployment plans, and application deployment plans, each of the plurality of different hardware sets and deployment plans determined based on different combinations of application characteristics and obtained preference data; and

selecting one of the plurality of determined hardware sets and deployment plans based on the obtained preferences.

8. A system, comprising a processor, a memory in communication with the processor, and computer executable instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor to:

obtain a set of characteristics for each of a plurality of applications;

match, using the obtained characteristics, each of the applications to a predetermined application model;

generate an initial virtual server distribution plan;

generate a set of hardware characteristics; and

generate a revised virtual server distribution plan in accordance with the generated set of hardware characteristics.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions further include instructions to:

generate a list of computing hardware on which the applications may be deployed.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions further include instructions to:

generate a virtual server distribution plan detailing the type and number of virtual servers suitable for executing the set of applications and for detailing on which ones of the determined computing hardware each virtual server is to be deployed.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer executable instructions further include instructions to:

generate an application deployment plan detailing on which ones of the virtual servers each of the applications is to be deployed.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions further include instructions to:

where it is determined that an application does not match any of the application models, to generate a new application model based on characteristics of the application, and to store the generated application model in an application model data store.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions to generate the distribution plans further include instructions to:

generate a plurality of sets of hardware characteristics, virtual server and application distribution plans; and

select one of the sets of hardware characteristics and associated generated distribution plans in accordance with obtained preference data.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions further comprise instructions to:

send the generated list of computing hardware to a procurement application for ordering the generated list of computing hardware.

15. A tangible, machine-readable medium that stores machine-readable instructions executable by a processor for planning application deployment in a computer system, the tangible, machine-readable medium comprising:

machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, obtain, for each of a plurality of computer applications, a set of application characteristics;

machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor assign, based on the obtained characteristics, each of the plurality of applications to one of a set of predetermined application models;

machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor determine an initial virtual server distribution plan;

machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor determine a set of hardware characteristics;

machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor revise the initial virtual server distribution plan in accordance with the determined set of hardware characteristics; and

machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor determine an application distribution plan.