IMPLEMENTING COMPARISON OF CLOUD SERVICE PROVIDER PACKAGE OFFERINGS

• US 20140278808A1
• Filed: 05/04/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HCL Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: Gravitant, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: IYOOB, ILYAS, MODH, MANISH MAHESH
• Granted Patent: US 9,818,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of implementing comparison of cloud service provider package offerings comprises a plurality of operations. An operation of creating a cloud services architecture specification defining a cloud infrastructure that supports deployment of an application thereto is performed. An operation of determining a cloud services offering price for each one of the plurality of cloud service offerings to characterize implementation of the cloud infrastructure using cloud services thereof on a basis of pricing of such cloud services is performed. Determining the cloud services offering price for a particular one of the cloud service offerings includes mapping the cloud services architecture specification to cloud service pricing information for the particular one of the cloud service offerings.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of implementing comparison of cloud service provider package offerings, comprising:

creating a cloud services architecture specification defining a cloud infrastructure that supports deployment of an application thereto; and

determining a cloud services offering price for each one of the plurality of cloud service offerings to characterize implementation of the cloud infrastructure using cloud services thereof on a basis of pricing of such cloud services, wherein determining the cloud services offering price for a particular one of the cloud service offerings includes mapping the cloud services architecture specification to cloud service pricing information for the particular one of the cloud service offerings.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein mapping the cloud services architecture specification includes applying a pricing information adapter configured for the particular one of the cloud service offerings to the cloud services architecture specification.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the pricing information adapter configured for the particular one of the cloud service offerings maps contents of the cloud services architecture specification to cloud service pricing information dependent upon a cloud service pricing structure of the particular one of the cloud service offerings.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the pricing information adapter configured for the particular one of the cloud service offerings defines rules by which each one of a plurality of specification elements of the cloud services architecture specification is mapped to one or more respective lines items within a cloud services catalog.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the cloud service resource design is generic with respect to cloud service offerings of the cloud service offerings.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein mapping the cloud services architecture specification includes applying a pricing information adapter configured for the particular one of the cloud service offerings to the cloud services architecture specification.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein the pricing information adapter configured for the particular one of the cloud service offerings defines rules by which each one of a plurality of specification elements of the cloud services architecture specification is mapped to one or more respective lines items within a cloud services catalog.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing cloud service resource information defining a cloud infrastructure configured for supporting deployment of an application thereto;

determining, using at least a portion of the cloud service resource information and using cloud service pricing information for each one of a plurality of cloud service offerings, a cloud services offering price for each one of the plurality of cloud service offerings thereby characterizing implementation of the cloud infrastructure using cloud services thereof on a basis of pricing of such cloud services; and

determining, using at least a portion of the cloud service resource information and using cloud service feature information for each one of the plurality of cloud service offerings, a cloud services feature comparison value for each one of the plurality of cloud service offerings characterizing implementation of the cloud infrastructure using cloud services thereof on a basis of features provided by such cloud services.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein:

the cloud service resource design is generic with respect to cloud service offerings of the cloud service offerings; and

determining the cloud services offering price for each one of the cloud service offerings includes mapping each one of a plurality of portions of the cloud service resource information to one or more respective portions of the cloud service pricing information for a particular one of the cloud service offerings.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein:

determining the cloud services offering price for each one of the cloud service offerings includes applying a pricing information adapter configured for a particular one of the cloud service offerings to the cloud service pricing information of the particular one of the cloud service offerings; and

the pricing information adapter configured for the particular one of the cloud service offerings maps contents of the cloud services architecture specification to cloud service pricing information dependent upon a cloud service pricing structure of the particular one of the cloud service offerings.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein:

the cloud service resource information defines a set of cloud infrastructure features;

determining the cloud services feature comparison value for each one of the cloud service offerings includes comparing the set of cloud infrastructure features with available features of a particular one of the cloud service offerings to determine a feature match factor that characterizes a degree of match therebetween; and

assessing the feature match factor of two or more of the cloud service offerings to determine a ranking therebetween based on the feature match factor.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying, for each one of the two or more of the cloud service offerings, the cloud services offering price and the feature match factor in combination with a cloud services offering identifier;

identifying a currently selected one of the two or more of the cloud service offerings;

displaying a plurality of filter parameters each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of cloud infrastructure features defined within the cloud service resource information, wherein filter parameters used in determining the cloud services feature comparison value for the two or more of the cloud service offerings;

enabling each one of the filter parameters to be selectively selected and deselected; and

re-determining the cloud services feature comparison value for each one of the two or more cloud service offerings dependent upon currently selected ones of the filter parameters.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 wherein:

determining the cloud services offering price for each one of the cloud service offerings includes applying a pricing information adapter configured for a particular one of the cloud service offerings to the cloud service pricing information of the particular one of the cloud service offerings; and

the pricing information adapter configured for the particular one of the cloud service offerings maps contents of the cloud services architecture specification to cloud service pricing information dependent upon a cloud service pricing structure of the particular one of the cloud service offerings.

14. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining, for each one of a plurality of cloud service offerings, implementation characterizing information of a cloud infrastructure using cloud services thereof, wherein the cloud infrastructure supports deployment of a designated application thereby and wherein the implementation characterizing information is determined using a first cloud services architecture specification;

displaying, for each one of a plurality of cloud service offerings, a comparison of the implementation characterizing information thereof; and

in response to receiving a request for determining implementation characterizing information using cloud services of each one of the cloud service offerings with respect to a second cloud services architecture specification, displaying a plurality of infrastructure characterizing parameters for each one of the cloud service offerings, wherein each one of the infrastructure characterizing parameters provides a respective assessment of a respective one of the cloud service offerings.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 wherein, for each one of the cloud service offerings, the infrastructure characterizing parameters include a parameter characterizing price thereof, user-specific quality of service provided thereby, a qualitative rating thereof, and a cloud services feature comparison value thereof.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying a plurality of filter parameters each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of cloud infrastructure features, wherein filter parameters used in determining the cloud services feature comparison value for the cloud service offerings are selected;

enabling each one of the filter parameters to be selectively selected and deselected; and

re-determining, for each one of the cloud service offerings, the cloud services feature comparison value for each one of the cloud service offerings dependent upon currently selected ones of the filter parameters.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 wherein, for each one of the cloud service offerings, the infrastructure characterizing parameters include a parameter characterizing price thereof, user-specific quality of service provided thereby, a qualitative rating thereof, and a cloud services feature comparison value thereof.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 wherein:

the implementation characterizing information includes a cloud services offering price;

determining the implementation characterizing information includes determining the cloud services offering price;

determining the cloud services offering price includes providing the first cloud services architecture specification and determining the cloud services offering price to characterize implementation of the cloud infrastructure using cloud services thereof on a basis of pricing of such cloud services; and

wherein determining the cloud services offering price for a particular one of the cloud service offerings includes mapping the cloud services architecture specification to cloud service pricing information for the particular one of the cloud service offerings.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18 wherein:

mapping the cloud services architecture specification includes applying a pricing information adapter configured for the particular one of the cloud service offerings to the cloud services architecture specification; and

the pricing information adapter configured for the particular one of the cloud service offerings maps contents of the cloud services architecture specification to cloud service pricing information dependent upon a cloud service pricing structure of the particular one of the cloud service offerings.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 18 wherein:

the first cloud services architecture specification defines a set of cloud infrastructure features;

the implementation characterizing information includes a cloud services feature comparison value;

determining the implementation characterizing information includes determining the a cloud services feature comparison value; and

determining the a cloud services feature comparison value includes comparing the set of cloud infrastructure features with available features of a particular one of the cloud service offerings to determine a feature match factor that characterizes a degree of match therebetween.