Apparatus and method for automatically defining, deploying and managing hardware and software resources in a logically-partitioned computer system

• US 7,386,698 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2005
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rath, Cale T., Gimpl, David Joseph, Hofer, Kent LeDel, Van Hove, Tammy Lynn, Henderson, Kyle Lane, Romano, George James
• Primary Examiner(s): Elmore; Stephen C
• Application Number:
  US11/128,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 713/2, 713/1, 713/100, 711/173, 711/111, 711/154, 711/156, 717/175
• US Class Current: 711/173
• 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

A partition wizard allows automatically defining from a set of system requirements a solution profile that defines a combination of hardware and software in multiple logical partitions to satisfy the performance objectives. The solution profile may be used by an order processing system to automatically generate an order for a target computer system. The solution profile may also be used by a hardware management console to automatically create logical partitions on the target computer system, then may be used by an operating system install engine to automatically install a desired operating system in each of the logical partitions on the target computer system and to automatically install desired software into each of the logical partitions in the target computer system. The solution profile may also be used to manage the target computer system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for creating a target computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a set of system requirements;

processing the set of system requirements, and automatically generating therefrom a solution profile that specifies a combination of hardware and software in a plurality of logical partitions that satisfies the set of system requirements;

generating from the solution profile an order for the target computer system that includes all hardware and software specified in the solution profile;

automatically creating on the target computer system the plurality of logical partitions as specified in the solution profile;

automatically installing an operating system in each of the plurality of logical partitions as specified in the solution profile; and

automatically installing software in the plurality of logical partitions as specified in the solution profile.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of system requirements is at least partially defined by a workload estimator tool.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of using the solution profile to manage the target computer system.

4. A computer-implemented method for deploying a target computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a solution profile that specifies a combination of hardware and software in a plurality of logical partitions that satisfies a set of system requirements;

automatically creating the plurality of logical partitions on the target computer system;

automatically installing an operating system in each of the plurality of logical partitions as specified in the solution profile; and

automatically installing software in the plurality of logical partitions as specified in the solution profile.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of using the solution profile to manage the target computer system.