Methods and systems for control discovery in computing systems

• US 7,565,655 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2003
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Eskesen, Frank N., Keller, Alexander, Surendra, Maheswaran, Froehlich, Steven E., Spainhower, Lisa F., Diao, Yixin, Hellerstein, Joseph L.
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Ai
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZHE, MENG YAO
• Application Number:
  US10/688,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20050086645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,104 Days
• Field of Search: 718/104
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3447 Performance evaluation by modeling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual middleware or OS functionality using virtual machines to implement generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking G06F11/1484
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/87 Monitoring of transactions

Abstract

Techniques are provided for generically controlling one or more resources associated with at least one computing system. In one aspect of the invention, the technique comprises evaluating one or more performance metrics associated with the one or more resources given one or more configurations of the one or more resources. The technique then causes a change in the one or more configurations of the one or more resources based on the performance metric evaluating step. The one or more performance metrics and the one or more configurations are expressed in generic formats.

Claims

1. A method of using a closed loop system to generically control one or more resources associated with at least one computing system, comprising the steps of:

obtaining one or more performance metrics and one or more configurations of the one or more resources in an associated resource specific format;

automatically creating a resource translator for interpreting the associated resource specific format;

translating the one or more performance metrics and the one or more configurations from the associated resource specific format to a generic format using the automatically created resource translator such that each of the one or more resources are generically controlled, wherein a generic format comprises a common format and generically controlling the one or more resources comprises controlling the one or more resources in accordance with the common format;

evaluating one or more generically-expressed performance metrics associated with the one or more resources given one or more generically-expressed configurations of the one or more resources;

causing a change in the one or more generically-expressed configurations of the one or more resources based on the performance metric evaluating step;

translating the one or more changed configurations from the generic format to the associated resource specific format; and

updating the one or more resources with the one or more changed configurations in the associated resource specific format;

wherein the one or more configurations of the one or more resources are optimized in the closed loop system formed via a combination of the first translating, evaluating, change causing, second translating and updating steps;

wherein the method further comprises obtaining the one or more generically-expressed configurations associated with the one or more resources prior to changing a configuration;

wherein the step of evaluating the one or more generically-expressed performance metrics further comprises determining whether one or more performance goals are being met based on the one or more generically-expressed performance metrics;

wherein the step of causing a change in the one or more generically-expressed configurations further comprises building a model for use in determining changes in the one or more generically-expressed configurations;

wherein the model building step comprises using at least one of a previous performance history and a previous configuration; and

wherein the model building step further comprises obtaining performance samples associated with the one or more resources and their one or more current configurations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more resources are at least one of real resources and virtual resources.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining the one or more generically-expressed performance metrics from a probe.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the probe measures performance of the one or more resources in the context of a particular workload.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the particular workload is a current workload.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining the one or more generically-expressed performance metrics via one or more measurements of at least a part of an end user performance experience.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of categorizing the one or more obtained, generically-expressed configurations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of causing a change in the one or more generically-expressed configurations further comprises instructing the one or more resources to change one or more configurations associated therewith.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the one or more changed, generically-expressed configurations.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more performance metrics and the one or more configurations are expressed in generic formats in accordance with one or more common generic interfaces.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a common generic interface comprises a Common Interface Model.

12. Apparatus for using a closed loop system to generically one or more resources associated with at least one computing system, comprising:

p1 a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and operative to;

obtain one or more performance metrics and one or more configurations of the one or more resources in an associated resource specific format;

automatically create a resource translator for interpreting the associated resource specific format;

translate the one or more performance metrics and the one or more configurations from the associated resource specific format to a generic format using the automatically created resource translator such that each of the one or more resources are generically controlled, wherein a generic format comprises a common format and generically controlling the one or more resources comprises controlling the one or more resources in accordance with the common format;

evaluate one or more generically-expressed performance metrics associated with the one or more resources given one or more generically-expressed configurations of the one or more resources;

cause a change in the one or more generically-expressed configurations of the one or more resources based on the performance metric evaluating operation;

translate the one or more changed configurations from the generic format to the associated resource specific format; and

update the one or more resources with the one or more changed configurations in the associated resource specific format, wherein the one or more configurations of the one or more resources are optimized in the closed loop system formed via a combination of the first translating, evaluating, change causing, second translating and updating operations;

wherein the at least one processor is further operative to obtain the one or more generically-expressed configurations associated with the one or more resources prior to changing a configuration;

wherein the operation of evaluating the one or more generically-expressed performance metrics further comprises determining whether one or more performance goals are being met based on the one or more generically-expressed performance metrics;

wherein the operation of causing a change in the one or more generically-expressed configurations further comprises building a model for use in determining changes in the one or more generically-expressed configurations;

wherein the model building operation comprises using at least one of a previous performance history and a previous configuration; and

wherein the model building operation further comprises obtaining performance samples associated with the one or more resources and their one or more current configurations.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more resources are at least one of real resources and virtual resources.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to obtain the one or more generically-expressed performance metrics from a probe.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to obtain the one or more generically-expressed performance metrics via one or more measurements of at least a part of an end user performance experience.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the operation of causing a change in the one or more generically-expressed configurations further comprises instructing the one or more resources to change one or more configurations associated therewith.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to store the one or more changed, generically-expressed configurations.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more performance metrics and the one or more configurations are expressed in generic formats in accordance with one or more common generic interfaces.

19. An article of manufacture for using a closed loop system to generically control one or more resources associated with at least one computing system, comprising a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

obtaining one or more performance metrics and one or more configurations of the one or more resources in an associated resource specific format;

automatically creating a resource translator for interpreting the associated resource specific format;

translating the one or more performance metrics and the one or more configurations from the associated resource specific format to a generic format using the automatically created resource translator such that each of the one or more resources are generically controlled, wherein a generic format comprises a common format and generically controlling the one or more resources comprises controlling the one or more resources in accordance with the common format;

evaluating one or more generically-expressed performance metrics associated with the one or more resources given one or more generically-expressed configurations of the one or more resources;

causing a change in the one or more generically-expressed configurations of the one or more resources based on the performance metric evaluating step;

translating the one or more changed configurations from the generic format to the associated resource specific format; and

updating the one or more resources with the one or more changed configurations in the associated resource specific format;

wherein the one or more configurations of the one or more resources are optimized in the closed loop system formed via a combination of the first translating, evaluating, change causing, second translating and updating steps;

wherein the one or more programs when executed implement the further step of obtaining the one or more generically-expressed configurations associated with the one or more resources prior to changing a configuration;

wherein the step of evaluating the one or more generically-expressed performance metrics further comprises determining whether one or more performance goals are being met based on the one or more generically-expressed performance metrics;

wherein the step of causing a change in the one or more generically-expressed configurations further comprises building a model for use in determining changes in the one or more generically-expressed configurations;

wherein the model building step comprises using at least one of a previous performance history and a previous configuration; and

wherein the model building step further comprises obtaining performance samples associated with the one or more resources and their one or more current configurations.

20. A method of providing a service for using a closed loop system to generically control one or more resources associated with at least one computing system, comprising the step of:

a service provider deploying a system operative to;

obtain one or more performance metrics and one or more configurations of the one or more resources in an associated resource specific format;

automatically create a resource translator for interpreting the associated resource specific format;

translate one or more performance metrics and one or more configurations from an associated resource specific format to a generic format using the automatically created resource translator such that each of the one or more resources are generically controlled, wherein a generic format comprises a common format and generically controlling the one or more resources comprises controlling the one or more resources in accordance with the common format;

evaluate one or more generically-expressed performance metrics associated with the one or more resources given one or more generically-expressed configurations of the one or more resources;

cause a change in the one or more generically-expressed configurations of the one or more resources based on the performance metric evaluating step;

translate the one or more changed configurations from the generic format to the associated resource specific format; and

update the one or more resources with the one or more changed configurations in the associated resource specific format, wherein the one or more configurations of the one or more resources are optimized in the closed loop system formed via a combination of the first translating, evaluating, change causing, second translating and updating operations;

wherein the system is further operative to obtain the one or more generically-expressed configurations associated with the one or more resources prior to changing a configuration;

wherein the operation of evaluating the one or more generically-expressed performance metrics further comprises determining whether one or more performance goals are being met based on the one or more generically-expressed performance metrics;

wherein the operation of causing a change in the one or more generically-expressed configurations further comprises building a model for use in determining changes in the one or more generically-expressed configurations;

wherein the model building operation comprises using at least one of a previous performance history and a previous configuration; and

wherein the model building operation further comprises obtaining performance samples associated with the one or more resources and their one or more current configurations.