Managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment

• US 7,668,741 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twitter Inc (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Seaman, James W., Ernest, Leslie Mark, Moraca, William Louis Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayat; Bradley B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Singh; Gurkanwaljit
• Application Number:
  US11/031,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20060149576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, system, and program for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment are provided. A grid service for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment detects a grid job passing a timing entry point, and flowing towards a grid environment provided by a grid vendor. When the grid job is detected passing the timing entry point, the grid service starts a timer to monitor an amount of time from the grid job passing the timing entry point until a result of the grid job passes a timing exit point while flowing away from the grid environment. When the grid service detects the result of the grid job passing the timing exit point, the grid service determines whether a value of the timer exceeds a timing term agreed to in a service level agreement specifying performance requirements for said grid job agreed to by said grid vendor, such that compliance with the service level agreement is automatically managed within the grid environment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, comprising:

providing, by a grid vendor, a grid environment comprising a plurality of computing systems each comprising at least one resource and each of said plurality of computing systems communicatively connected over a network through a grid management system to share each said at least one resource through a plurality of web services implemented within a web services layer extended by an open grid services infrastructure atop a grid service layer comprising at least one grid service implemented within an open grid services architecture;

detecting, by execution of said at least one grid service by at least one processor, a grid job from a client system passing a timing entry point flowing towards said grid environment provided by said grid vendor;

retrieving, by execution of said at least one grid service by at least one processor, a service level agreement for said grid job, in response to detecting said grid job passing said timing entry point flowing towards said grid environment;

detecting, by execution of said at least one grid service by at least one processor, whether said grid job comprises at least one of a batch type job comprising a grouping of a plurality of jobs not requiring human interaction for completion and with a timing term requirement of a set duration for completion of the said grouping of said plurality of jobs and a transaction type job requiring human interaction for each of a plurality of transactions with said timing term requirement specifying a percentage of said plurality of transactions to be completed in a particular amount of time and a total completion time for said plurality of transactions;

executing by said at least one grid service by said at least one processor, a timer to monitor an amount of time from said grid job passing said timing entry point to a result of said grid job passing a timing exit point while flowing away from said grid environment;

detecting, by execution of said at least one grid service by said at least one processor, said result of said grid job passing said timing exit point;

in response to detecting said grid job comprises a batch type job;

before stopping said timer, executing by execution of said at least one grid service by said at least one processor, a last result of said grouping of said plurality of jobs to pass said timing exit point;

determining, by execution of said at least one grid service by said at least one processor, whether a value of said timer exceeds said set duration; and

calculating, by execution of said at least one grid service by said at least one processor, a bonus credit for said grid vendor reflecting a difference between said value of said timer and said set duration, in response to detecting that said value of said timer is less than said set duration;

in response to detecting said grid job comprises a transaction type job;

in response to detecting a separate transaction result for each of said plurality of transactions passing said timing exit point, adding, by execution of said at least one grid service by said at least one processor, said value of said timer to a cumulative timer and storing said value of said timer as a separate total time per transaction for each separate transaction result;

determining, by execution of said at least one grid service by said at least one processor, based on each said separate total time per transaction and a number of said plurality of transactions whether said grid vendor meets said time term requirement of said percentage of said plurality of transactions completed in said particular amount of time and determining whether the value of the cumulative timer exceeds the total completion time; and

in response to detecting at least one of said grid vendor not exceeding said time term requirement of said percentage of said plurality of transactions completed in said particular amount of time and said cumulative time not exceeding the total completion time, calculating, by execution of said at least one grid service by said at least one processor, said bonus credit for said grid vendor;

distributing said bonus credit by said at least one grid service to said client system; and

collecting, by said client system, said bonus credit and a plurality of separate bonus credits received from a selection of a plurality of grid vendors each indicating compliance with said service level agreement to detect said selection of said plurality of grid vendors operating in compliance with said service level agreement.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, further comprising:

calculating, by said at least one grid service, a restitution fee to compensate said client system submitting said grid job, in response to said value of said timer exceeding said timing term agreed to in said service level agreement; and

controlling, by said at least one grid service, reconciliation with said client system through said restitution fee.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 2 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, wherein controlling reconciliation with said client through said restitution fee further comprises:

directing, by said at least one grid service, a payment to said client system for said restitution fee.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 2 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, wherein controlling reconciliation with said client through said restitution fee further comprises:

crediting, by said at least one grid service, an internal account for said client system with said restitution fee, wherein said client system submits said grid job from within said grid environment.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, further comprising:

receiving, by said at least one grid service, a bid request for said grid job from said client system, wherein said bid request specifies said performance requirements;

determining, by said at least one grid service, whether said grid environment can handle said performance requirements; and

returning, by said at least one grid service, a bid offer to said client system to handle said grid job in compliance with said performance requirements, in response to a determination that said grid environment can handle said performance requirements.

6. A system for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, comprising:

a grid service enabled to monitor a grid environment provided by a grid vendor, wherein said grid environment comprises a plurality of computing systems each comprising at least one resource comprising at least one processor and at least one memory and each of said plurality of computing systems communicatively connected over a network through a grid management system to share each said at least one resource through a plurality of web services implemented within a web services layer extended by an open grid services infrastructure atop a grid service layer comprising at least one grid service implemented within an open grid services architecture;

said grid service executing the following on at least one processor;

means for detecting said grid job from a client system pass a timing entry point flowing towards said grid environment;

means for retrieving a service level agreement for said grid job, in response to detecting said grid job passing said timing entry point flowing towards said grid environment;

means for detecting whether said grid job comprises at least one of a batch type job comprising a grouping of a plurality of jobs not requiring human interaction for completion and with a timing term requirement of a set duration for completion of the said grouping of said plurality of jobs and a transaction type job requiring human interaction for each of a plurality of transactions with said timing term requirement specifying a percentage of said plurality of transactions to be completed in a particular amount of time and a total completion time for said plurality of transactions;

means for executing a timer to monitor an amount of time from said grid job passing said timing entry point to a result of said grid job passing a timing exit point while flowing away from said grid environment;

means for detecting said result of said grid job pass said timing exit point;

in response to detecting said grid job comprises a batch type job;

means before stopping said timer, for executing a last result of said grouping of said plurality of jobs to pass said timing exit point;

means for determining whether a value of said timer exceeds said set duration; and

means for calculating a bonus credit for said grid vendor reflecting a difference between said value of said timer and said set duration, in response to detecting that said value of said timer is less than said set duration;

in response to detecting said grid job comprises a transaction type job;

means, in response to detecting a separate transaction result for each of said plurality of transactions passing said timing exit point, for adding, by execution of said at least one grid service by said at least one processor, said value of said timer to a cumulative timer and storing said value of said timer as a separate total time per transaction for each separate transaction result;

means for determining based on each said separate total time per transaction and a number of said plurality of transactions whether said grid vendor meets said time term requirement of said percentage of said plurality of transactions completed in said particular amount of time and determining whether the value of the cumulative timer exceeds the total completion time; and

means, in response to detecting at least one of said grid vendor not exceeding said time term requirement of said percentage of said plurality of transactions completed in said particular amount of time and said cumulative time not exceeding the total completion time, for calculating said bonus credit for said grid vendor;

means for calculating a bonus credit for said grid vendor reflecting a difference between said value of said timer and said timing term, in response to detecting that said value of said timer is less than said timing term; and

means for distributing said bonus credit to said client system;

said client system comprising means for collecting said bonus credit with a plurality of separate bonus credits received from a selection of a plurality of grid vendors each indicating compliance with said service level agreement to detect said selection of said plurality of grid vendors operating in compliance with said service level agreement.

7. The system according to claim 6 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, said grid service further comprising:

means for calculating a restitution fee to compensate said client system submitting said grid job, in response to said value of said timer exceeding said timing term agreed to in said service level agreement; and

means for controlling reconciliation with said client system through said restitution fee.

8. The system according to claim 7 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, wherein said means for controlling reconciliation with said client system through said restitution fee further comprises:

means for directing a payment to said client system for said restitution fee.

9. The system according to claim 7 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, wherein said means for controlling reconciliation with said client system through said restitution fee further comprises:

means for crediting an internal account for said client system with said restitution fee, wherein said client system submits said grid job from within said grid environment.

10. The system according to claim 6 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, said grid service further comprising:

means for receiving a bid request for said grid job from a client, wherein said bid request specifies said performance requirements;

means for determining whether said grid environment can handle said performance requirements; and

means for returning a bid offer to said client system to handle said grid job in compliance with said performance requirements, in response to a determination that said grid environment can handle said performance requirements.

14. The computer program product according to claim 7 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, wherein said means for controlling a reconciliation with said client system through said restitution fee further comprises:

means for controlling a crediting of an internal account for said client system with said restitution fee, wherein said client system submits said grid job from said grid environment.

11. A computer executable program product comprising computer executable instructions tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium that when executed by said computer perform the method steps for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, comprising:

providing, by a grid vendor, a grid environment comprising a plurality of computing systems each comprising at least one resource and each of said plurality of computing systems communicatively connected over a network through a grid management system to share each said at least one resource through a plurality of web services implemented within a web services layer extended by an open grid services infrastructure atop a grid service layer comprising at least one grid service implemented within an open grid services architecture;

enabling detection of a grid job from a client system passing a timing entry point flowing towards a grid environment;

retrieving a service level agreement for said grid job, in response to detecting said grid job passing said timing entry point flowing towards said grid environment;

detecting whether said grid job comprises at least one of a batch type job comprising a grouping of a plurality of jobs not requiring human interaction for completion and with a timing term requirement of a set duration for completion of the said grouping of said plurality of jobs and a transaction type job requiring human interaction for each of a plurality of transactions with said timing term requirement specifying a percentage of said plurality of transactions to be completed in a particular amount of time and a total completion time for said plurality of transactions;

triggering a timer to monitor an amount of time from said grid job passing said timing entry point to a result of said grid job passing a timing exit point while flowing away from said grid environment;

enabling detection of said result of said grid job passing said timing exit point; and

in response to detecting said grid job comprises a batch type job;

before stopping said timer, executing a last result of said grouping of said plurality of jobs to pass said timing exit point;

controlling a determination of whether a value of said timer exceeds said set duration; and

calculating a bonus credit for said grid vendor reflecting a difference between said value of said timer and said set duration, in response to detecting that said value of said timer is less than said set duration;

in response to detecting said grid job comprises a transaction type job;

in response to detecting a separate transaction result for each of said plurality of transactions passing said timing exit point, adding said value of said timer to a cumulative timer and storing said value of said timer as a separate total time per transaction for each separate transaction result;

determining based on each said separate total time per transaction and a number of said plurality of transactions whether said grid vendor meets said time term requirement of said percentage of said plurality of transactions completed in said particular amount of time and determining whether the value of the cumulative timer exceeds the total completion time; and

in response to detecting at least one of said grid vendor not exceeding said time term requirement of said percentage of said plurality of transactions completed in said particular amount of time and said cumulative time not exceeding the total completion time, calculating said bonus credit for said grid vendor;

distributing said bonus credit by said at least one grid service to said client system, wherein said client system collects said bonus credit with a plurality of separate bonus credits received from a selection of a plurality of grid vendors each indicating compliance with said service level agreement to detect said selection of said plurality of grid vendors operating in compliance with said service level agreement.

12. The computer program product according to claim 11 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, further comprising:

means for calculating a restitution fee to compensate said client system submitting said grid job, in response to detecting that said value of said timer exceeds said timing term agreed to in said service level agreement; and

means for controlling a reconciliation with said client system through said restitution fee.

13. The computer program product according to claim 12 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, wherein said means for controlling a reconciliation with said client system through said restitution fee further comprises:

means for controlling distribution of a payment to said client system for said restitution fee.

15. The computer program product according to claim 11 for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment, further comprising:

means for enabling receipt of a bid request for said grid job from said client system, wherein said bid request specifies said performance requirements;

means for controlling a determination of whether said grid environment can handle said performance requirements; and

means for controlling distribution of a bid offer to said client to handle said grid job in compliance with said performance requirements, in response to a determination that said grid environment can handle said performance requirements.