Adaptive resource management

• US 8,180,868 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2008
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Donatelli, Alessandro, Marinelli, Claudio, Di Balsamo, Arcangelo, D'Alo′, Salvatore
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Clayton R
• Application Number:
  US12/268,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20090119390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A resource management method and a corresponding system implementing an adaptive model are proposed. The method allows an authority to define a desired target state of several kinds of resources, which are directly controlled by different subjects. The authority publishes a series of rules in a shared repository; each rule indicates the target state of a resource for a corresponding category of the subjects. Each subject retrieves the rules corresponding to its category from the shared repository. The rules are then applied by the subject directly. In this way, the subjects self-adapt to the rules, without requiring any direct interaction with the authority.

Claims

1. In a data processing structure with a distributed architecture including a plurality of subject entities and an authority entity, a resource management method for configuring the plurality of subject entities, each subject entity of the plurality of subject entities belonging to at least two of a plurality of categories and controlling an instance of at least one resource, the authority entity defining a target state of the at least one resource, wherein the method includes the steps of:

the data processing system publishing, under the control of the authority entity, a plurality of rules each one including an indication of the target state of a resource for a corresponding category of the plurality of categories that each subject entity belongs to, wherein each subject entity is assigned to the at least two of the plurality of categories based on a logical and physical characteristic of the each subject entity,

each subject entity performing a self-configuration of itself by (i) retrieving the rules corresponding to the at least two of the plurality of categories of the subject entity, and (ii) applying each retrieved rule to self-configure the subject entity according to the target state indicated in the rule.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of publishing the rules includes inserting the rules into a shared memory space directly accessible by the plurality of subject entities without having to access the authority entity.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of retrieving the rules corresponding to the at least two of the plurality of categories of the subject entity includes:

periodically requesting the rules corresponding to the at least two of the plurality of categories of the subject entity to an engine controlling the shared memory space, and

returning the rules available in the shared memory space for the at least two of the plurality of categories of the subject entity.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of retrieving the rules corresponding to the at least two of the plurality of categories of the subject entity includes:

submitting, by the subject entity, a request for the rules corresponding to the at least two of the plurality of categories of the subject entity to an engine controlling the shared memory space,

storing the request by the engine,

inserting a new rule into the shared memory space, and

returning the new rule to the subject entity if matching the stored request.

5. The method according to claim 1, further including the steps of:

storing an indication of the rules applied on the subject entity, and

periodically re-applying the applied rules.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying each retrieved rule includes:

detecting a current state of the instance of the resource indicated in the retrieved rule,

determining at least one management action required to bring the instance of the resource from the current state to the target state indicated in the retrieved rule, and

executing the at least one management action.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of applying each retrieved rule further includes:

verifying whether the instance of the resource features an inconsistency, and

setting the current state of the instance of the resource to a value indicative of the inconsistency if the result of the verification is positive.

8. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon that is directly loadable into a working memory of a data processing structure with a distributed architecture for performing the resource management method of claim 1 when the program code is run on the data processing structure.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least two categories comprises a static logic component category that specifies a particular group of users or types of entities and is derived from an identification code that is provided during a login procedure, and a physical category that is based on hardware and software characteristics of the subject entity.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein another of the at least two categories comprises a dynamic logic component category that is retrieved from a database using an identifier of the subject entity.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a transition table having an entry for each resource controlled by the subject entity that indicates an action required to bring the resource from a current state of the resource to the target state.

12. In a data processing structure with a distributed architecture including a plurality of subject entities and an authority entity, a method performed by a computer program directly loadable into a working memory of a computer of the authority entity for performing a resource management method for configuring the plurality of subject entities when the computer program is run on the computer, each subject entity of the plurality of subject entities belonging to at least two of a plurality of categories and controlling an instance of at least one resource, the authority entity defining a target state of the at least one resource, wherein the method includes the steps of:

the data processing system publishing a plurality of rules each one including an indication of the target state of a resource for a corresponding category of the plurality of categories that each subject entity belongs to, for causing each subject entity to perform a self-configuration of itself by (i) retrieving the rules corresponding to the at least two of the plurality of categories of the subject entity and (ii) applying each retrieved rule to self-configure the subject entity according to the target state indicated in the rule, wherein each subject entity is assigned to the at least two of the plurality of categories based on a logical and physical characteristic of the each subject entity.

13. In a data processing structure with a distributed architecture including a plurality of subject entities and an authority entity, a method performed by a computer program directly loadable into a working memory of a computer of a subject entity of the plurality of subject entities for performing a resource management method for configuring the subject entity when the computer program is run on the computer, each subject entity of the plurality of subject entities belonging to at least two of a plurality of categories and controlling an instance of at least one resource, the authority entity defining a target state of the at least one resource by publishing a plurality of rules each one including an indication of the target state of a resource for a corresponding category of the plurality of categories that each subject entity belongs to, wherein the method includes the steps, which are performed by each subject entity of:

the subject entity retrieving the rules corresponding to the at least two of the plurality of categories of the subject entity, and

the subject entity applying each retrieved rule to self-configure the subject entity according to the target state indicated in the rule, wherein each subject entity is assigned to the at least two of the plurality of categories based on a logical and physical characteristic of the each subject entity.

14. The data processing structure according to claim 13, wherein the at least two categories comprises a static logic component category that specifies a particular group of users or types of entities and is derived from an identification code that is provided during a login procedure, and a physical category that is based on hardware and software characteristics of the subject entity.

15. The data processing structure according to claim 14, wherein another of the at least two categories comprises a dynamic logic component category that is retrieved from a database using an identifier of the subject entity.

16. The data processing structure according to claim 13, further comprising a transition table having an entry for each resource controlled by the subject entity that indicates an action required to bring the resource from a current state of the resource to the target state.

17. In a data processing structure with a distributed architecture including a processor, a memory, a plurality of subject entities and an authority entity, a resource management system for configuring the plurality of subject entities, each subject entity of the plurality of subject entities belonging to at least two of a plurality of categories and controlling an instance of at least one resource, the authority entity including program instructions to define a target state of the at least one resource by publishing a plurality of rules each one including an indication of the target state of a resource for a corresponding category of the plurality of categories that each subject entity belongs to, wherein each subject entity is assigned to the at least two of the plurality of categories based on a logical and physical characteristic of the each subject entity, and each subject entity including program instructions to perform a self-configuration of itself, including (i) program instructions to retrieve the rules corresponding to the at least two of the plurality of categories of the subject entity and (ii) program instructions to apply each retrieved rule to self-configure the subject entity according to the target state indicated in the rule.

18. In a data processing structure with a distributed architecture including a processor, a memory, a plurality of subject entities and an authority entity, a computer system of an authority entity suitable to be used in a resource management method for configuring the plurality of subject entities, each subject entity of the plurality of subject entities belonging to at least two of a plurality of categories and controlling an instance of at least one resource, the authority entity defining a target state of the at least one resource, wherein the computer system includes program instructions to publish a plurality of rules each one including an indication of the target state of a resource for a corresponding category of the plurality of categories that each subject entity belongs to, wherein each subject entity is assigned to the at least two of the plurality of categories based on a logical and physical characteristic of the each subject entity, and program instructions to cause each subject entity to perform a self-configuration of itself by (i) retrieving the rules corresponding to the at least two of the plurality of categories of the subject entity and (ii) applying each retrieved rule to self-configure the subject entity according to the target state indicated in the rule.

19. In a data processing structure with a distributed architecture including a processor, a memory, a plurality of subject entities and an authority entity, a computer system of a subject entity suitable to be used in a resource management method for configuring the plurality of subject entities, each subject entity of the plurality of subject entities belonging to at least two of a plurality of categories and controlling an instance of at least one resource, the authority entity defining a target state of the at least one resource by publishing a plurality of rules each one including an indication of the target state of a resource for a corresponding category of the plurality of categories that each subject entity belongs to, wherein each subject entity is assigned to the at least two of the plurality of categories based on a logical and physical characteristic of the each subject entity, wherein the computer system includes, for each subject entity, program instructions to retrieve the rules corresponding to the at least two of the plurality of categories of the subject entity, and program instructions to apply each retrieved rule to self-configure the subject entity according to the target state indicated in the rule.