Resource property aggregation in a multi-provider system

• US 8,219,668 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boykin, James R., Giammaria, Alberto, Griffin, Patricia D., Johnson, Mark W., Peters, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vicary, Keith
• Application Number:
  US12/241,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 718/104, 717/105
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]

Abstract

The present invention provides for resource property aggregation. A set of new instances is received from one or more providers. For each new instance in the set of new instances, a determination is made as to whether the new instance represents a same resource as at least one other instance. Responsive to determining that the new instance represents the same resource as another instance, a set of properties associated with the new instance and with the at least one other instance are identified. Each property from the new instance is compared to an associated property in the at least one other instance using a set of precedence rules. At least one property value is identified from either the new instance or the at least one other instance. An aggregate instance is then generated that represents the resource using the identified property values.

Claims

1. A method, in a data processing system, for resource property aggregation, the method comprising:

receiving a set of new instances from one or more providers;

for each new instance in the set of new instances, determining if the new instance represents a same resource as at least one other instance;

responsive to determining that the new instance represents the same resource as the another instance, identifying a set of properties associated with the new instance and a set of properties associated with the at least one other instance;

for each property in the set of properties associated with the new instance, comparing the property to an associated property in the set of properties associated with the at least one other instance using a set of precedence rules, wherein the set of precedence rules comprises at least one of a ModelName, PackageName, ClassName, PropertyName or a set of resource meta-properties, wherein the ModelName identifies a name of a model of the resource, wherein the PackageName identifies a name of a package of classes in the resource, wherein the ClassName identifies a name of an instance class of the resource, wherein the PropertyName identifies a name of an instance property of the resource, wherein the set of resource meta-properties comprises at least one of a ProviderName or a LastModificationTime, wherein the ProviderName identifies a name of a provider that acquired a set of property values, and wherein the LastModificationTime identifies a date and a time the set of property values of the resource were acquired;

based on the set of precedence rules, identifying at least one property value from either the set of properties associated with the new instance or the set of properties associated with the at least one other instance to be used as at least one aggregate value for an aggregate instance that represents the resource; and

generating the aggregate instance that represents the resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregate instance is stored in a result instance repository.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregate instance is sent to a user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other instance is already stored as at least one result instance in a result instance repository.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other instance is in the set of new instances.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the new instance fails to represent the same resource as the at least one other instance, storing the new instance in its entirety in a result instance repository.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the new instance fails to represent the same resource as the at least one other instance, sending the new instance to a user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of precedence rules is predetermined by a user.

9. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer recordable medium having a computer readable program recorded thereon, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

receive a set of new instances from one or more providers;

for each new instance in the set of new instances, determine if the new instance represents a same resource as at least one other instance;

responsive to determining that the new instance represents the same resource as the another instance, identify a set of properties associated with the new instance and a set of properties associated with the at least one other instance;

for each property in the set of properties associated with the new instance, compare the property to an associated property in the set of properties associated with the at least one other instance using a set of precedence rules, wherein the set of precedence rules comprises at least one of a ModelName, PackageName, ClassName, PropertyName or a set of resource meta-properties, wherein the ModelName identifies a name of a model of the resource, wherein the PackageName identifies a name of a package of classes in the resource, wherein the ClassName identifies a name of an instance class of the resource, wherein the PropertyName identifies a name of an instance property of the resource, wherein the set of resource meta-properties comprises at least one of a ProviderName or a LastModificationTime, wherein the ProviderName identifies a name of a provider that acquired a set of property values, and wherein the LastModificationTime identifies a date and a time the set of property values of the resource were acquired;

based on the set of precedence rules, identify at least one property value from either the set of properties associated with the new instance or the set of properties associated with the at least one other instance to be used as at least one aggregate value for an aggregate instance that represents the resource; and

generate the aggregate instance that represents the resource.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the aggregate instance is either stored in a result instance repository or sent to a user.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the at least one other instance is either already stored as at least one result instance in a result instance repository or is in the set of new instances.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:

responsive to determining that the new instance fails to represent the same resource as the at least one other instance, either store the new instance in its entirety in a result instance repository or send the new instance to a user.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the set of precedence rules is predetermined by a user.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a set of new instances from one or more providers;

for each new instance in the set of new instances, determine if the new instance represents a same resource as at least one other instance;

responsive to determining that the new instance represents the same resource as the another instance, identify a set of properties associated with the new instance and a set of properties associated with the at least one other instance;

for each property in the set of properties associated with the new instance, compare the property to an associated property in the set of properties associated with the at least one other instance using a set of precedence rules, wherein the set of precedence rules comprises at least one of a ModelName, PackageName, ClassName, PropertyName or a set of resource meta-properties, wherein the ModelName identifies a name of a model of the resource, wherein the PackageName identifies a name of a package of classes in the resource, wherein the ClassName identifies a name of an instance class of the resource, wherein the PropertyName identifies a name of an instance property of the resource, wherein the set of resource meta-properties comprises at least one of a ProviderName or a LastModificationTime, wherein the ProviderName identifies a name of a provider that acquired a set of property values, and wherein the LastModificationTime identifies a date and a time the set of property values of the resource were acquired;

based on the set of precedence rules, identify at least one property value from either the set of properties associated with the new instance or the set of properties associated with the at least one other instance to be used as at least one aggregate value for an aggregate instance that represents the resource; and

generate the aggregate instance that represents the resource.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the aggregate instance is either stored in a result instance repository or sent to a user.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one other instance is either already stored as at least one result instance in a result instance repository or is in the set of new instances.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

responsive to determining that the new instance fails to represent the same resource as the at least one other instance, either store the new instance in its entirety in a result instance repository or send the new instance to a user.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the set of precedence rules is predetermined by a user.