Conditional computer runtime control of an information technology environment based on pairing constructs

• US 8,346,931 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bobak, Mythili K., Chang, Chun-Shi, McConnell, Tim A., Swanson, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, DUYEN MY
• Application Number:
  US11/965,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20090172668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 705/7, 718/104
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/16 Error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in hardware

Abstract

Management of an Information Technology (IT) environment is conditionally controlled based on runtime analysis of resource pairing constructs. Resource pairings are provided, and evaluated based on the current state of the environment. This real-time information is then used in performing managerial tasks, the results of which are effected by the runtime conditions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of facilitating management of an Information Technology (IT) environment, said method comprising:

evaluating at runtime, by a processor, a pairing construct usable in managing the IT environment, the pairing construct being explicitly defined and including a first specified resource, a second specified resource and an explicit directive to act on the specified second resource, the evaluating at runtime comprising using one or more runtime characteristics of the IT environment to assess based on the then current runtime environment an effect of the pairing construct on a current runtime state of the IT environment to determine whether the pairing construct is to be used in runtime management of the IT environment; and

conditionally controlling management of the IT environment based on the runtime evaluation of the pairing construct, wherein the conditionally controlling comprises using the pairing construct to manage the IT environment, based on the evaluating at runtime determining that the pairing construct is to be used.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a result of a task to be performed in managing the IT environment is effected by the current runtime evaluation of the pairing construct.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the pairing construct further comprises a set of conditions to control enforcement of the pairing construct based on runtime characteristics of the IT environment.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first resource comprises one of the following resource types:

a resource;

a resource and resource operation;

a resource and property, value;

or a resource and state, value; and

wherein the second resource comprises one of the following resource types;

a resource;

a resource and operation;

a resource and state;

or a resource and state, value.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the directive includes ordering of operations across the first resource and the second resource indicating one operation of a resource of the first resource or the second resource is to be performed after or before another operation of another resource of the first resource or the second resource.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating comprises evaluating a plurality of pairing constructs to determine whether one or more pairing constructs of the plurality of pairing constructs is to be used in runtime management of the IT environment.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising revising the pairing construct in real-time, wherein runtime behavior of the IT environment is dynamically altered based on the revision.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising adding a pairing construct in real-time, wherein the runtime behavior of the IT environment is dynamically altered based on the addition.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the pairing construct is customizable.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising using at least one pairing construct of one or more pairing constructs to provide predictive analysis for the IT environment.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the predictive analysis includes at least one of:

an assessment of impact of failures;

an assessment of business application constraints;

an assessment of operation ordering;

an assessment of co-location;

an assessment of operation effect;

or

an assessment of preparatory effect.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the directive includes impact of resource property specifying an impact of one resource of the first resource or the second resource on another resource of the first resource or the second resource in terms of degradation or impact.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the directive includes operation effect specifying an effect executing an operation on a resource of the first resource or the second resource can have on a state of the resource.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the directive includes preparatory effect specifying an effect a preparatory operation can have on a recovery operation.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the directive includes co-location of resources indicating whether the first resource is to be hosted on a same container as the second resource.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the directive includes one or more constraints on recovery actions that may be taken.

12. A computer system for facilitating management of an Information Technology (IT) environment, said computer system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in communications with the memory, wherein the computer system is configured to perform a method, the method comprising;

evaluating at runtime, by a processor, a pairing construct usable in managing the IT environment, the pairing construct being explicitly defined and including a first specified resource, a second specified resource and an explicit directive to act on the specified second resource, the evaluating at runtime comprising using one or more runtime characteristics of the IT environment to assess based on the then current runtime environment an effect of the pairing construct on a current state of the IT environment to determine whether the pairing construct is to be used in runtime management of the IT environment; and

conditionally controlling management of the IT environment based on the runtime evaluation of the pairing construct, wherein the conditionally controlling comprises using the pairing construct to manage the IT environment, based on the evaluating at runtime determining that the pairing construct is to be used.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the evaluating comprises evaluating a plurality of pairing constructs to determine whether one or more pairing constructs of the plurality of pairing constructs is to be used in runtime management of the IT environment.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises using at least one pairing construct of one or more pairing constructs to provide predictive analysis for the IT environment.

15. A computer program product for facilitating management of an Information Technology (IT) environment, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processor and storing instructions for execution by the processor for performing a method comprising;

evaluating at runtime a pairing construct usable in managing the IT environment, the pairing construct being explicitly defined and including a first specified resource a second specified resource and an explicit directive to act on the specified second resource, the evaluating at runtime comprising using one or more runtime characteristics of the IT environment to assess based on the then current runtime environment an effect of the pairing construct on a current state of the IT environment to determine whether the pairing construct is to be used in runtime management of the IT environment; and

conditionally controlling management of the IT environment based on the runtime evaluation of the pairing construct, wherein the conditionally controlling comprises using the pairing construct to manage the IT environment, based on the evaluating at runtime determining that the pairing construct is to be used.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the evaluating comprises evaluating a plurality of pairing constructs to determine whether one or more pairing constructs of the plurality of pairing constructs is to be used in runtime management of the IT environment.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises revising the pairing construct in real-time, wherein runtime behavior of the IT environment is dynamically altered based on the revision.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises using at least one pairing construct of one or more pairing constructs to provide predictive analysis for the IT environment.