Resource planning and data interchange functionality within a cloud computing environment

• US 8,396,989 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chaturvedi, Vinatha, Chavda, Kavita, Dawson, Christopher J., Devine, Wesley M., Nellutla, Thirumal
• Primary Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US12/636,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 709/238, 709/244
• US Class Current: 709/244
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals

Abstract

The present invention provides technology neutral process integration (Cloud Resource Planning), and optimization methodology leveraging a business meta-schema format Cloud Data Interchange (CDI) to integrate, enable, and invoke Cloud services. One example is that the present invention provides a management layer at the process level. There can be multiple Cloud implementations/types within a govern enterprise—perhaps utilizing different infrastructure (e.g., hardware of one supplier versus that of another) or different areas of functionality (computing services, storage services, etc). This disclosure provides an abstraction or ‘resource planning’ layer above these core services such that a customer does not have to have knowledge or choose different Cloud types and/or understand or choose each underlying service. As such, it provides a ‘one stop’ portal.

Claims

1. A method for providing resource planning and data interchange functionality within a Cloud computing environment, comprising:

receiving a request for Cloud services at a Cloud portal hub of the Cloud computing environment;

determining a plurality of domains of the requested Cloud services from a set of domains based on content of the request, the set of domains comprising platform as a service, software as a service, infrastructure as a service, and business process as a service;

determining a Cloud implementation from a set of Cloud implementations for handling the request based on the content of the request;

identifying at least one Cloud having the determined Cloud implementation, the at least one Cloud providing services of at least one of the determined plurality of domains;

routing the request to the identified at least one Cloud via the Cloud portal hub; and

integrating the services provided by the identified at least one Cloud to provision the requested Cloud services.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a Cloud service provider from a set of Cloud service providers for fulfilling the request at the Cloud portal hub, the routing further comprising routing the request to the Cloud service provider via the Cloud portal hub.

3. The method of claim 2, the Cloud service provider being available via the identified at least one Cloud.

4. The method of claim 1, the set of Cloud implementations comprising:

a private Cloud, a public Cloud, a hybrid Cloud, and a community Cloud.

5. The method of claim 1, the Cloud portal hub being configured to receive requests from a plurality of requesters at a plurality of locations.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving metadata into the Cloud portal hub through a Cloud data interchange; and

organizing the metadata into a database associating Cloud implementations and Cloud service providers with Cloud services.

21. The method of claim 6, the determining a Cloud implementation comprising accessing the database to identify the Cloud implementation.

7. A Cloud portal hub for providing resource planning and data interchange functionality within a Cloud computing environment, comprising:

a memory medium comprising instructions;

a bus coupled to the memory medium; and

a processor coupled to the bus that when executing the instructions causes the Cloud hub to;

receive a request for Cloud services at a Cloud portal hub of the Cloud computing environment;

determine a plurality of domains of the requested Cloud services from a set of domains based on content of the request, the set of domains comprising platform as a service, software as a service, infrastructure as a service, and business process as a service;

determine a Cloud implementation from a set of Cloud implementations for handling the request based on the content of the request;

identify at least one Cloud having the determined Cloud implementation, the at least one Cloud providing services of at least one of the determined plurality of domains;

route the request to the identified at least one Cloud via the Cloud portal hub; and

integrate the services provided by the identified at least one Cloud to provision the requested Cloud services.

8. The Cloud portal hub of claim 7, the Cloud portal hub further being caused to:

determine a Cloud service provider from a set of Cloud service providers for fulfilling the request; and

route the request to the Cloud service provider via the Cloud.

9. The Cloud portal hub of claim 8, the Cloud service provider being available via the identified at least one Cloud.

10. The Cloud portal hub of claim 7, the set of Cloud implementations comprising:

a private Cloud, a public Cloud, a hybrid Cloud, and a community Cloud.

11. The Cloud portal hub of claim 7, the Cloud portal hub being configured to receive requests from a plurality of requesters at a plurality of locations.

12. The Cloud portal hub of claim 7, the Cloud portal hub further being caused to:

receive metadata through a Cloud data interchange; and

organize the metadata into a database associating Cloud implementations and Cloud service providers with Cloud services.

22. The Cloud portal hub of claim 12, the Cloud portal hub further being caused to access the database to determine the Cloud implementation.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program product for providing resource planning and data interchange functionality within a Cloud computing environment, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program code for causing a Cloud portal hub to:

receive a request for Cloud services at a Cloud portal hub of the Cloud computing environment;

determine a plurality of domains of the requested Cloud services from a set of domains based on content of the request, the set of domains comprising platform as a service, software as a service, infrastructure as a service, and business process as a service;

determine a Cloud implementation from a set of Cloud implementations for handling the request based on the content of the request;

identify at least one Cloud having the determined Cloud implementation, the at least one Cloud providing services of at least one of the determined plurality of domains;

route the request to the identified at least one Cloud via the Cloud portal hub; and

integrate the services provided by the identified at least one Cloud to provision the requested Cloud services.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 13, the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprising program code for causing the Cloud portal hub to:

determine a Cloud service provider from a set of Cloud service providers for fulfilling the request; and

route the request to the Cloud service provider via the Cloud portal hub.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 14, the Cloud service provider being available via the identified at least one Cloud.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 13, the set of Cloud implementations comprising:

a private Cloud, a public Cloud, a hybrid Cloud, and a community Cloud.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 13, the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprising program code for causing the Cloud portal hub to receive requests from a plurality of requesters at a plurality of locations.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 13, further comprising program code for causing the Cloud portal hub to:

receive metadata through a Cloud data interchange; and

organize the metadata into a database associating Cloud implementations and Cloud service providers with Cloud services.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 18, the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprising program code for causing the Cloud portal hub to access the database to identify the Cloud implementation.

19. A method for deploying a system for providing resource planning and data interchange functionality within a Cloud computing environment, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

receive a request for Cloud services at a Cloud portal hub of the Cloud computing environment;

determine a plurality of domains of the requested Cloud services from a set of domains based on content of the request, the set of domains comprising platform as a service, software as a service, infrastructure as a service, and business process as a service;

determine a Cloud implementation from a set of Cloud implementations for handling the request based on the content of the request;

identify at least one Cloud having the determined Cloud implementation, the at least one Cloud providing services of at least one of the determined plurality of domains;

route the request to the identified at least one Cloud via the Cloud portal hub; and

integrate the services provided by the identified at least one Cloud to provision the requested Cloud services.

20. The method of claim 19, the computer infrastructure being the Cloud portal hub.