Methods and systems for matching resource requests with cloud computing environments

• US 8,402,139 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Ferris, James Michael, Riveros, Gerry Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M
• Application Number:
  US12/714,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20110213884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709217-227, 709228-229, 709/230
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine

Abstract

A matching system can provide matching services to users of cloud computing environments. The matching system can receive user requests for sets of services. Once received, the matching system can collect information about available cloud appliances. The matching system can match the cloud appliances with the user requested services and provide the user with information related to available cloud appliances that meet the user'"'"'s request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to instantiate a set of services in a cloud;

accessing, by a processor, at least one database comprising a catalog of available cloud appliances;

matching, by the processor, the request with at least one available cloud appliance from the catalog of available cloud appliances;

providing information about the at least one available cloud appliance, matched with the request, to the user; and

instantiating, by the processor, the requested set of services in the matched at least one available cloud appliance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing corresponding costs of the available cloud appliances in the catalog.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a request based on a deployment recommended configuration for the set of services.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving information corresponding to at least one of a previously purchased license, resource credit, or subscription.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving information corresponding to the at least one previously purchase license, resource credit, or subscription comprises receiving information corresponding to an on-premise license or subscription.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein matching the request with at least one available cloud appliance comprises:

comparing resource requirements of the at least one previously purchased license, resource credit, or subscription to resources of the at least one available cloud appliance; and

identifying at least one combination of cloud appliances that meets the resource requirements of the at least one previously purchased license, resource credit, or subscription.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to instantiate a set of services in a cloud comprises a request to instantiate one or more virtual machines and wherein the instantiating the requested set of services in the matched at least one available cloud appliance comprises instantiating one or more virtual machines in the matched at least one available cloud appliance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the matched at least one available cloud appliance comprises a plurality of available cloud appliances and where instantiating the requested set of services in the matched at least one available cloud appliance comprises instantiating the requested set of serves in the plurality of available cloud appliances.

9. A method comprising:

sending a request to instantiate a set of services;

receiving, by a processor, information about at least one available cloud appliance matching the set of services from a catalog of available cloud appliances stored in a database;

selecting one or more of the at least one available cloud appliance; and

instantiating, by the processor, the requested set of services in the matched at least one available cloud appliance.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein sending the request comprises sending recommended deployment options for the set of services.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein sending the request comprises sending information regarding at least one previously purchased license resource credit, or subscription.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the information is regarding an on-premise license, resource credit, or subscription.

13. A system comprising:

a network interface to at least one cloud computing system; and

a processor coupled to the network interface and configured to;

receive a request from a user to instantiate a set of services;

access at least one database comprising a catalog of available cloud appliances;

match the request with at least one available cloud appliance from the catalog of available cloud appliances;

provide information about the at least one available cloud appliance, matched with the request, to the user; and

instantiating the requested set of services in the matched at least one available cloud appliance.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to access corresponding costs of the available cloud appliances.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the request comprises a request based on a deployment recommended configuration.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the request comprises information regarding at least one previously purchased license, resource credit, or subscription.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the request comprises information regarding an on-premise license, resource credit, or subscription.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein matching the request to at least one available cloud appliance comprises:

comparing resource requirements of the at least one previously purchased license, resource credit, or subscription to resources of the at least one available cloud appliance; and

identifying at least one combination of cloud appliances that meets the resource requirements of the at least one previously purchased license, resource credit, or subscription.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to instantiate a set of services in a cloud;

accessing, by the processor, at least one database comprising a catalog of available cloud appliances;

matching, by the processor, the request with at least one available cloud appliance from the catalog of available cloud appliances;

providing information about the at least one available cloud appliance, matched with the request, to the user; and

instantiating, by the processor, the requested set of services in the matched at least one available cloud appliance.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises accessing corresponding costs of the available cloud appliances.