Managing multi-level service level agreements in cloud-based network

• US 8,909,783 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• 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): Nguyen, Dustin
• Application Number:
  US12/789,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20110296019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/226, 709/223, 705/7.27, 705/10, 705/80, 718/1, 717/177, 726/23, 726/24
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for managing multi-level service level agreements (SLAs) in cloud-based networks. A resource managing module can manage resources in the cloud-based networks in response to the detection of one or more triggering events. In embodiments, the triggering events can be changeovers in time periods, or meeting or exceeding thresholds associated with end user operation of the resources in the cloud-based networks. The multi-level SLAs can specify how to adjust the resources in the cloud-based networks in response to the detection of the triggering events. The resource managing module can adjust applicable resources in the cloud-based networks as specified by the multi-level SLAs.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, within a multi-level service level agreement (SLA), a first commitment level indicating a first amount of instantiated virtual machines and a second commitment level indicating a second amount of instantiated virtual machines for virtual machines in a cloud network;

detecting, by a processor, a triggering event that indicates a change should be made from the first commitment level to the second commitment level;

generating a resource aggregation table comprising a plurality of sets of resources;

identifying a set of resources from the plurality of sets of resources to supply an additional amount of instantiated virtual machines;

adjusting resources associated with the virtual machines in the cloud network from the first commitment level to the second commitment level using the identified set of resources in response to detecting the triggering event, wherein adjusting the resources associated with the virtual machines in the cloud network comprises adjusting the amount of instantiated virtual machines across the cloud network and a second cloud network;

determining whether a process on a virtual machine in the cloud network is infected by a computer virus; and

terminating the process in response to determining whether the process on the virtual machine in the cloud network is infected by the computer virus.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the resources associated with the virtual machines in the cloud network comprises adjusting an amount of instantiated virtual machines within the cloud network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the resources associated with the virtual machines in the cloud network comprises:

terminating a first set of virtual machines within the cloud network; and

instantiating a second set of virtual machines within the second cloud network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event corresponds to a time period schedule.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event corresponds to an end user operation condition of the virtual machines in the cloud network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-level SLA describes resource use related to at least one of server uptime, software application instantiation, engineering support, persistent storage, physical security, network performance, domain name services, cloud network storage, support response time, or server reboot.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an output report to a user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual machines in the cloud network supports an application of an independent software vendor (ISV).

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether terms of the multi-level SLA have been fulfilled.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, within the multi-level SLA, a third commitment level indicating a third amount of instantiated virtual machines for the virtual machines in the cloud network;

detecting a second triggering event that indicates a change should be made from the second commitment level to the third commitment level; and

adjusting resources associated with the virtual machines in the cloud network from the second commitment level to the third commitment level in response to detecting the second triggering event.

11. A system comprising:

an interface to a cloud network and in which virtual machines are hosted; and

a processor to communicate with the cloud network, the processor to;

identify, within the multi-level SLA, a first commitment level indicating a first amount of instantiated virtual machines and a second commitment level indicating a second amount of instantiated virtual machines for the virtual machines in the cloud network;

detect a triggering event that indicates a change should be made from the first commitment level to the second commitment level;

generate a resource aggregation table comprising a plurality of sets of resources;

identify a set of resources from the plurality of sets of resources to supply an additional amount of instantiated virtual machines;

adjust resources associated with the virtual machines in the cloud network from the first commitment level to the second commitment level using the identified set of resources in response to the detection of the triggering event, wherein adjust resources associated with the virtual machines in the cloud network comprises adjust an amount of instantiated virtual machines across the cloud network and a second cloud network;

determine whether a process on a virtual machine in the cloud network is infected by a computer virus; and

terminate the process in response to determine whether the process on the virtual machine in the cloud network is infected by the computer virus.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein adjust resources associated with the virtual machines in the cloud network comprises adjust an amount of instantiated virtual machines within the cloud network.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein adjust resources associated with the virtual machines in the cloud network comprises:

terminate a first set of virtual machines within the cloud network; and

instantiate a second set of virtual machines within the second cloud network.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the triggering event corresponds to a time period schedule.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the triggering event corresponds to an end user operation condition of the virtual machines in the cloud network.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the multi-level SLA describes resource use related to one of server uptime, software application instantiation, engineering support, persistent storage, physical security, network performance, domain name services, cloud network storage, support response time, and server reboot.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the virtual machines in the cloud network supports an application of an independent software vendor (ISV).

18. The system of claim 11, the processor further to determine whether terms of the multi-level SLA have been fulfilled.

19. The system of claim 11, the processor further to:

identify, within the multi-level SLA, a third commitment level indicating a third amount of instantiated virtual machines for the virtual machines in the cloud network;

detect a second triggering event that indicates a change should be made from the second commitment level to the third commitment level; and

adjust resources associated with the virtual machines in the cloud network from the second commitment level to the third commitment level in response to detecting the second triggering event.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising data that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to execute operations comprising:

identifying, within a multi-level service level agreement (SLA), a first commitment level indicating a first amount of instantiated virtual machines and a second commitment level indicating a second amount of instantiated virtual machines for virtual machines in a cloud network;

detecting, by the processor, a triggering event that indicates a change should be made from the first commitment level to the second commitment level;

generating a resource aggregation table comprising a plurality of sets of resources;

identifying a set of resources from the plurality of sets of resources to supply an additional amount of instantiated virtual machines;

adjusting resources associated with the virtual machines in the cloud network from the first commitment level to the second commitment level using the identified set of resources in response to detecting the triggering event, wherein adjust resources associated with the virtual machines in the cloud network comprises adjust an amount of instantiated virtual machines across the cloud network and a second cloud network;

determining whether a process on a virtual machine in the cloud network is infected by a computer virus; and

terminating the process in response to determining whether the process on the virtual machine in the cloud network is infected by the computer virus.