Migration estimation with partial data

• US 10,762,456 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 09/01/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Baker, John K., Huang, Yun-Wu, Markley, Matthew A., Parisa, Venkata Vinay, Pfitzmann, Birgit M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassim, Hafiz A
• Application Number:
  US14/501,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20160092813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,163 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment

Abstract

Access is obtained to raw historic information technology migration data, which data is transformed in accordance with a classification scheme to obtain classified key historic information technology migration data. A statistical model with conditional distributions of the key historic information technology migration data is built. Prior to a new information technology migration project, access is obtained to incomplete data characterizing the new information technology migration project. The statistical model is used to derive data missing from the incomplete data characterizing the new information technology migration project, to obtain derived data. At least one of a migration plan and an estimate for the new information technology migration project is created based on the incomplete data and the derived data.

Claims

1. A method for improving functionality of one or more computer systems with information technology migration to a cloud computing environment over one or more computer networks, the method comprising:

obtaining access to raw historic information technology migration data, the raw historic information technology migration data comprising at least one previously executed information technology migration plan and at least one cost associated with previous execution of said at least one previously executed information technology migration plan;

deriving a classification scheme at least in part by ranking one or more key factors based on their effect on said at least one cost associated with said at least one previously executed information technology migration plan;

transforming said raw historic information technology migration data in accordance with said classification scheme to obtain classified key historic information technology migration data;

building a statistical model with conditional distributions of said key historic information technology migration data;

prior to a new information technology migration project, obtaining access to incomplete data characterizing said new information technology migration project;

using said statistical model to derive data missing from said incomplete data characterizing said new information technology migration project, wherein at least a portion of said derived data is rounded based on said ranking of said one or more key factors;

creating a migration plan for said new information technology migration project based on said incomplete data and said derived data; and

executing said new information technology migration project at least in part by migrating said one or more computer systems to said cloud computing environment over said one or more computer networks in accordance with said migration plan, thereby improving functionality of said one or more computer systems.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising deriving said classification scheme according to influence of classes on migration plans, based on at least one existing migration plan with associated real costs.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said deriving comprises deriving said classification scheme with at least two classes comprising at least two of operating system, software type, hardware type, storage type, criticality, and clusteredness.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

said deriving comprises deriving said classification scheme with attributes for each of said at least two classes;

said at least two classes comprise operating system and hardware type;

said attributes for operating system comprise class, name, and version;

said attributes for hardware comprise whether virtualized, platform type, vendor, model, age, and size;

said statistical model comprises conditional probability of whether hardware is virtualized based on operating system class;

said incomplete data comprises operating system per server type without data indicating whether virtualized; and

said derived data comprises whether virtualized per operating system per server type, in accordance with said conditional probability.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein:

said deriving comprises deriving said classification scheme with attributes for each of said at least two classes;

said at least two classes comprise operating system and hardware type;

said attributes for operating system comprise class, name, and version;

said attributes for hardware comprise whether virtualized, platform type, vendor, model, age, and size;

said statistical model comprises conditional probability of operating system class based on whether hardware is virtualized;

said incomplete data comprises data indicating whether virtualized without operating system per server type; and

said derived data comprises operating system per server type, in accordance with said conditional probability.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising augmenting said statistical model by general constraints.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, in said incomplete data, data is missing across multi-dimensions, further comprising filling missing data for some of said dimensions using patterns from said historical data, and using patterns from existing partial data to augment remaining ones of said dimensions with missing data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a system, wherein the system comprises distinct software modules, each of the distinct software modules being embodied on a computer-readable storage medium, and wherein the distinct software modules comprise a database access module, a customer data estimation module, and a plan generation engine module;

wherein;

at least said obtaining of said access to said raw historic information technology migration data and said obtaining of said access to said incomplete data characterizing said new information technology migration project are carried out by said database access module executing on at least one hardware processor;

said using of said statistical model to derive said data missing from said incomplete data characterizing said new information technology migration project, to obtain said derived data, is carried out by said customer data estimation module executing on said at least one hardware processor; and

said creating said migration plan for said new information technology migration project based on said incomplete data and said derived data comprises creating at least said migration plan using said plan generation engine module executing on said at least one hardware processor.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting said one or more key factors based on their effect on said at least one cost associated with said at least one previously executed information technology migration plan, wherein said derived data comprises said one or more key factors.

10. A method for improving functionality of computer systems with information technology migration to a cloud computing environment over one or more computer networks, the method comprising:

obtaining access to raw historic information technology migration data;

transforming said raw historic information technology migration data in accordance with a classification scheme to obtain classified key historic information technology migration data;

building a statistical model with conditional distributions of said key historic information technology migration data;

prior to a new information technology migration project, obtaining access to incomplete data characterizing said new information technology migration project;

using said statistical model to derive data missing from said incomplete data characterizing said new information technology migration project, to obtain derived data;

creating a migration plan for said new information technology migration project based on said incomplete data and said derived data; and

executing said new information technology migration project at least in part by migrating at least a first one of computer systems to said cloud computing environment over said one or more computer networks in accordance with said migration plan, thereby improving functionality of at least said first one of said computer systems;

wherein said incomplete data comprises first incomplete data, said new information technology migration project comprises a first new information technology migration project, said derived data comprises first derived data, said statistical model comprises a first statistical model, and said migration plan comprises a first migration plan, further comprising;

prior to a second new information technology migration project, obtaining access to second incomplete data characterizing said second new information technology migration project;

determining that said second incomplete data do not fit said first statistical model;

building a second statistical model based on said second incomplete data and said classified key historic information technology migration data;

using said second statistical model to derive data missing from said second incomplete data characterizing said second new information technology migration project, to obtain second derived data;

creating a second migration plan for said second new information technology migration project based on said second incomplete data and said second derived data; and

executing said second new information technology migration project at least in part by migrating at least a second one of said computer systems to said cloud computing environment over said one or more computer networks in accordance with said second migration plan, thereby improving functionality of at least said second one of said computer systems.

11. An apparatus for improving functionality of one or more computer systems with information technology migration to a cloud computing environment over one or more computer networks, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to said memory, and operative to;

obtain access to raw historic information technology migration data, the raw historic information technology migration data comprising at least one previously executed information technology migration plan and at least one cost associated with previous execution of said at least one previously executed information technology migration plan;

derive a classification scheme at least in part by ranking one or more key factors based on their effect on said at least one cost associated with said at least one previously executed information technology migration plan;

transform said raw historic information technology migration data in accordance with said classification scheme to obtain classified key historic information technology migration data;

build a statistical model with conditional distributions of said key historic information technology migration data;

prior to a new information technology migration project, obtain access to incomplete data characterizing said new information technology migration project;

use said statistical model to derive data missing from said incomplete data characterizing said new information technology migration project, wherein at least a portion of said derived data is rounded based on said ranking of said one or more key factors;

create a migration plan for said new information technology migration project based on said incomplete data and said derived data; and

execute said new information technology migration project at least in part by migrating said one or more computer systems to said cloud computing environment over said one or more computer networks in accordance with said migration plan, thereby improving functionality of at least said one or more computer systems.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said at least one processor is further operative to derive said classification scheme according to influence of classes on migration plans, based on at least one existing migration plan with associated real costs.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said deriving comprises deriving said classification scheme with at least two classes comprising at least two of operating system, software type, hardware type, storage type, criticality, and clusteredness.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said at least one processor is further operative to augment said statistical model by general constraints.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, in said incomplete data, data is missing across multi-dimensions, wherein said at least one processor is further operative to fill missing data for some of said dimensions using patterns from said historical data, and use patterns from existing partial data to augment remaining ones of said dimensions with missing data.

16. An apparatus for improving functionality of one or more computer systems with information technology migration to a cloud computing environment over one or more computer networks, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to said memory, and operative to;

obtain access to raw historic information technology migration data;

transform said raw historic information technology migration data in accordance with a classification scheme to obtain classified key historic information technology migration data;

build a statistical model with conditional distributions of said key historic information technology migration data;

prior to a new information technology migration project, obtain access to incomplete data characterizing said new information technology migration project;

use said statistical model to derive data missing from said incomplete data characterizing said new information technology migration project, to obtain derived data;

create a migration plan for said new information technology migration project based on said incomplete data and said derived data; and

execute said new information technology migration project at least in part by migrating at least a first one of computer systems to said cloud computing environment over said one or more computer networks in accordance with said migration plan, thereby improving functionality of at least said first one of said computer systems;

wherein said incomplete data comprises first incomplete data, said new information technology migration project comprises a first new information technology migration project, said derived data comprises first derived data, said statistical model comprises a first statistical model, and said migration plan comprises a first migration plan, wherein said at least one processor is further operative to;

prior to a second new information technology migration project, obtain access to second incomplete data characterizing said second new information technology migration project;

determine that said second incomplete data do not fit said first statistical model;

build a second statistical model based on said second incomplete data and said classified key historic information technology migration data;

use said second statistical model to derive data missing from said second incomplete data characterizing said second new information technology migration project, to obtain second derived data;

create a second migration plan for said second new information technology migration project based on said second incomplete data and said second derived data; and

execute said second new information technology migration project at least in part by migrating at least a second one of said computer systems to said cloud computing environment over said one or more computer networks in accordance with said second migration plan, thereby improving functionality of at least said second one of said computer systems.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, and wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method for improving functionality of one or more computer systems with information technology migration to a cloud computing environment over one or more computer networks, the method comprising:

obtaining access to raw historic information technology migration data, the raw historic information technology migration data comprising at least one previously executed information technology migration plan and at least one cost associated with previous execution of said at least one previously executed information technology migration plan;

deriving a classification scheme at least in part by ranking one or more key factors based on their effect on said at least one cost associated with said at least one previously executed information technology migration plan;

transforming said raw historic information technology migration data in accordance with said classification scheme to obtain classified key historic information technology migration data;

building a statistical model with conditional distributions of said key historic information technology migration data;

prior to a new information technology migration project, obtaining access to incomplete data characterizing said new information technology migration project;

using said statistical model to derive data missing from said incomplete data characterizing said new information technology migration project, wherein at least a portion of said derived data is rounded based on said ranking of said one or more key factors;

creating a migration plan for said new information technology migration project based on said incomplete data and said derived data; and

executing said new information technology migration project at least in part by migrating said one or more computer systems to said cloud computing environment over said one or more computer networks in accordance with said migration plan, thereby improving functionality of said one or more computer systems.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the program instructions are further executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method further comprising deriving said classification scheme according to influence of classes on migration plans, based on at least one existing migration plan with associated real costs.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said deriving comprises deriving said classification scheme with at least two classes comprising at least two of operating system, software type, hardware type, storage type, criticality, and clusteredness.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein:

the method further comprises providing a system, wherein the system comprises distinct software modules, each of the distinct software modules being embodied on the computer-readable storage medium, and wherein the distinct software modules comprise a database access module, a customer data estimation module, and a plan generation engine module;

at least said obtaining of said access to said raw historic information technology migration data and said obtaining of said access to said incomplete data characterizing said new information technology migration project are carried out by said database access module executing on at least one hardware processor;

said using of said statistical model to derive said data missing from said incomplete data characterizing said new information technology migration project, to obtain said derived data, is carried out by said customer data estimation module executing on said at least one hardware processor; and

said creating said migration plan for said new information technology migration project based on said incomplete data and said derived data comprises creating at least said migration plan using said plan generation engine module executing on said at least one hardware processor.