SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING MULTI-LEVEL SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS IN CLOUD-BASED NETWORKS

• US 20110296019A1
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 of managing a multi-level service level agreement (SLA) with a user, comprising:

identifying, within the multi-level SLA, a first commitment level and a second commitment level for virtual machines in one or more cloud networks;

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

adjusting resources associated with the virtual machines in the one or more cloud networks from the first commitment level to the second commitment level in response to detecting the triggering event.

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the resources associated with the virtual machines in the one or more cloud networks comprises adjusting an amount of instantiated virtual machines across multiple clouds of the one or more cloud networks.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the resources associated with the virtual machines in the one or more cloud networks comprises:

terminating a first set of virtual machines within a first cloud network of the one or more cloud networks; and

instantiating a second set of virtual machines within a second cloud network of the one or more cloud networks.

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

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event corresponds to an end user operation condition of the set of virtual machines in the one or more cloud networks.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-level SLA describes resource use related to one or more 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.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an output report to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual machines in the one or more cloud networks support one or more applications of an independent software vendor (ISV).

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

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, within the multi-level SLA, a third commitment level for the virtual machines in the one or more cloud networks;

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 one or more cloud networks from the second commitment level to the third commitment level in response to detecting the second triggering event.

12. A system for managing a multi-level service level agreement (SLA) with a user, comprising:

an interface to one or more cloud networks to which the user is registered and in which virtual machines are hosted; and

a processor, communicating with the one or more cloud networks, the user, and the virtual machines via the interface to the one or more cloud networks, the processor being configured to—

identify, within the multi-level SLA, a first commitment level and a second commitment level for the virtual machines in the one or more cloud networks;

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

adjust resources associated with the virtual machines in the one or more cloud networks from the first commitment level to the second commitment level in response to the detection of the triggering event.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein adjusting the resources associated with the virtual machines in the one or more cloud networks comprises adjusting an amount of instantiated virtual machines within one cloud network of the one or more cloud networks.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein adjusting the resources associated with the virtual machines in the one or more cloud networks comprises adjusting an amount of instantiated virtual machines across multiple clouds of the one or more cloud networks.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein adjusting the resources associated with the virtual machines in the one or more cloud networks comprises:

terminating a first set of virtual machines within a first cloud network of the one or more cloud networks; and

instantiating a second set of virtual machines within a second cloud network of the one or more cloud networks.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the triggering event corresponds to a time period schedule.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the triggering event corresponds to an end user operation condition of the set of virtual machines in the one or more cloud networks.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the multi-level SLA describes resource use related to one or more 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.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to provide an output report to the user.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the virtual machines in one or more cloud networks support applications of an independent software vendor (ISV).

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether terms of the multi-level SLA have been fulfilled.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify, within the multi-level SLA, a third commitment level for the virtual machines in the one or more cloud networks;

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 one or more cloud networks from the second commitment level to the third commitment level in response to detecting the second triggering event.