Cohort Manipulation and Optimization

• US 20130144676A1
• Filed: 01/08/2013
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, University College Dublin
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Sullivan, Patrick J., Thorburn, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,495,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

An approach is provided to visually depict cohort data to a user. The approach includes receiving a cohort display request (e.g., from a user, etc.). In response to the request, the approach retrieves a plurality of cohort data records, with each of the cohort data records corresponding to a cohort selected from a group of cohorts. In this approach, the group of cohorts represent similar computer systems. The approach displays a set of graphic user interface (GUI) controls on a display device, with each of the GUI controls corresponds to one of the retrieved cohort data records. A user selection is received that corresponds to a selected one of the GUI controls. The system responds by executing a cohort action on the cohort corresponding to the selected GUI control.

Claims

1. A method, in a data processing system comprising at least one computing device and a plurality of computing resources, comprising:

receiving a cohort display request;

retrieving a plurality of cohort data records in response to the received request, wherein each of the cohort data records corresponds to a cohort selected from a plurality of cohorts, and wherein the plurality of cohorts are similar computer systems;

displaying a plurality of graphic user interface (GUI) controls on a display device, wherein each of the GUI controls corresponds to one of the retrieved cohort data records;

receiving a user selection corresponding to a selected one of the GUI controls; and

execute a cohort action on the cohort corresponding to the selected GUI control.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting at one or more computing environment entitlement contract (CEEC) data structures corresponding to one of the displayed cohort GUI controls, wherein each CEEC data structure defining terms of a business level agreement between a contracting party and a provider of the data processing system, wherein the terms of the CEEC specify a set of computing resources having a specified configuration that are to be used by the contracting party for a specified purpose at a specified level and pattern of intensity for a specified period of time.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

a source cohort and a target cohort corresponding to the selection of the CEEC data structures; and

copying one or more CEEC components from the source cohort to the target cohort.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying a source cohort included in the selection of the CEEC data structures;

identifying one or more target cohorts, wherein each of the target cohorts correspond to additional CEEC data structures;

optimizing the source cohort by moving CEEC components from the source cohort CEEC data structures to the CEEC data structures corresponding to the target cohort CEEC data structures.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a workload request;

comparing the plurality of cohort data records to the received workload request;

selecting one of the plurality of cohort data records based on the comparison; and

dynamically routing a workload corresponding to the workload request to a selected one of the cohorts, wherein the selected cohort corresponds to the selected cohort data record.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

identifying that the workload request pertains to an existing workload being executed by a current cohort;

identifying a current cost corresponding to executing the existing workload by the current cohort;

identifying an expected cost corresponding to executing the existing workload by the selected cohort; and

inhibiting the dynamic routing of the workload to the selected cohort in response to the expected cost being greater than the current cost.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

identifying a migration cost pertaining to migrating the existing workload from the current cohort to the selected cohort, wherein the migration cost is factored into the expected cost.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the comparing further comprises:

identifying a workload requirement based on the workload request;

identifying a current load corresponding to each of the cohorts; and

comparing the workload requirement with a plurality of cohort features corresponding to each of the cohorts and to the current load that corresponds to each of the cohorts.

9. An information handling system comprising:

a plurality of processors;

a memory coupled to at least one of the processors;

a nonvolatile storage area; and

a set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors,

wherein the set of instructions perform actions of;

receiving a cohort display request;

retrieving a plurality of cohort data records in response to the received request, wherein each of the cohort data records corresponds to a cohort selected from a plurality of cohorts, and wherein the plurality of cohorts are similar computer systems;

displaying a plurality of graphic user interface (GUI) controls on a display device, wherein each of the GUI controls corresponds to one of the retrieved cohort data records;

receiving a user selection corresponding to a selected one of the GUI controls; and

execute a cohort action on the cohort corresponding to the selected GUI control.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the set of instructions perform additional actions comprising:

selecting at one or more computing environment entitlement contract (CEEC) data structures corresponding to one of the displayed cohort GUI controls, wherein each CEEC data structure defining terms of a business level agreement between a contracting party and a provider of the data processing system, wherein the terms of the CEEC specify a set of computing resources having a specified configuration that are to be used by the contracting party for a specified purpose at a specified level and pattern of intensity for a specified period of time.

11. The information handling system of claim 10 wherein the set of instructions perform additional actions comprising:

a source cohort and a target cohort corresponding to the selection of the CEEC data structures; and

copying one or more CEEC components from the source cohort to the target cohort.

12. The information handling system of claim 10 wherein the set of instructions perform additional actions comprising:

identifying a source cohort included in the selection of the CEEC data structures;

identifying one or more target cohorts, wherein each of the target cohorts correspond to additional CEEC data structures;

optimizing the source cohort by moving CEEC components from the source cohort CEEC data structures to the CEEC data structures corresponding to the target cohort CEEC data structures.

13. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the set of instructions perform additional actions comprising:

receiving a workload request;

comparing the plurality of cohort data records to the received workload request;

selecting one of the plurality of cohort data records based on the comparison; and

dynamically routing a workload corresponding to the workload request to a selected one of the cohorts, wherein the selected cohort corresponds to the selected cohort data record.

14. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein the set of instructions perform additional actions comprising:

identifying that the workload request pertains to an existing workload being executed by a current cohort;

identifying a current cost corresponding to executing the existing workload by the current cohort;

identifying an expected cost corresponding to executing the existing workload by the selected cohort; and

inhibiting the dynamic routing of the workload to the selected cohort in response to the expected cost being greater than the current cost.

15. The information handling system of claim 14 wherein the set of instructions perform additional actions comprising:

identifying a migration cost pertaining to migrating the existing workload from the current cohort to the selected cohort, wherein the migration cost is factored into the expected cost.

16. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein the comparing further comprises:

identifying a workload requirement based on the workload request;

identifying a current load corresponding to each of the cohorts; and

comparing the workload requirement with a plurality of cohort features corresponding to each of the cohorts and to the current load that corresponds to each of the cohorts.

17. A computer program product stored in a computer readable medium, comprising computer instructions that, when executed by an information handling system, causes the information handling system to perform actions comprising:

receiving a cohort display request;

retrieving a plurality of cohort data records in response to the received request, wherein each of the cohort data records corresponds to a cohort selected from a plurality of cohorts, and wherein the plurality of cohorts are similar computer systems;

displaying a plurality of graphic user interface (GUI) controls on a display device, wherein each of the GUI controls corresponds to one of the retrieved cohort data records;

receiving a user selection corresponding to a selected one of the GUI controls; and

execute a cohort action on the cohort corresponding to the selected GUI control.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the actions further comprise:

selecting at one or more computing environment entitlement contract (CEEC) data structures corresponding to one of the displayed cohort GUI controls, wherein each CEEC data structure defining terms of a business level agreement between a contracting party and a provider of the data processing system, wherein the terms of the CEEC specify a set of computing resources having a specified configuration that are to be used by the contracting party for a specified purpose at a specified level and pattern of intensity for a specified period of time.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the actions further comprise:

a source cohort and a target cohort corresponding to the selection of the CEEC data structures; and

copying one or more CEEC components from the source cohort to the target cohort.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying a source cohort included in the selection of the CEEC data structures;

identifying one or more target cohorts, wherein each of the target cohorts correspond to additional CEEC data structures;

optimizing the source cohort by moving CEEC components from the source cohort CEEC data structures to the CEEC data structures corresponding to the target cohort CEEC data structures.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein the actions further comprise:

receiving a workload request;

comparing the plurality of cohort data records to the received workload request;

selecting one of the plurality of cohort data records based on the comparison; and

dynamically routing a workload corresponding to the workload request to a selected one of the cohorts, wherein the selected cohort corresponds to the selected cohort data record.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying that the workload request pertains to an existing workload being executed by a current cohort;

identifying a current cost corresponding to executing the existing workload by the current cohort;

identifying an expected cost corresponding to executing the existing workload by the selected cohort; and

inhibiting the dynamic routing of the workload to the selected cohort in response to the expected cost being greater than the current cost.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying a migration cost pertaining to migrating the existing workload from the current cohort to the selected cohort, wherein the migration cost is factored into the expected cost.

24. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the comparing further comprises:

identifying a workload requirement based on the workload request;

identifying a current load corresponding to each of the cohorts; and

comparing the workload requirement with a plurality of cohort features corresponding to each of the cohorts and to the current load that corresponds to each of the cohorts.