MODULAR FRAMEWORK TO INTEGRATE SERVICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND CLOUD ORCHESTRATORS IN A HYBRID CLOUD ENVIRONMENT

• US 20160197980A1
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Published: 07/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Durairajan, Suresh, Kolluri Venkata Sesha, Saiprasad, Parthasarathy, Sundar
• Granted Patent: US 10,171,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5041 characterised by the time relationship between creation and deployment of a service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

A system, method and program product are provided for integrating a plurality of cloud orchestrators and service management (SM) platforms to provide a hybrid cloud environment. A system is disclosed that includes: interface system that includes a first gateway for providing communications with SM platforms that adhere to an SM protocol and a second gateway for providing communications with the plurality of cloud orchestrators, wherein the SM protocol defines a set of management processes for handling service requests; a service request processing system that processes service requests from SM platforms using selected cloud orchestrators, wherein the service request processing system includes a set of management modules in which each management module processes activities associated with of a different one of the management processes; a rules and conditions engine that includes logic to select a cloud orchestrator to be used to service an inputted service request; and a set of data conversion modules, wherein each data conversion module includes logic that converts data associated with an SM platform to a data format required by a one of the cloud orchestrators.

Claims

1. A modular service management (MSM) engine that integrates a plurality of cloud orchestrators and service management (SM) platforms to provide a hybrid cloud environment, comprising:

an interface system that includes a first gateway for providing communications with SM platforms that adhere to an SM protocol and a second gateway for providing communications with the plurality of cloud orchestrators, wherein the SM protocol defines a set of management processes for handling service requests;

a service request processing system that processes service requests from SM platforms using selected cloud orchestrators, wherein the service request processing system includes a set of management modules in which each management module processes activities associated with of a different one of the management processes;

a rules and conditions engine that includes logic to select a cloud orchestrator to be used to service an inputted service request; and

a set of data conversion modules, wherein each data conversion module includes logic that converts data associated with an SM platform to a data format required by a one of the cloud orchestrators.

2. The MSM engine of claim 1, wherein the set of management processes includes Request Management, Change Management, Task Management and Release Management.

3. The MSM engine of claim 1, further comprising a script repository that includes scripts configured to implement tasks by the cloud orchestrators.

4. The MSM engine of claim 1, further comprising a process for generating log files of management process activities.

5. The MSM engine of claim 1, wherein the first gateway includes an application programmable interface (API) that allows SM platforms to connect to the MSM engine, and web services that listens for service requests generated by the SM platforms.

6. The MSM engine of claim 1, wherein the service request includes a request selected from the group consisting of:

provisioning memory, provisioning a network, provisioning a server, and provisioning an application.

7. The MSM engine of claim 1, wherein the second gateway utilizes web services to detect status changes of the cloud orchestrators, and in response to a status change, updates a management process of a respective SM platform.

8. A program product stored on a computer readable medium, which when executed by a computer system, integrates a plurality of cloud orchestrators and service management (SM) platforms to provide a hybrid cloud environment, comprising:

program code that implements a first gateway for providing communications with SM platforms that adhere to an SM protocol and a second gateway for providing communications with the plurality of cloud orchestrators, wherein the SM protocol defines a set of management processes for handling service requests;

program code that processes service requests from SM platforms using selected cloud orchestrators, and includes a set of management modules in which each management module processes activities associated with of a different one of the management processes;

program code that selects a cloud orchestrator to service an inputted service request based on a set of rules and conditions; and

program code for implementing a set of data conversion modules, wherein each data conversion module includes logic that converts data associated with an SM platform to a data format required by one of the cloud orchestrators.

9. The program product of claim 8, wherein the set of management processes includes Request Management, Change Management, Task Management and Release Management.

10. The program product of claim 8, further comprising program code for implementing a script repository that includes scripts configured to implement tasks by the cloud orchestrators.

11. The program product of claim 8, further comprising program code for generating log files of management process activities.

12. The program product of claim 8, wherein the first gateway includes an application programmable interface (API) that allows SM platforms to connect to the MSM engine, and web services that listens for service requests generated by the SM platforms.

13. The program product of claim 8, wherein the service request includes a request selected from the group consisting of:

provisioning memory, provisioning a network, provisioning a server, and provisioning an application.

14. The program product of claim 8, wherein the second gateway utilizes web services to detect status changes of the cloud orchestrators, and in response to a status change, updates a management process of a respective SM platform.

15. A method for integrating a plurality of cloud orchestrators and service management (SM) platforms to provide a hybrid cloud environment, comprising:

providing a first gateway for providing communications with SM platforms that adhere to an SM protocol, wherein the SM protocol defines a set of management processes for handling service requests;

providing a second gateway for providing communications with the plurality of cloud orchestrators;

processing an inputted service request from an SM platform using a selected cloud orchestrator,

wherein the processing utilizes a set of management modules in which each management module processes activities associated with of a different one of the management processes;

wherein a rules and conditions engine is utilized to select a cloud orchestrator to service the inputted service request; and

wherein the processing utilizes a data conversion module from a set of data conversion modules that includes logic to convert data associated with the SM platform to a data format required by a selected cloud orchestrators.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the set of management processes includes Request Management, Change Management, Task Management and Release Management.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the processing generates a log file of management process activities associated with provisioning the service request.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first gateway includes an application programmable interface (API) that allows SM platforms to connect to the MSM engine, and web services that listens for service requests generated by the SM platforms.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the service request includes a request selected from the group consisting of:

provisioning memory, provisioning a network, provisioning a server, and provisioning an application.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the second gateway utilizes web services to detect status changes of the cloud orchestrators, and in response to a status change, updates a management process of a respective SM platform.

21. A method for deploying an application for integrating a plurality of cloud orchestrators and service management (SM) platforms to provide a hybrid cloud environment, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

provide a first gateway for implementing communications with SM platforms that adhere to an SM protocol, wherein the SM protocol defines a set of management processes for handling service requests;

provide a second gateway for implementing communications with the plurality of cloud orchestrators;

process an inputted service request from an SM platform using a selected cloud orchestrator,

wherein the processing utilizes a set of management modules in which each management module processes activities associated with of a different one of the management processes;

wherein a rules and conditions engine is utilized to select a cloud orchestrator to service the inputted service request; and

wherein the processing utilizes a data conversion module from a set of data conversion modules that includes logic to convert data associated with the SM platform to a data format required by a selected cloud orchestrators.