Framework providing unified infrastructure management for polymorphic information technology (IT) functions across disparate groups in a cloud computing environment

• US 8,683,026 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2010
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bailey, Bret A., Detro, Gary L., Hand, Leondard S., Jones, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH CHAU
• Application Number:
  US12/963,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20120151025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709223-224
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport

Abstract

Performance of polymorphic IT functions in a cloud computing environment can begin by providing an individualized selection mechanism for initiating polymorphic IT functions upon a node of a cloud computing environment. A polymorphic IT function can represent an IT function where the actions required to perform the IT function vary depending upon a combination of configuration parameters for the node. User-specification of the combination of configuration parameters can be rendered unnecessary by the individualized selection mechanism. A polymorphic IT function framework can receive a request identifying the node and a driver program via the individualized selection mechanism to perform a user-selected polymorphic IT function. The driver program can define actions for performing the polymorphic IT function upon the node for the combination of configuration parameters. The driver program can then be invoked. Upon completion of the driver program, notification can be sent to a designated entity.

Claims

1. A method for performing polymorphic IT functions in a cloud computing environment comprising:

a computing device providing of an individualized selection mechanism for initiating polymorphic IT functions upon a node of a cloud computing environment, wherein a polymorphic IT function represents an IT function where actions required to perform the IT function vary depending upon a combination of configuration parameters for the node, and, wherein user-specification of the combination of configuration parameters are rendered unnecessary by the individualized selection mechanism, wherein use of the individualized selection mechanism requires a single selection action;

the computing device receiving of a request by a polymorphic IT function framework via the individualized selection mechanism to perform a user-selected polymorphic IT function, wherein said request comprises at least an identifier of the node and an identifier of a driver program, wherein the driver program defines a plurality of actions for performing the user-selected polymorphic IT function upon the node for a specific combination of configuration parameters;

the computing device invoking said driver program to perform the requested polymorphic IT function; and

upon completion of the driver program, the computing device sending notification to a designated entity that the polymorphic IT function has been performed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the invoking of the driver program further comprises:

determining an existence of an active queue for the driver program;

when the active queue for the driver program is non-existent, creating the active queue;

when the active queue is determined to exist, examining the active queue for a queued request matching the received request; and

when the received request is unmatched by queued requests, adding the request to the active queue.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

when the received request matches a queued request, discarding the received request; and

informing the requesting entity of the match between the received request and the queued request.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a query function is available for the polymorphic IT function framework, user-selection of said query function further comprises:

presenting a list of selectable reports within a GUI associated with the polymorphic IT function framework;

in response to a run command for a selected report, executing a query associated with the selected report upon active queues of the polymorphic IT function framework; and

displaying results of the query with the GUI.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymorphic IT function comprises at least one of a backup function, an archive function, a restore function, a server optimization function, and a server security function.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the individualized selection mechanism further comprises:

accessing a node list whose entries identify nodes of the cloud computing environment that are able to have polymorphic IT functions performed upon them, wherein each entry defines a unique combination of data field values relating the node identifier with the identifier of the driver program and a logical user grouping associated with the node; and

presenting the entries of the node list within a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with the polymorphic IT function framework, wherein said GUI supplies the individualized selection mechanism for each entry in the node list.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the request further comprises:

prompting a requesting entity for an email address;

validating the email address received in response to the prompting; and

confirming with the requesting entity the polymorphic IT function and the node for which the request is being made.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance of the requested polymorphic IT function by the driver program utilizes auxiliary software applications available to the cloud computing environment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the invoking of the driver program further comprises:

recording of details for each action performed by the driver program, wherein said record details are included in the notification sent to the designated entity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific combination of configuration parameters comprises at least a platform type of a physical machine associated with the node, the platform type of a virtual machine associated with the node when the node is virtualized, and a software tool required to perform the requested polymorphic IT function.

11. A system for performing polymorphic IT functions in a cloud computing environment comprising:

one or more processors;

a non-transitory storage medium storing program instructions, said one or more processors executing the program instructions;

a cloud computing environment, which comprise a the one or more processors, comprising a plurality of nodes configured to operate in accordance with a cloud computing model;

a plurality of driver packages, stored in one or more non-transitory storage mediums, each configured to perform a specific polymorphic IT function on a specific node of the cloud computing environment, wherein a polymorphic IT function is an IT function where actions required to perform the IT function vary depending upon a specific combination of configuration parameters for the specific node; and

a user interface configured to provide an individualized selection mechanism to initiate requests to execute a driver package for the specific polymorphic IT function upon the specific node, wherein user-specification of the combination of configuration parameters are rendered unnecessary by the individualized selection mechanism, wherein use of the individualized selection mechanism requires a single selection action.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the driver package further comprises:

a driver program defining a plurality of actions for performing the specific polymorphic IT function upon the specific node for the specific combination of configuration parameters;

a control program configured to handle processing of the plurality of actions contained in the driver program within the cloud computing environment;

a queue for sequentially storing received requests; and

a queue daemon configured to manage operations for the queue.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a queue manager configured to handle instantiation and termination of queue daemons for the plurality of driver packages.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the user interface is written using a standardized Web programming language supported by the cloud computing environment.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the polymorphic IT function comprises at least one of a query function, a backup function, an archive function, a restore function, a server optimization function, and a server security function.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising:

computer usable program code configured to provide an individualized selection mechanism for initiating polymorphic IT functions upon a node of a cloud computing environment, wherein a polymorphic IT function represents an IT function where actions required to perform the IT function vary depending upon a combination of configuration parameters for the node, and, wherein user-specification of the combination of configuration parameters are rendered unnecessary by the individualized selection mechanism, wherein use of the individualized selection mechanism requires a single selection action;

computer usable program code configured to receive a request via the individualized selection mechanism to perform a user-selected polymorphic IT function, wherein said request comprises at least an identifier of the node and an identifier of a driver program, wherein the driver program defines a plurality of actions for performing the user-selected polymorphic IT function upon the node for a specific combination of configuration parameters;

computer usable program code configured to invoke said driver program to perform the requested polymorphic IT function; and

computer usable program code configured to, upon completion of the driver program, send notification to a designated entity that the polymorphic IT function has been performed.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the invoking of the driver program further comprises:

computer usable program code configured to determine an existence of an active queue for the driver program;

computer usable program code configured to, when the active queue for the driver program is non-existent, create the active queue;

computer usable program code configured to, when the active queue is determined to exist, examine the active queue for a queued request matching the received request; and

computer usable program code configured to, when the received request is unmatched by queued requests, add the request to the active queue.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to, when the received request matches a queued request, discarding the received request; and

computer usable program code configured to inform the requesting entity of the match between the received request and the queued request.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the providing of the individualized selection mechanism further comprises:

computer usable program code configured to access a node list whose entries identify nodes of the cloud computing environment that are able to have polymorphic IT functions performed upon them, wherein each entry defines a unique combination of data field values relating the node identifier with the identifier of the driver program and a logical user grouping associated with the node; and

computer usable program code configured to present the entries of the node list within a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein said GUI supplies the individualized selection mechanism for each entry in the node list.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the polymorphic IT function comprises at least one of a query function, a backup function, an archive function, a restore function, a server optimization function, and a server security function.