Abstract: A computer implemented method distributes a virtual machine image. A request for a virtual machine image is received. Responsive to receiving the request or the virtual machine image, the authenticity of a virtual machine image catalog associated with the virtual machine image is identified. Responsive to identifying that the virtual machine image catalog is authentic, a first digital signature to be sent with the virtual machine image is determined. Responsive to determining the signature, the virtual machine image and the signature is sent.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention directed to a method for provisioning a specified virtual machine from one or more selected images, sent over the network, includes the step of decomposing each of the selected VM images to provide a group of components, each component having specified information associated with it. The method further includes using a predetermined selection criterion to select components from the group for assembly into a specified VM image, and using the selected components of the specified VM image to provision the specified virtual machine at one or more locations.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention directed to a method for provisioning a specified virtual machine from one or more selected images, sent over the network, includes the step of decomposing each of the selected VM images to provide a group of components, each component having specified information associated with it. The method further includes using a predetermined selection criterion to select components from the group for assembly into a specified VM image, and using the selected components of the specified VM image to provision the specified virtual machine at one or more locations.

Abstract: A system for enabling communication between multiple cloud-based services operating on a common cloud infrastructure includes a cloud infrastructure providing cloud-based services. The cloud-based services include a first service of a first tenant and a second service of a second tenant. A live directory is located within the cloud infrastructure and aggregates and distributing sharing and availability information pertaining to one or more of the cloud-based services. A back-end network is within the cloud infrastructure and enables communication between the cloud-based services and the live directory. A wide area network enables communication between the cloud-based services and one or more remote clients. The sharing and availability information pertaining to one or more of the cloud-based services aggregated and distributed by the live directory is used to establish a back-end connection between the first service of the first tenant and the second service of a second tenant.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, data processing system, computer usable program code, and active repository are provided for management of a software service. A request is received to deploy the software service in a computer network. A dependency analysis is performed for the requested software service to determine component software services and physical resources necessary to deploy and manage new software service as a composite in responsive to the software service being the new software service. An active object is created to manage the new software service using an active template based on the analysis. The new software service is deployed in the computer network using the active object. The new software service is managed using the active object.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for the dynamic introduction of new components to be used during provisioning of solutions in data processing system environments such as service delivery environments. For example, in a provisioning system that manages provisioning of components in a data processing system, an automated method of dynamically provisioning one or more new components in the data processing system comprises the provisioning system performing the following steps. The provisioning system accepts a registration of a new component during a runtime period of the data processing system, wherein the new component has not been previously registered in the data processing system prior to the runtime period, and further wherein the registration comprises obtaining information relating to at least one of one or more prerequisites and a configuration associated with the new component. The provisioning system causes a modification to the data processing system by enabling use of the registered new component therein.

Abstract: A system for enabling communication between multiple cloud-based services operating on a common cloud infrastructure includes a cloud infrastructure providing cloud-based services. The cloud-based services include a first service of a first tenant and a second service of a second tenant. A live directory is located within the cloud infrastructure and aggregates and distributing sharing and availability information pertaining to one or more of the cloud-based services. A back-end network is within the cloud infrastructure and enables communication between the cloud-based services and the live directory. A wide area network enables communication between the cloud-based services and one or more remote clients. The sharing and availability information pertaining to one or more of the cloud-based services aggregated and distributed by the live directory is used to establish a back-end connection between the first service of the first tenant and the second service of a second tenant.

Abstract: In a method for scaling up/down security (non-functional) components of an application, determine (a) types of interactions and a number of each type of interaction each non-security (functional) component has with security components for a plurality of requests. Determine, based on (a) and an expected number of incoming requests to the application, (b) types of requests to and interactions with the security components involving the non-security components and (c) a number of requests to and interactions with the security components involving non-security components for each type of request to the security components involving non-security components. Determine, for each security component, a capacity required for each type of request involving the non-security components and a capacity required for each type of interaction involving the non-security components. Change the capacities of the security components to new capacities, wherein the new capacities are based on (a), (c) and the determined capacities.

Abstract: A method for customizing virtual machines includes retrieving a virtual machine image file from a library of virtual machine image files. A target virtual machine image file is created by making a copy of the retrieved virtual machine image file. A file size of the target virtual machine image file is increased. A partition size of a primary partition of the target virtual machine image file is increases. The target virtual machine image file is booted after the partition size of the primary partition thereof has been increased.

Abstract: A method for assigning tenants of users to offering instances of an application or middleware includes representing a set of offerings as respective offering instances of the application or middleware available from a server, determining server resource capacity of the server, representing constraints associated with the tenants and the offering instances, generating a mapping of the tenants to the offering instances based on the server resource capacity and constraints, and assigning a tenant to an offering instance according to the mapping, wherein the offering instance is made accessible to the users of the assigned tenant.

Abstract: In a method for decision support, a request for information that is part of a context is received, data is generated in response the request, a knowledge model associated with the context is populated with the data, the knowledge model is populated with real-time data associated with the request, the knowledge model is executed, and a result of the executed knowledge model is output.

Abstract: A method for operating a sensor based application includes receiving a context hierarchy for the sensor based application, the context hierarchy comprising a plurality of contexts, wherein each of the contexts is assigned a level of interest and a priority, reading the context hierarchy and discovering at least one sensor associated with each of the plurality of contexts, and reading at least one value of each of the sensors, and applying the values.

Abstract: A sensor registry includes a query dispatcher, a registration dispatcher, and a continuous query engine. The query dispatcher receives a query from a subscriber, searches a sensor database for at least one sensor that satisfies the query, and returns a result set corresponding to the query to the subscriber. The result set includes the at least one sensor. The registration dispatcher receives a message from a requesting sensor in a sensor network, and updates the sensor database based on the message. The continuous query engine receives the query from the query dispatcher, updates the result set corresponding to the query based on the received message, and notifies the subscriber upon determining that a change has been made to the result set.

Abstract: Techniques include accessing predetermined utility of customers based on customer types and qualities. The qualities are based at least on previously identified non-functional characteristics of services that influence decisions of the customers in buying the services from a service provider. Based at least on the accessed predetermining utility, quality-price pairs are determined to create a predetermined amount of profit for the service provider assuming the service provider offers the services to a customer having the customer type at a level of quality corresponding to an associated one of the qualities in a pair and for the corresponding price in the pair. Each quality in the pairs corresponds to one of the customer types. Determining the price-quality pairs further includes mapping one or more of the service-related characteristics to one or more information technology resources in response to the service-related characteristic being dependent on one or more other service-related characteristics.

Abstract: The illustrative embodiments disclose a process for provisioning a server on a network. In one embodiment, the process sends a server identifier to a management server in response to receiving a boot command. The management server uses the server identifier for identifying a designated operating environment for the server to form a designated operating environment identifier. The process then receives, from the management server, the designated operating environment identifier and a first bootstrap code. The process uses the first bootstrap code to extract information for identifying a local operating environment on the server. Thereafter, the process compares the local operating environment to the designated operating environment and initiates a final boot sequence of the server based on the comparison of the local operating environment and the designated operating environment.

Abstract: A computer deploys an operating environment onto a provisionable server. The computer assigns an operating environment from an operating environment configuration management database to the provisionable server in response to detecting a provisioning event. The computer stores a record of the assignment in a deployment configuration management database and updates a management server with a designated operating environment identifier of the assignment.

Abstract: A system and method for managing dynamically allocated resources assigned to a service includes providing a service to be used by a plurality of sites in a federation. Usage information associated with the service is communicated to each of the plurality of sites. A disposition of the service is determined based on local policies and the usage information received from other sites by a service owner. The disposition of the service is updated across a plurality of sites in accordance with messages sent by the service owner to reduce resource usage.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for creating a composite service. Dependencies are identified utilizing a set of active objects used to manage services to form identified dependencies in response to receiving a request for the composite service. The identified dependencies specify requirements of the composite service. The composite service has multiple components. Components are identified for the composite service using the identified dependencies to form identified components. The composite service is created using the identified components.

Abstract: In a distributed computing network having computers interconnected with each other, a method and apparatus of providing policy based provisioning of middleware components to provide a solution for a service. With this invention, the middleware components that are necessary to provide the solution are determined. Then, the configurations of the computers are determined so as to satisfy a selected configuration policy for a selected solution. Finally, the necessary middleware components are installed on the configured computers so that the solution can be provided. Some of the selected configuration policies are: maximization of server utilization policy, provisioning of software components requiring external access based on availability of external resources, and minimization of total time to install said determined components.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer usable program code are provided for maintaining a computer network. Resources and services affected by a change to a resource are identified in response to receiving a request for the change. A determination of an optimal time for the change is made based on a policy associated with the service. The change is deployed with a deployment engine.