Abstract: Allocating an instance of a resource to an IT-service includes: analyzing a service model specifying the structure of an IT-service and comprising nodes and resource management rules specifying the management of said node's resource. For each node, the method includes: determining a resource type indicated by said node; determining one or more resource management rules assigned to said node; evaluating the resource management rules assigned to said node on a resource instance catalog and the determined resource type for computing selection criteria; applying the selection criteria on a service provider catalog for selecting one of the one or more resource managers, the service provider catalog being indicative of one or more of the resource managers respectively being operable to provide a resource instance of a given resource type to the IT-service; creating an instance of the resource provided by the selected resource manager; and allocating said instance to the IT-service.

Abstract: Instantiating a resource of an IT-service includes: analyzing a service model including nodes representing resources and being indicative of a resource type, each node comprising a generic API providing at least one abstract method for instantiating the resource represented by the respective node.

Abstract: Instantiating a resource of an IT-service includes: analyzing a service model including nodes representing resources and being indicative of a resource type, each node comprising a generic API providing at least one abstract method for instantiating the resource represented by the respective node.

Abstract: A system for instantiating resources of an IT-service includes a management engine operable to analyze a service model of said IT-service comprising nodes representing the resources and being indicative of a resource type of said represented resources. Each node comprises a generic API not being specific to any particular resource manager and providing an abstract method for instantiating the resource represented by the respective node. For each node, determining the resource types being indicated by said node; evaluating a service provider catalog indicative of resource managers operable to provide a resource of a given resource type and determining an address of each resource manager; selecting one of the resource managers; sending a request to the address of the selected resource manager for a description of a resource-manager-specific API of said resource manager; overriding said abstract method by a resource-manager-specific method for the API; and executing the overridden abstract method.

Abstract: A system and technique for allocating instances of resources to an IT-service includes a management engine operable to analyze a service model specifying a structure of an IT-service comprising nodes representing resources and being indicative of a resource type of said represented resource. Management rules specify the management of said node's resource. For each node, the engine determines the resource type indicated by said node; determines rules assigned to said node; evaluates the rules assigned to said node on a resource instance catalog and the determined resource type; applies a selection criteria on a service provider catalog for selecting a resource manager, the service provider catalog being indicative of one or more resource managers respectively being operable to provide a resource instance of a given resource type to the IT-service; create an instance of the resource provided by the selected resource manager; and allocate said instance to the IT-service.

Abstract: A system, and computer program product for managing cloud services are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A first set of management functions is instantiated external to a microkernel of a management system for managing a set of cloud services. The management system further includes a second set of management functions executing within the kernel of the management system. A subset of the first set of management functions is associated with a cloud service in the set of cloud services. A management task for the cloud service is handled using the subset of the first set of management functions. A usage information corresponding to the use of the subset of the first set of management functions for handling the management task for the cloud service is reported.

Abstract: A first set of management functions is instantiated external to a microkernel of a management system for managing a set of cloud services. The management system further includes a second set of management functions executing within the kernel of the management system. A subset of the first set of management functions is associated with a cloud service in the set of cloud services. A management task for the cloud service is handled using the subset of the first set of management functions. A usage information corresponding to the use of the subset of the first set of management functions for handling the management task for the cloud service is reported.

Abstract: Integrating data processing resources across a hybrid cloud includes providing a plug-in software component configured to be installed in a software framework. When the plug-in software component is activated, it may generate an interface for a consumer of data processing resources. Using this interface, the consumer of data processing resources may request the use of data processing resources provided as a service on the hybrid cloud. In response, the plug-in software component may acquire the requested data processing resources via interfaces provided by the various data processing resources. A number of different data processing resources may have different interface requirements. However, the first interface generated by the plug-in software component may provide a single vendor neutral interface for accessing data processing resources on the hybrid cloud by the consumer of data processing resources.

Abstract: A hybrid cloud integrator provides a capability for integrating data processing resources provided as services across a hybrid cloud. The hybrid cloud integrator includes a software framework that provides for installing, configuring, activating, and controlling operation of a number of plug-in software components. The plug-in software components are configured to provide for using data processing resources provided as a service to process a consumer workload.

Abstract: Executing a business process can include providing a context data object including a payload data structure for storing a payload data and automatically splitting an annotated context data object into one or more utility data objects. Responsive to creating a second utility data object, a pre-processing task can be injected into the business process, the pre-processing task using a copy of a first mapping to read data from the predefined data structure instance and to store the read data as payload data in the payload data structure of the first utility data object. Responsive to creating a third utility object, a post-processing task can be injected into the business process. The post-processing task can use a copy of the second mapping to write the payload data of the first utility data object to elements of a predefined data structure instance.

Abstract: A computer program product includes a storage medium with program code configured to maintain descriptions of a plurality of information technology resources in a computer-readable storage medium. The program code is configured to maintain a plurality of evaluation strategies. Responsive to detecting a command to change a first property of the set of properties of a first information technology resource of the plurality of information technology resources, the program code is configured to determine that a first of the evaluation strategies associates at least one of the plurality of rules with a form of the change to the first property of the first information technology resource. Also, responsive to detecting the command, the program code is configured to evaluate the at least one of the plurality of rules and performs the operation of the at least one rule.

Abstract: A method for managing cloud services are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A first set of management functions is instantiated external to a microkernel of a management system for managing a set of cloud services. The management system further includes a second set of management functions executing within the kernel of the management system. A subset of the first set of management functions is associated with a cloud service in the set of cloud services. A management task for the cloud service is handled using the subset of the first set of management functions. A usage information corresponding to the use of the subset of the first set of management functions for handling the management task for the cloud service is reported.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for evaluating a service based on a request for the service. At least one attribute, having at least one preference parameter, is assigned to at least one generic configuration, the at least one generic configuration comprising at least one resource. A request is received for the service having an assigned quality-of-service-value, and a respective preference parameter value is assigned to each of the at least one preference parameters based on the quality-of-service-value. Furthermore, a combination of the resources is selected based on the request, the combination of the resources forming a selected configuration. Additionally, the selected, configuration is mapped to one of the at least one of the generic configurations and the at least one preference parameter of the at least one attributes of the mapped at least one of the generic configurations is mapped to the selected, configuration.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for evaluating a service based on a request for the service. At least one attribute, having at least one preference parameter, is assigned to at least one generic configuration, the at least one generic configuration comprising at least one resource. A request is received for the service having an assigned quality-of-service-value, and a respective preference parameter value is assigned to each of the at least one preference parameters based on the quality-of-service-value. Furthermore, a combination of the resources is selected based on the request, the combination of the resources forming a selected configuration. Additionally, the selected configuration is mapped to one of the at least one of the generic configurations and the at least one preference parameter of the at least one attributes of the mapped at least one of the generic configurations is mapped to the selected configuration.

Abstract: Allocating an instance of a resource to an IT-service includes: analyzing a service model specifying the structure of an IT-service and comprising nodes and resource management rules specifying the management of said node's resource. For each node, the method includes: determining a resource type indicated by said node; determining one or more resource management rules assigned to said node; evaluating the resource management rules assigned to said node on a resource instance catalog and the determined resource type for computing selection criteria; applying the selection criteria on a service provider catalog for selecting one of the one or more resource managers, the service provider catalog being indicative of one or more of the resource managers respectively being operable to provide a resource instance of a given resource type to the IT-service; creating an instance of the resource provided by the selected resource manager; and allocating said instance to the IT-service.

Abstract: Instantiating a resource of an IT-service includes: analyzing a service model including nodes representing resources and being indicative of a resource type, each node comprising a generic API providing at least one abstract method for instantiating the resource represented by the respective node.

Abstract: Executing a business process can include providing a context data object including a payload data structure for storing a payload data and automatically splitting an annotated context data object into one or more utility data objects. Responsive to creating a second utility data object, a pre-processing task can be injected into the business process, the pre-processing task using a copy of a first mapping to read data from the predefined data structure instance and to store the read data as payload data in the payload data structure of the first utility data object. Responsive to creating a third utility object, a post-processing task can be injected into the business process. The post-processing task can use a copy of the second mapping to write the payload data of the first utility data object to elements of a predefined data structure instance.

Abstract: The present invention replaces the prior art Systems Management Flow execution environments with a new Order Processing Environment. The Order Processing Environment consists of an Order Processing Container (“Container” in short), a Relationship Registry, and a Factory Registry. The Factory Registry supports creation of new resource instances. The Relationship Registry stores relationships between resources. The Container gets as input an Order and a start point address for the first resource. The Order is a document (e.g., XML) which includes a number of Tasks for each involved resource without arranging those tasks in a sequence. This differentiates Orders from workflow descriptions used by standard workflow engines. Each Task includes at least all input parameters for executing the Task. The sequence of the Task execution is derived by the Container by using the Relationship Registry which reflects all current Resource Topologies.

Abstract: The invention is based on Orders specifically developed for and processed by an Order Processing Environment for creation or modification of resource topologies. The Order Processing Environment is partly replaced by a combination of an Order Transformation Environment and standard Workflow Engines in order to execute the Order by standard Workflow Engines. The Order Transformation Environment needs to get two inputs. The first input is the resource topology which is retrieved by using the Relationship Registry of the Order Processing Environment. The second input is the Order. Orders are resource topology independent and include resource specific tasks without arranging those in a sequence. Tasks provide actions for creating and/or modifying resource topologies. The transformation is based on above two inputs resulting in a static standard based workflow. The static, standards-based workflow (e.g. BPEL-based) can then be executed by standards-based process/workflow engines.

Abstract: The present invention provides a new management system and a new method for managing distributed resources (61-66), comprising a workflow engine (88) that can execute management workflows in order to actively control the distributed resources (61-66). The new management system is characterized in that autonomic Correlation Services (74-76) are introduced that manage different functional parts of the managed system in cooperation with workflow engine (88), whereby each Correlation Service (74-76) employs a Correlation Engine (174,175) and a set of rules (184,185,186) that describe how underlying resources (61-66) shall be managed, whereby a controller (44) communicates with the Correlation Services (74-76).