Abstract: An example system includes a number of nodes each including a processor and a non-transitory machine readable medium storing a copy of an operating system image. Each copy of the operating system image may include a minimum set of artifacts of a cloud platform application and lifecycle manager program instructions that when executed by any of the nodes instantiate a lifecycle manager for the respective node. The lifecycle manager may be configured to in response to receiving a platform cluster creation request automatically establish a cloud platform of the cloud platform application including the respective node as a sole member and then invite others of the nodes to join the cloud platform. The lifecycle manager may also be configured to in response to receiving an invitation to join an established cloud platform of the cloud platform application and automatically integrate the respective node into the established cloud platform.

Abstract: Example implementations relate to virtual appliances. In an example, a processor-based appliance abstraction engine exposes a programming interface for accessing undifferentiated resources of a computing environment irrespective of the type of the computing environment. Computing environment types may include physical infrastructure, virtual infrastructure, or cloud infrastructure. The appliance abstraction engine discovers available resources of the computing environment and creates a virtual appliance by configuring the discovered available resources of the computing environment according to capabilities defined in a specification and by populating the computing environment with artifacts for a computing platform defined in the specification.

Abstract: An example system includes a number of nodes, each including a processor and a non-transitory machine readable medium storing a copy of an operating system image. Each copy of the operating system image may include a minimum set of artifacts of a cloud platform application, and lifecycle manager program instructions that, when executed by any of the nodes, instantiate a lifecycle manager for the respective node. The lifecycle manager may be configured to, in response to receiving a platform cluster creation request, automatically establish a cloud platform of the cloud platform application including the respective node as a sole member, and then invite others of the nodes to join the cloud platform. The lifecycle manager may also be configured to, in response to receiving an invitation to join an established cloud platform of the cloud platform application that was established by another one of the nodes, automatically integrate the respective node into the established cloud platform.

Abstract: An example system includes a number of nodes, each including a processor and a non-transitory machine readable medium storing a copy of an operating system image. Each copy of the operating system image may include a minimum set of artifacts of a cloud platform application, and lifecycle manager program instructions that, when executed by any of the nodes, instantiate a lifecycle manager for the respective node. The lifecycle manager may be configured to, in response to receiving a platform cluster creation request, automatically establish a cloud platform of the cloud platform application including the respective node as a sole member, and then invite others of the nodes to join the cloud platform. The lifecycle manager may also be configured to, in response to receiving an invitation to join an established cloud platform of the cloud platform application that was established by another one of the nodes, automatically integrate the respective node into the established cloud platform.

Abstract: Example implementations relate to virtual appliances. In an example, a processor-based appliance abstraction engine exposes a programming interface for accessing undifferentiated resources of a computing environment irrespective of the type of the computing environment. Computing environment types may include physical infrastructure, virtual infrastructure, or cloud infrastructure. The appliance abstraction engine discovers available resources of the computing environment and creates a virtual appliance by configuring the discovered available resources of the computing environment according to capabilities defined in a specification and by populating the computing environment with artifacts for a computing platform defined in the specification.

Abstract: An example system includes a number of nodes, each including a processor and a non-transitory machine readable medium storing a copy of an operating system image. Each copy of the operating system image may include a minimum set of artifacts of a cloud platform application, and lifecycle manager program instructions that, when executed by any of the nodes, instantiate a lifecycle manager for the respective node. The lifecycle manager may be configured to, in response to receiving a platform cluster creation request, automatically establish a cloud platform of the cloud platform application including the respective node as a sole member, and then invite others of the nodes to join the cloud platform. The lifecycle manager may also be configured to, in response to receiving an invitation to join an established cloud platform of the cloud platform application that was established by another one of the nodes, automatically integrate the respective node into the established cloud platform.

Abstract: In some examples, a method for converged system compliance checking can include identifying a converged system compliance checking field for hardware in a converged system. The compliance checking field can, for example, be based on the purpose of the hardware. The method can further include identifying baseline compliance data for the compliance checking field, identifying actual compliance data for the compliance checking field by testing the hardware, comparing the actual compliance data to the baseline compliance data, and determining whether the hardware is in compliance with the converged system based on the comparison between the actual compliance data and the baseline compliance data.

Abstract: Examples relate to analyzing hardware systems. In some examples, an interface is used to discover components and connectivity attributes of the components. System templates are then identified based on the components and the connectivity attributes. For each system template, a difference profile describing differences between the system template and the components is created.

Abstract: Sequences of instructions may be stored on machine-readable media such that, when they are executed by a machine, the instructions cause the machine to 1) identify a number of applications installed on the machine, 2) identify a number of software-controlled services required by the installed applications, and 3) enable the software-controlled services required by the applications and ensure that non-required services are disabled. Related methods and apparatus are also disclosed.