Abstract: Services that support recovery of a data center require collecting information concerning the service customer's physical and virual infrastructure. Here an automatic discovery tool executes within the context of a secure browser program. Once a user is authenticated, a JavaScript or HTML program seamlessly retrieves configuration data (such as by invoking WMI scripts) forwards that data (such as via an XML file) to the replication service provider so that they may then correctly provision recovery systems.

Abstract: A Configuration Management System (or CMS) assists with ensuring compliance when changes are proposed to be made to the infrastructure elements of a data center. Configuration state information is collected and stored as a set of features and feature attributes. Specified actions that may be taken with the infrastructure elements are preferably stored in a library. Projected configuration snapshots are determined and compared against compliance policies associated with each infrastructure element. Compliance checks that fail are preferably presented to a user who may then implement additional actions to compensate for the failure and then again request compliance testing. Compliance checks that pass they be stored in a queue waiting to then be further implemented by a human the demonstrator for automated agent when appropriate.

Abstract: A computer system may be configured to invoke drivers to one or more target machines. A controller, based on a request, may select a driver from a set of interface drivers. The controller may be configured to invoke the driver selected from the set of interface drivers. The invoked driver may issue commands to a target machine that was named in the request. The commands may install an operating system, named in the request, on the target machine.

Abstract: Techniques for displaying cloud services availability and configuration information which have particular applicability in an environment where a cloud service provider offers virtual data center services to numerous commercial customers.

Abstract: A Configuration Management System (or CMS) assists human operators with administering infrastructure elements in a data center. Configuration state information is collected and stored as a hierarchical set of features and feature attributes. The CMS save a configuration snapshot immediately before a change is implemented and immediately after a change. Comparing the pre-change and post-change configuration states, the CMS can automatically identify potential configuration errors and help better manage the consequences of implementing a change.

Abstract: A recover to cloud (R2C) service replicates a customer production environment to virtual data centers (VDCs) operated in a cloud service provider environment. Customers provision both a disaster recovery VDC and a test VDC. At A Time of Disaster (ATOD), the disaster VDC is made available to the customer through the cloud. The disaster VDC is allocated a first set of resources dedicated to the specific customer and to disaster recovery. The test VDC, brought on line at A Time of Test (ATOT), is allocated resources from second set of resources arranged in a shared pool. separate from the first set. Provisioning of the test VDC does not disturb critical resource assignments needed in the event of a disaster.

Abstract: An amount of a resource, such as bandwidth, needed to successfully accomplish a target Recovery Point Objective (RPO) is estimated in a data processing environment giving two or more physical or virtual data processing machines. Time-stamped samples of a usage metric for the resource are taken over a usage period. These samples are later accessed and time aligned to determine an average usage metric at defined intervals. An expected tolerance for RPO failure allows determining a first assumed amount of the resource available to achieve a target RPO that is less than might otherwise be expected. These steps can be repeated for other expected replication failure tolerances to allow a risk versus resource available trade off analysis.

Abstract: A client station receives input data from a user relating to a particular crisis incident. The client station includes user interface software elements adapted to guide a user through the process of creating, maintaining and distributing relevant crisis response information for the incident specified. The interface includes displayed menus of selectable, hierarchically organized options and sub-options which guide the user through the relevant processes. The user is given a choice of expert pre-specified crisis plan templates with which to produce and print a finished response plan for the specified incident. The user input data is forwarded to a server, and integrated with the specified template in a master data store into comprehensive, coherent crisis response stored at a user data store. The completed, integrated crisis response data at the user data store is adapted to generate useful reports relating to the crisis incident selected by the user.