Abstract: A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer usable program code are provided for instantiating a service on a network. A service infrastructure manager determines whether a service is available at a requested quality of service in response to receiving a request for the service that specifies the quality of service. The service infrastructure manager performs an analysis of components associated with the service to identify resources needed to create the service in response to the service being unavailable at the requested quality of service. Based on the analysis, the service infrastructure manager allocates resources to support the service and instantiates the service at the requested quality of service after the resources have been allocated.

Abstract: The illustrative embodiments disclose a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product 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: Techniques for placing at least one composite application in a federated environment are provided. The techniques include analyzing a composite application to be deployed in a federated environment, obtaining one or more application artifacts, analyzing feasibility of placing one or more application components at one or more clusters in the federated environment without knowledge of resource availability at each of the one or more clusters, and generating a mapping of the one or more application components to the one or more clusters such that an application requirement is met, wherein the one or more application artifacts are distributed across a federated environment.

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: 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: Techniques are disclosed for providing mapping of application components to a set of resources in a distributed environment using capacity driven provisioning using a layered approach. By way of example, a method for allocating resources to an application comprises the following steps. A first data structure is obtained representing a post order traversal of a dependency graph for the application and associated containers with capacity requirements. A second data structure is obtained representing a set of resources, and associated with each resource is a tuple representing available capacity. A mapping of the dependency graph data structure to the resource set is generated based on the available capacity such that resources of the set of resources are allocated to the application.

Abstract: Techniques for placing at least one composite application in a federated environment are provided. The techniques include analyzing a composite application to be deployed in a federated environment, obtaining one or more application artifacts, analyzing feasibility of placing one or more application components at one or more clusters in the federated environment without knowledge of resource availability at each of the one or more clusters, and generating a mapping of the one or more application components to the one or more clusters such that an application requirement is met, wherein the one or more application artifacts are distributed across a federated environment.

Abstract: A method for automated provisioning of computing resources in a distributed computing network includes obtaining a data structure representing a resource dependency characterization of an application to be implemented over the distributed computing network, wherein the data structure indicates a set of resources to be deployed, obtaining a template that represents a predefined network topology for supporting deployment of the set of resources, mapping the set of resources represented in the data structure to the template so as to satisfy a set of component requirements to generate a deployment map, and provisioning the set of resources on a plurality of computers based on the deployment map to implement the application over the distributed computing network.

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 method, apparatus and computer product that, in a system having a client computer, and apparatus for connecting the client computer to a network having a server for backing up the client computer, enables transferring data from the client computer to the server, by connecting the client computer to the network; backing up data on the client computer to a storage device attached to the network when the client computer is connected to the network; and transferring the data from the storage device to the server, preferably at a time determined by the server.

Abstract: A system and method for associating a state with a distributed system and transitioning component states with recovery to reverse transitioning attempts includes defining a global state representing an overall provisioning state of a plurality of components involved in a system wherein a set of global states are employed as provisioning checkpoints. Individual software component methods are defined for transitioning from one state to another. Individual states are associated with a global state. A rollback method is defined by which a destination global state may be rolled back to a previous global state in an event of a failure.

Abstract: A computer implemented method is provided for instantiating a service on a network. A service infrastructure manager determines whether a service is available at a requested quality of service in response to receiving a request for the service that specifies the quality of service. The service infrastructure manager performs an analysis of components associated with the service to identify resources needed to create the service in response to the service being unavailable at the requested quality of service. Based on the analysis, the service infrastructure manager allocates resources to support the service and instantiates the service at the requested quality of service after the resources have been allocated.

Abstract: A computer implemented method 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: A method for automated provisioning of computing resources in a distributed computing network includes obtaining a data structure representing a resource dependency characterization of an application to be implemented over the distributed computing network, wherein the data structure indicates a set of resources to be deployed, obtaining a template that represents a predefined network topology for supporting deployment of the set of resources, mapping the set of resources represented in the data structure to the template so as to satisfy a set of component requirements to generate a deployment map, and provisioning the set of resources on a plurality of computers based on the deployment map to implement the application over the distributed computing network.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer usable program code are provided for instantiating a service on a network. A service infrastructure manager determines whether a service is available at a requested quality of service in response to receiving a request for the service that specifies the quality of service. The service infrastructure manager performs an analysis of components associated with the service to identify resources needed to create the service in response to the service being unavailable at the requested quality of service. Based on the analysis, the service infrastructure manager allocates resources to support the service and instantiates the service at the requested quality of service after the resources have been allocated.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for conducting maintenance such as software upgrades in components and nodes within a computer network while maintaining the functionality of the computer network in accordance with prescribed performance parameters. A balance is achieved between the rate of performing a desired system upgrade and the necessary performance parameters by empirically determining anticipated system loads and selecting the maximum number of components that can be upgraded simultaneously while meeting the anticipated loads. Provisions are made for the staggering of components through the upgrade process and for the return of components to active service in the computer network in response to unanticipated load spikes. Validation of successful upgrades is also provided.

Abstract: A method, system and computer usable program code is disclosed for mapping a logical topology to information technology (IT) resources. The method comprises the steps of generating a logical topology of resources for a solution to a given request for resources, extracting information about shared rules and constraints on IT resources specific to a plurality of customers, and generating multiple mappings from the logical topology to the IT resources that satisfy said shared rules and constraints.

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 system and method for implementing a customer incentive program that conditionally rewards a customer based upon the customer's movement through a shopping area and/or responses to questions which refer to the shopping area, sections of the shopping area and/or products located in the shopping area. While moving through a shopping area, a customer is monitored using a customer tracking system and/or presented with questions using a customer interface device. The customer is rewarded based upon the nature of the customer's movements and/or the nature of the customer's responses. The customer incentive program is designed to expose a customer to particular sections of a shopping area or specified products in the shopping area in order to motivate customer impulse buying.