Abstract: A mechanism for configuring and scheduling logical discovery processes in a data processing system is provided. A discovery engine communicates with information providers to collect discovery data. An information provider is a software component whose responsibility is to discover resources and relationships between the resources and write their representations in a persistent store. Discovery directives are used to coordinate the execution of information providers.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for scheduling data distributions to or results information from, or collectively, “jobs” a plurality of data processing systems via a network. A connection to a target system is created. For each distribution, a session, which is an independent thread, is allocated from one of a plurality of pool of sessions and launched to effect execution of the job. Each pool corresponds to a predetermined priority level, and the session is allocated from the pool having the same priority level as the priority level of the job being scheduled. A connection supports a multiplicity of independent threads. In the event of an error, the session is released, and the scheduling of the aborted job is retried after a predetermined retry interval expires. After expiry of the retry interval, a callback method is invoked when the target system on which the scheduled job is executed becomes accessible.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products for managing computer resources in a distributed computing system are disclosed that include registering, in a configuration management database by a discovery module in response to a modification of a resource in a resource container, the resource in association with a configuration management database identifier, the resource characterized by a resource type and a resource identification, the resource container including a manageability endpoint characterized by a manageability endpoint reference; and managing the resource by a management module in dependence upon a resource management policy and the manageability endpoint reference, the resource management policy including management actions for the resource.

Abstract: A set of plug-in class loaders is provided in the class loader hierarchy. A plug-in class loader is provided for each class loader in the plug-in application's class loader hierarchy. Each plug-in class loader is associated with a single application class loader and is configured such that it delegates to its associated application class loader. All plug-in class loaders are also configured with a class path such that they may load plug-in classes from a directory that is specified within a configuration file. The loading of all plug-in classes is initiated by the application using the plug-in class loaders.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for scheduling data distributions to or results information from, or collectively, “jobs” to a plurality of data processing systems via a network. A connection to a target system is created. For each distribution, a session, which is an independent thread, is allocated from one of a plurality of pool of sessions and launched to effect execution of the job. Each pool corresponds to a predetermined priority level, and the session is allocated from the pool having the same priority level as the priority level of the job being scheduled. A connection supports a multiplicity of independent threads. In the event of an error, the session is released, and the scheduling of the aborted job is retried after a predetermined retry interval expires. After expiry of the retry interval, a callback method is invoked when the target system on which the scheduled job is executed becomes accessible.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer usable program code are provided for creating a set of virtual machine image for software. A virtual software resource template is retrieved. Metadata associated with the virtual software resource template is copied and the copy of the metadata is modified to generate personalized metadata for each virtual machine image in the set of virtual machine images. Then, the set of virtual machine images is deployed using the personalized metadata.

Abstract: A mechanism for configuring and scheduling logical discovery processes in a data processing system is provided. A discovery engine communicates with information providers to collect discovery data. An information provider is a software component whose responsibility is to discover resources and relationships between the resources and write their representations in a persistent store. Discovery directives are used to coordinate the execution of information providers.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for simplifying a visual depiction of a graph by identifying a node for removal from the visual depiction of the graph, the node having at least two relationships with at least one remaining node, removing the node identified for removal, and creating a virtual relationship for the at least one remaining node in dependence upon the removed node's relationships with the at least one remaining node.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for enumerating events for a client by receiving from one or more clients a request for events occurring in a requested time period, wherein the requested time period has a begin time other than the current time, retrieving from an event provider the requested events occurring in the requested time period, and providing in response to the one or more clients one or more of the retrieved events.

Abstract: A solution (200) for collecting inventory information relating to complex resources is proposed. For this purpose, a data mover (285) interfaces with a common collector engine (210). The data mover registers (A3) itself as a listener for a selected resource class on behalf of every exploiter (265). The collector engine solves (A4) the correlations involving the selected resource class, as indicated in predefined discovery directories (235). Providers (225) adapted to discover inventory information about the correlated resource classes are periodically invoked (A5-A9), according to a scheduling plan defined in the same discovery directives. As soon as the providers for all the correlated resource classes have completed the discovery of the corresponding information (A10), the data mover is notified accordingly (A11). In response thereto, the data mover transfers (A13-A15) the discovered (delta) inventory information to the exploiter.

Abstract: A secure bytecode instrumentation facility, wherein a new code fragment is registered in an encrypted registry by first extracting a digital certificate from a specified code fragment location. A certification authority (CA) in the digital certificate is compared against a list of registered trusted certification authorities in the registry. If the CA is in the registry list, the code fragment origin in the digital certificate is compared against a list of registered trusted origins in the registry. If the code fragment origin is in the registry list, a determination is made as to whether the code fragment is authentic. If so, the information of the code fragment is recorded into the registry. The injection of code fragments may begin upon the initialization of the instrumentation facility if the encrypted registry has not been corrupted since last accessed, and if the code fragment content matches code fragment information in the registry.

Abstract: A method and system for employing Common Information Model (CIM) resources within a data processing system. A request is received for an operation with respect to CIM resources, and a determination is made as to whether the request can be fulfilled locally or remotely. In response to a determination to fulfill the request locally, the request is delegated to local CIM object manager (CIMOM) functionality to obtain result data, e.g., from a local repository or from a locally managed provider. In response to a determination to fulfill the request remotely, the request is delegated to the one or more remote CIMOMs, and the result data is aggregated from a plurality of remote CIMOMs. The result data is then returned to the originator of the request.

Abstract: A method of distributing data in a network including a server and an end-user computer. The end-user computer queries the server for a distribution list and then receives that list from the server. The end-user computer then determines if the distribution list is non-empty, and if it is non-empty, selects a distribution from the distribution list using a selected one of manual and automatic modes. The selected distribution is then downloaded from the server to the end-user computer.

Abstract: A taxonomy for annotations found in program code. The taxonomy includes a set of meta-annotations associated with an annotation definition and a set of values for each meta-annotation. The meta-annotations describes properties of each annotation. The values describe one quality of its associated meta-annotation. The taxonomy is used in a method for instrumenting a piece of code. The method includes reviewing meta-annotations attached to each annotation definition within the piece of code to determine how to proceed with instrumenting the piece of code.

Abstract: A method that, all-in-one, allows applications to distribute asynchronously large amounts of data from a source node to multiple destination nodes, to process that data on each single node and to collect the results of that processing on one or more report-to nodes. Distributions are given levels of priority that determine the order in which they are handled by repeaters. A distribution with a given priority can use the number of sessions reserved for its priority level plus any sessions allocated for lower priority levels. Distributions are enqueues in a persistent queue, according to its priority, for subsequent distribution and immediately returns to the caller an ID that can be used as a correlator for the results.

Abstract: A set of plug-in class loaders is provided in the class loader hierarchy. A plug-in class loader is provided for each class loader in the plug-in application's class loader hierarchy. Each plug-in class loader is associated with a single application class loader and is configured such that it delegates to its associated application class loader. All plug-in class loaders are also configured with a class path such that they may load plug-in classes from a directory that is specified within a configuration file. The loading of all plug-in classes is initiated by the application using the plug-in class loaders.

Abstract: A technique is presented for determining the defining ClassLoader class of a Java class as it is being defined within a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) by instrumenting the “java.lang.ClassLoader” class. Within a JVM, all ClassLoader instances call one of the “defineClass” methods of class “java.lang.ClassLoader” in order to pass the raw bytes for loaded a class to the JVM to have it defined as a Java class. Therefore, instrumentation code is inserted into the “defineClass” methods of class “java.lang.ClassLoader”; the instrumentation code stores an identity of the defining ClassLoader prior to the invocation of the class load hook by the JVM, which can use the identity of the defining ClassLoader for various purposes.

Abstract: An apparatus and method by which repeaters are able to temporarily or permanently store data in a local repository called a depot. Two uses for the depots are checkpoint restart functionality and the ability to store commonly installed software distributions on nodes closer to their destinations. Large software programs such as Office 95™ can be stored on local repeaters for fast and efficient distribution. A particular distribution can be stored in more than one depot. Depots will provide an interface to allow administrators to list the contents of a depot, store new distributions and delete old distributions. Data may be added to a depot by either an explicit administrator command or by retaining data sent as part of a distribution. Applications can decide what data is appropriate for depoting, and mark those distribution segments as “storable”.

Abstract: A technique is presented for instrumenting a Java application in a just-in-time fashion. A software developer obtains Java class files that comprise an application that the software developer desires to instrument. The software developer also obtains code for instrumentation probes; each probe is associated with a location in an application, e.g., a specific method within a specific class. The probes along with the associated locations are registered in a registry, either programmatically or by loading a configuration file. At class load time, an injector determines whether a loaded class has any instrumentation locations as predetermined by information in the registry. If so, the injector inserts hooks in the loaded class. When the hooks are executed, the hooks can manage the execution of the probes, which can be dynamically added or removed from the registry during runtime and/or dynamically enabled or disabled during runtime.

Abstract: A method of monitoring data distribution progress in a computer network including a Distribution Manager and an end-user terminal communicating with the Distribution Manager through at least one node in the network. The Distribution Manager generates an identifier associated with the distribution along with a routing to the end-user terminal through the network. The Distribution Manager updates a Distribution State Table, maintaining information describing the progress of the distribution, and a Node State Table, maintaining information describing the status of the node in the network. The distribution data is then sent to the end-user terminal via the selected routing. Data are collected at the node from the end-user terminal describing the status of the end-user terminal and those data are transferred to the Distribution Manager. The Distribution Manager updates the distribution State and Node State Tables with the data received from the Node.