Abstract: Embodiments control software hosted by cloud providers and private clouds. Operational data received from the software correlates: •a time, •a user at the time, and •a software component accessed by the user at the time. The operational data relates to resources (e.g., storage, computational, network) that are consumed. Experiential data characterizing a quality of user interaction, is also received. The experiential data may be derived from operational data (e.g., inferred from time lags), or received separately as feedback. Operational data and experiential data are processed according to a ruleset or a neural network. Based upon the result, which optimizes towards costs, experience data (e.g., time lags) or policies (e.g. security constraints), a command causes an actuator to act upon the software. The actuator may trigger movement to a different host (e.g. different cloud provider). The move functionality, if applied to many customers at once, embodies a cloud provider switch service.

Abstract: Embodiments control software hosted by cloud providers and private clouds. Operational data received from the software correlates: •a time, •a user at the time, and •a software component accessed by the user at the time. The operational data relates to resources (e.g., storage, computational, network) that are consumed. Experiential data characterizing a quality of user interaction, is also received. The experiential data may be derived from operational data (e.g., inferred from time lags), or received separately as feedback. Operational data and experiential data are processed according to a ruleset or a neural network. Based upon the result, which optimizes towards costs, experience data (e.g., time lags) or policies (e.g. security constraints), a command causes an actuator to act upon the software. The actuator may trigger movement to a different host (e.g. different cloud provider). The move functionality, if applied to many customers at once, embodies a cloud provider switch service.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for sizing an application running on a virtual machine. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include registering, at a monitor, one or more controllers associated with one or more corresponding applications. Configuration information may be received for one or more corresponding applications. Event information may be provided to the one or more controllers to enable the one or more controllers to adjust one or more aspects of the corresponding applications. The event information may represent changes in resources (e.g., at the physical machine hosting the virtual machine and application). The aspects may be adjusted based on the changes. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for optimizing applications, such as applications included in a business process. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include receiving information representative of one or more interfaces and aspects of each of the interfaces. The interfaces may be adjustable by a business process supervisor. The business process supervisor may adjust one or more aspects of the one or more interfaces. The results of the adjustment may be received and used to determine optimum settings to the one or more interfaces. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

Abstract: Techniques for optimizing an operation environment include receiving, from a first computing system, an optimization task at a second computing system; processing the optimization task in an initial optimization environment to obtain one or more initial optimization results; for each of the one or more initial optimization results, generating an optimization data record that comprises the optimization task, the initial optimization environment, and the initial optimization result; for each of the optimization data records: varying one or more parameters of the initial optimization environment to generate an updated optimization environment; processing the optimization task in the updated optimization environment to obtain an updated optimization result; storing the initial optimization results and updated optimization results in a repository that is part of or communicably coupled to the second computing system; and sorting the stored optimization results to determine one or more best optimization results of

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for migrating applications from a physical machine to virtualization technology, such as virtual machines. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include receiving, from an agent, information representative of at least one of an application or an operating system at a processor. An image may be created based on the received information. The image may provide a virtual machine including an application. The created image may be provided to a storage device. A virtualization manager may access the storage device and load the created image to implement a virtual machine including the application. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method determines real-time information regarding changes to input data used to run an optimization. The optimization is run using a first computing system to generate a first optimization result within a first time window and the first computing system is configured to run the optimization periodically within subsequent time windows. The method determines when the changes to the input data indicate the optimization should be rerun. When the optimization should be rerun, the method causes a re-running of the optimization after the time window ends using a second computing system different from the first computing system. The re-running of the optimization using the changes and generating a second optimization result before a next time window for the first computing system to periodically run the optimization starts.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for controlling the state of components of a system. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include receiving a request to place a system into a state. The system may include one or more components of a distributed computing system. A controller may place, based on a defined structure for the system, the one or more components into the state by sending one or more messages to the one or more components. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

Abstract: A navigator component is displayed including (i) a home icon configured to transition the navigator component to an earlier state, (ii) user-selectable rings that are centered on the home icon and represent sets of the menu views, including a first ring that currently has a visual indication of selection, and (iii) first user-selectable icons that belong to the first ring and are located between the home icon and at least one of the user-selectable rings, each first user-selectable icon configured to cause one of the menu views to be displayed. A user input is received that selects a second ring of the user-selectable rings. An updated navigator component is displayed, (i) including second user-selectable icons that belong to the second ring, instead of the first user-selectable icons, and (ii) wherein the second ring currently has, and the first ring currently does not have, the visual indication of selection.

Abstract: In some example implementations, there is provided a method. The method may include receiving metadata representative of usage of a component of a system; generating, based on the received metadata and a model, a three-dimensional representation of the usage of the system including at least one of the component and a structure of the component, the model based on a geographic entity; and providing the generated three-dimensional representation as a page for presentation. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also provided.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for transitioning one or more aspect of a dynamic cluster of computers to one or more virtual machines. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include receiving a selection representing a node of a cluster selected for cloning. An indication may be provided to the node to prepare for cloning. The indication may be provided by accessing an interface at the node. When the selection is received and the node is prepared for cloning, the cloning of the node may be initiated. In some implementations, the node comprises a virtual machine including an application. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for using a relative timestamp to log activity in a distributed computing system. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include receiving a message including a first timestamp representative of when the message is sent at a first processor. A second processor may generate an entry logging receipt of the received message. The second processor may determine a second timestamp representative of a time relative to the first timestamp. The second timestamp may be included as an entry at a log at the second processor.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for deploying virtual appliances. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include receiving information representative of one or more requirements of virtual appliances and one or more resources available to host the virtual appliances. A download manager may be used to install the virtual appliances. The installation may be configured based on the received information. The start of the virtual appliances may be initiated based on a dependency description. The dependency description includes a sequence for starting the virtual appliances including the network configuration. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

Abstract: Techniques for optimizing an operation environment include receiving, from a first computing system, an optimization task at a second computing system; processing the optimization task in an initial optimization environment to obtain one or more initial optimization results; for each of the one or more initial optimization results, generating an optimization data record that comprises the optimization task, the initial optimization environment, and the initial optimization result; for each of the optimization data records: varying one or more parameters of the initial optimization environment to generate an updated optimization environment; processing the optimization task in the updated optimization environment to obtain an updated optimization result; storing the initial optimization results and updated optimization results in a repository that is part of or communicably coupled to the second computing system; and sorting the stored optimization results to determine one or more best optimization results of

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for optimizing applications, such as applications included in a business process. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include receiving information representative of one or more interfaces and aspects of each of the interfaces. The interfaces may be adjustable by a business process supervisor. The business process supervisor may adjust one or more aspects of the one or more interfaces. The results of the adjustment may be received and used to determine optimum settings to the one or more interfaces. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for updating virtual appliances. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include receiving, under the control of a first update manager of a first virtual appliance, a second virtual appliance including a second update manager. The second virtual appliance may be received as an update to replace the first virtual appliance. Control of the update may be transferred from the first update manager to the second update manager, when the first update manager receives an indication representing completion of the update. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for sizing the operating system of a virtual machine. The computer-implemented method includes receiving information representative of an extended application layer and a container, both of which operate at a virtual machine at a host. A determination is made regarding whether one or more aspects of the extended application and the container may be deinstalled by testing at the virtual appliance preconfigured sets of extended application layers and container infrastructure layers, the testing of preconfigured sets performed in order from a smallest preconfigured set having a smallest number of components to a lamest preconfigured set having a lamest number of components. The extended application and the container are implemented without the deinstalled aspects.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for optimizing applications, such as applications included in a business process. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include receiving information representative of one or more interfaces and aspects of each of the interfaces. The interfaces may be adjustable by a business process supervisor. The business process supervisor may adjust one or more aspects of the one or more interfaces. The results of the adjustment may be received and used to determine optimum settings to the one or more interfaces. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for quantitative measurements of an application and a computer. In one exemplary embodiment, there is provided a method for determining whether to instantiate an application on one of a plurality of interconnected computers. Moreover, the method includes receiving information regarding the application to be instantiated on the computer; receiving information regarding the computer on which the application is to be instantiated; determining a dual measurement based on the received application information and the received computer information; and determining whether to instantiate the application based on the determined dual measurement.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for selecting a processor, such as a hardware provider, for executing a virtual appliance. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include receiving information representative of whether one or more processors are capable of executing at least one of a plurality of virtual appliances. The received information may further including one or more costs to execute the at least one virtual appliance at one of the processors. One of the processors may be selected based on the received information. The selection enables the processor to execute the at least one virtual appliance. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.