Abstract: Actions performed when one or more virtual-machine-deployment instructions are executed are exposed. The actions can subsequently be analyzed to identify potential inefficiencies or other issues in the process of deploying one or more virtual machines. In furtherance thereof, metadata associated with the actions, such as performance information, can also be attached to relevant actions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus intuitively to administer all components of a networked computer system by use of real multi-dimensional views of any component or any set of components, including components related to a specific business interest, and with customizable and fully extensible functionality, across heterogenous platforms and applications. Navigation and configuration tools are provided, with an intelligent cursor, to travel to and address any component part thereof, or subset of components, with status and abnormalities identified, monitored and controlled, and by hierarchical filtration, and aggregation correlation with asynchronous notification. Graphical presentation tools are also provided employing an enhanced zooming graphical display.

Abstract: Actions performed when one or more virtual-machine-deployment instructions are executed are exposed. The actions can subsequently be analyzed to identify potential inefficiencies or other issues in the process of deploying one or more virtual machines. In furtherance thereof, metadata associated with the actions, such as performance information, can also be attached to relevant actions.

Abstract: A network management system allows a network administrator to intuitively manage all components of a heterogeneous networked computer system using views of any component or any set of components. These views are generated in a multi-dimensional, virtual reality environment. Navigation tools are provided that allow an operator to travel through the network hierarchy's representation in the virtual environment using an automatic flight mode. Automatic flight mode determines a reasonable trajectory to a network component that avoids collisions with intervening objects in the virtual environment. Since the system is capable of managing a world-wide network, city, building, subnet, segment, and computer, a view may also display internal hardware, firmware, and software of any network component. Views of network components may be filtered so only components pertaining to a specific business or other interest are displayed.

Abstract: Enhanced requirement-capability definitions are employed for resource consumption and allocation. Business requirements can be specified with respect to content to be hosted, and a decision can be made as to whether, and how, to allocate resources for the content based on the business requirements and resource capabilities. Capability profiles can also be employed to hide underlying resource details while still providing information about resource capabilities.

Abstract: A master image can be generated based upon evaluation of virtual machine images. The master image includes single instances of data segments that are shared across virtual machine images within a virtual machine environment. The master image can be further be constructed as a function of a peer pressure technique that includes data segments common to a majority of the virtual machine images within the master image. The data segments included within the master image can further be defined by prioritizing data within virtual machine images as well as identifying influential data with a peer pressure technique.

Abstract: A computer-readable storage medium has a data structure stored thereon for constructing expressions representing software configurations to be applied to software. The data structure includes a first data field including data identifying a name of software setting for the application. A second data field includes data representing an assertion portion of an policy rule for configuring the configurations identified in the first data field to be applied to the software. The data structure also includes a third data field storing data representing an action portion of the policy rule. The second data field and the third data field form the policy rule. A fourth data field stores metadata describing the policy rule represented by the first data field, the second data field, and the third data field.

Abstract: A configuration management database for storing configuration information about an IT system. The configuration management database may have representations of configuration items that correspond to configuration items in the IT system, indicia of relations between the configuration items, and attributes of the configuration items. The configuration management database may also have configuration state information of the configuration items, where the configuration state information has information indicating whether a configuration item, relation, or attribute is in a state of pending approval or in a state of planned deployment. The configuration management database may also have temporal information indicating a temporal state of a configuration item, relation, or attribute.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are generally disclosed for presenting predictively and graphically administering a networked system in a time dimension. According to one aspect of the present application, a method is disclosed for presenting a projected status of at least one network system component. The method comprises identifying a present reference time and defining a status time associated with at least one network system component. The status time is future time relative to the reference time. The method also comprises identifying the network system component for presentation. The method further comprises determining a projected status associated with the network system component as of the status time. A representation of the projected status of the network system component is output for presentation. The outputting of the representation includes displaying a three-dimensional depiction of the network system component.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are generally disclosed for maintaining data integrity across distributed computer systems. In one embodiment, the method of the invention includes the step of transmitting an object from a server application to a client application. The method also includes the step of transmitting an object state from the server application to the client application. The method further includes the steps of synchronizing the object and object state between the server application and the client application, and updating the object by invoking a server application method after the step of synchronizing. An apparatus and article of manufacture for carrying out the steps of the method are also disclosed.

Abstract: A computer-readable storage medium has a data structure stored thereon for constructing expressions representing software configurations to be applied to software. The data structure includes a first data field including data identifying a name of software setting for the application. A second data field includes data representing an assertion portion of an policy rule for configuring the configurations identified in the first data field to be applied to the software. The data structure also includes a third data field storing data representing an action portion of the policy rule. The second data field and the third data field form the policy rule. A fourth data field stores metadata describing the policy rule represented by the first data field, the second data field, and the third data field.

Abstract: A method for presenting a user selected status of an object in a three dimensional graphic display is disclosed. The method includes the step of receiving a request to select a property of an object for display. The method further includes the step of displaying at least one property which may be displayed for the object. A selection of a property is received and the value of the selected property for the object is determined. The method further includes the step of generating a status indicator based on the value of the selected property. The status indicator is then displayed relative to the object. In a preferred embodiment, the form of the status indicator is automatically determined by the system. An apparatus for implementing the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: In accordance with certain aspects of the model-based policy application, each of a plurality of policies is associated with appropriate parts of a model of a heterogeneous system. A deployment agent is invoked to apply each of the plurality of policies to components associated with the parts of the model. An identification of a change to one of the plurality of policies is received, and the deployment agent is also invoked to apply the changed policy to selected ones of the components associated with the parts of the model.

Abstract: A method for reporting alert conditions is disclosed which includes defining alert filter criteria, identifying an alert condition, analyzing one or more properties of the alert condition based on the alert filter criteria, and determining whether to report the alert condition. Systems and computer-readable storage media for reporting an alert condition are also disclosed.

Abstract: A configuration management database for storing configuration information about an IT system. The configuration management database may have representations of configuration items that correspond to configuration items in the IT system, indicia of relations between the configuration items, and attributes of the configuration items. The configuration management database may also have configuration state information of the configuration items, where the configuration state information has information indicating whether a configuration item, relation, or attribute is in a state of pending approval or in a state of planned deployment. The configuration management database may also have temporal information indicating a temporal state of a configuration item, relation, or attribute.

Abstract: A method for presenting a user selected status of an object in a three dimensional graphic display is disclosed. The method includes the step of receiving a request to select a property of an object for display. The method further includes the step of displaying at least one property which may be displayed for the object. A selection of a property is received and the value of the selected property for the object is determined. The method further includes the step of generating a status indicator based on the value of the selected property. The status indicator is then displayed relative to the object. In a preferred embodiment, the form of the status indicator is automatically determined by the system. An apparatus for implementing the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: Virtual machine hard drive image files (VHDs) are stored in a virtual machine image store by a virtual machine image server. The BITS protocol with integrated Remote Differential Compression (RDC) is used to transfer one or more VHDs to a virtual machine client. The RDC may compare segments of preexisting VHDs on the virtual machine client with segments of the requested VHDs to minimize the number of segments that are transferred to the virtual machine client. The requested VHD may then be reconstructed from the received segments and the segments preexisting on the virtual machine client. In addition, the host operating system or applications of the virtual machine client may also be used as a source of segments for the RDC, for example.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are generally disclosed for presenting predictively and graphically administering a networked system in a time dimension. According to one aspect of the present application, a method is disclosed for presenting a projected status of at least one network system component. The method comprises identifying a present reference time and defining a status time associated with at least one network system component. The status time is future time relative to the reference time. The method also comprises identifying the network system component for presentation. The method further comprises determining a projected status associated with the network system component as of the status time. A representation of the projected status of the network system component is output for presentation. The outputting of the representation includes displaying a three-dimensional depiction of the network system component.

Abstract: A method and apparatus intuitively to administer all components of a networked computer system by use of real multi-dimensional views of any component or any set of components, including components related to a specific business interest, and with customizable and fully extensible functionality, across heterogenous platforms and applications. Navigation and configuration tools are provided, with an intelligent cursor, to travel to and address any component part thereof, or subset of components, with status and abnormalities identified, monitored and controlled, and by hierarchical filtration, and aggregation correlation with asynchronous notification. Graphical presentation tools are also provided employing an enhanced zooming graphical display.

Abstract: Model-based propagation of attributes allows a user to define one or more attributes, policies associated with the system and particular components, constraints associated with various components, and dependencies between components of the system. The user also defines the manner in which the attributes are to be propagated throughout a model of the system. The attributes are then propagated to the appropriate components in the model using information associated with the model of the system.