Abstract: A computer program product and a computer system for distributed dynamic sizing and load self-management for a relay infrastructure. Program instructions are executable to initiate, by the non-leaving relay in a relay infrastructure, an expansion process, in response to determining that a current load level reaches an expansion level and in response to determining that an overload condition of the relay infrastructure is satisfied; send to a server, by the non-leaving relay, an expansion message, in response to initiating the expansion process; send to the server, by the non-leaving relay, local statistics of endpoints of the non-leaving relay; shift, by the non-leaving relay, one or more endpoints of the non-leaving relay to a first new relay, in response to the server selecting from the endpoints an endpoint and converting the endpoint to the first new relay.

Abstract: A computer program product and a computer system for distributed dynamic sizing and load self-management for a relay infrastructure. Program instructions are executable to initiate, by the non-leaving relay in a relay infrastructure, an expansion process, in response to determining that a current load level reaches an expansion level and in response to determining that an overload condition of the relay infrastructure is satisfied; send to a server, by the non-leaving relay, an expansion message, in response to initiating the expansion process; send to the server, by the non-leaving relay, local statistics of endpoints of the non-leaving relay; shift, by the non-leaving relay, one or more endpoints of the non-leaving relay to a first new relay, in response to the server selecting from the endpoints an endpoint and converting the endpoint to the first new relay.

Abstract: A plan including several groups of tasks is constructed for performing maintenance on a plurality of interrelated machines. A maintenance task in a first group is caused to execute within a window of time allocated for the maintenance. A determination is made that an estimated amount of time needed to execute a second group of tasks from the several groups is more than the remaining time in the window. In response to such a determination, the execution of the second group of tasks is omitted. The execution of a post-requisite task of the first group is completed. A maintenance task in the second group is executed during a second window of time allocated for the maintenance.

Abstract: Methods for distributed dynamic sizing and load self-management for a relay infrastructure. In one method, a relay in a relay infrastructure determines whether a current load level of the relay reaches an expansion level of the relay and whether an overload condition of the relay infrastructure is satisfied, and the relay initiates an expansion process in response to the determination. In another method, a relay in a relay infrastructure determines whether in response to determining that an underload condition of the relay infrastructure is satisfied, and the relay initiates a contraction process in response to the determination. In yet another method, a relay in a relay infrastructure determines whether a tolerance-load condition of the relay infrastructure is satisfied, and the relay in initiates a load self-management process in response to the determination.

Abstract: Methods for distributed dynamic sizing and load self-management for a relay infrastructure. In one method, a relay in a relay infrastructure determines whether a current load level of the relay reaches an expansion level of the relay and whether an overload condition of the relay infrastructure is satisfied, and the relay initiates an expansion process in response to the determination. In another method, a relay in a relay infrastructure determines whether in response to determining that an underload condition of the relay infrastructure is satisfied, and the relay initiates a contraction process in response to the determination. In yet another method, a relay in a relay infrastructure determines whether a tolerance-load condition of the relay infrastructure is satisfied, and the relay in initiates a load self-management process in response to the determination.

Abstract: A plan including several groups of tasks is constructed for performing maintenance on a plurality of interrelated machines. A maintenance task in a first group is caused to execute within a window of time allocated for the maintenance. A determination is made that an estimated amount of time needed to execute a second group of tasks from the several groups is more than the remaining time in the window. In response to such a determination, the execution of the second group of tasks is omitted. The execution of a post-requisite task of the first group is completed. A maintenance task in the second group is executed during a second window of time allocated for the maintenance.

Abstract: A plan including several groups of tasks is constructed for performing maintenance on a plurality of interrelated machines. A maintenance task in a first group is caused to execute within a window of time allocated for the maintenance. A determination is made that an estimated amount of time needed to execute a second group of tasks from the several groups is more than the remaining time in the window. In response to such a determination, the execution of the second group of tasks is omitted. The execution of a post-requisite task of the first group is completed. A maintenance task in the second group is executed during a second window of time allocated for the maintenance.

Abstract: A plan including several groups of tasks is constructed for performing maintenance on a plurality of interrelated machines. A maintenance task in a first group is caused to execute within a window of time allocated for the maintenance. A determination is made that an estimated amount of time needed to execute a second group of tasks from the several groups is more than the remaining time in the window. In response to such a determination, the execution of the second group of tasks is omitted. The execution of a post-requisite task of the first group is completed. A maintenance task in the second group is executed during a second window of time allocated for the maintenance.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for estimating an SLA breach value. The method can include processing resource data to identify an acceptable SLA breach value; and, displaying the acceptable SLA breach value through a user interface. The processing step can include identifying a best practices SLA breach value based upon resource data for an aggregation of customers. Alternatively, the processing step can include identifying an average SLA breach value for a specific customer. As a further alternative, the identifying step can include identifying an average SLA breach value for a specific customer for a specific resource. As yet a further alternative, the processing step can include identifying an SLA breach value trend based upon past measured historical systems management data; and, predicting a future SLA breach value based upon the trend. In all cases, the acceptable SLA breach value can be increased by a fixed proportion.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for applying a maximum number of software patches to each computing system in a set of computing systems. A set of computing systems are grouped into a plurality of computing system groups based on characteristics associated with each computing system, the plurality of computing system groups comprising at least two different groups of computing systems that differ in implementation of previous software patches. For each group of computing systems, a set of pending software patches are bundled based on characteristics associated with that group of computing systems thereby forming a plurality of bundles of pending software patches, the plurality of bundles of pending software patches comprise at least two different sets of pending software patches. For the plurality of computing systems, an associated bundle of pending software patches is applied to an associated group of computing systems.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for applying a maximum number of software patches to each computing system in a set of computing systems. A set of computing systems are grouped into a plurality of computing system groups based on characteristics associated with each computing system, the plurality of computing system groups comprising at least two different groups of computing systems that differ in implementation of previous software patches. For each group of computing systems, a set of pending software patches are bundled based on characteristics associated with that group of computing systems thereby forming a plurality of bundles of pending software patches, the plurality of bundles of pending software patches comprise at least two different sets of pending software patches. For the plurality of computing systems, an associated bundle of pending software patches is applied to an associated group of computing systems.

Abstract: A method for using confidence factors in forming a system may include receiving a tolerable confidence factor. The method may also include utilizing only resources and relationships of a plurality of resources and relationships with confidence factors equal to or greater than the tolerable confidence factor to form the system.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for estimating an SLA breach value. The method can include processing resource data to identify an acceptable SLA breach value; and, displaying the acceptable SLA breach value through a user interface. The processing step can include identifying a best practices SLA breach value based upon resource data for an aggregation of customers. Alternatively, the processing step can include identifying an average SLA breach value for a specific customer. As a further alternative, the identifying step can include identifying an average SLA breach value for a specific customer for a specific resource. As yet a further alternative, the processing step can include identifying an SLA breach value trend based upon past measured historical systems management data; and, predicting a future SLA breach value based upon the trend. In all cases, the acceptable SLA breach value can be increased by a fixed proportion.

Abstract: A method for using confidence factors in forming a system may include receiving a tolerable confidence factor. The method may also include utilizing only resources and relationships of a plurality of resources and relationships with confidence factors equal to or greater than the tolerable confidence factor to form the system.

Abstract: A method of automatically and intelligently maintaining business systems, including information technology assets. A management system automatically maintains a business system based on relationships among resources within the business system and/or on a priority rank that establishes the value or importance of a particular resource. The management system, and optionally the user, can also create rules for maintaining relationships among resources and for maintaining relationships among different business systems. The management system automatically adapts to a change in rules by maintaining relationships among resources and business systems based on a change in the rules.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer instructions for managing interruptions across applications in a data processing system. A user's focus is monitored within the data processing system. Responsive to a request to present a window in the foreground, the priority level of an application currently containing the user focus is compared with a priority level of an application presenting the window. If the application presenting the window has a higher or equal priority than the application currently containing the user focus, the window is presented in the foreground. If the application presenting the window has a lower priority than the application currently containing the user's focus, the request to present the window in the foreground is ignored. Information regarding the request is then stored in a log for later viewing.

Abstract: A method to automatically define resources forming an IT service may include tracking resources utilized in responding to a request or set of requests or performing a transaction or a set of transactions. The method may also include automatically defining resources that form an IT service by aggregating all resources utilized to respond to all requests or to perform all transactions.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for estimating an SLA breach value. The method can include processing resource data to identify an acceptable SLA breach value; and, displaying the acceptable SLA breach value through a user interface. The processing step can include identifying a best practices SLA breach value based upon resource data for an aggregation of customers. Alternatively, the processing step can include identifying an average SLA breach value for a specific customer. As a further alternative, the identifying step can include identifying an average SLA breach value for a specific customer for a specific resource. As yet a further alternative, the processing step can include identifying an SLA breach value trend based upon past measured historical systems management data; and, predicting a future SLA breach value based upon the trend. In all cases, the acceptable SLA breach value can be increased by a fixed proportion.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for performing a real-time service level agreement (SLA) impact analysis. In the system of the invention, a service level manager can be programmed to establish a plurality of SLAs directly implicating selected resources. A relationship database further can be configured for coupling to one or more management applications programmed to manage the selected resources. Finally, a modeling and evaluation system can be communicatively coupled to the relationship database and the service level manager and programmed to perform a real-time SLA impact analysis based both upon resources directly implicated by the SLAs and also upon resources which are related to the resources directly implicated by the SLAs.

Abstract: A composite, multi-tier SLA. A composite, multi-tier SLA can include two or more service offerings having both internal use only service level objectives and external service level objectives. The composite, multi-tier SLA further can include two or more SLAs combined into a single, composite SLA. Each of the SLAs can correspond to a specific one of the service offerings. Moreover, the SLAs in the composite SLA can have a hierarchical organization based upon dependencies between the service offerings. Notably, each of the SLAs can correspond to one of an outsourced service offering, an internal service offering and an external service offering. Additionally, at least one of the SLAs can expose an external service level objective of a corresponding internal service offering which has been redefined as an internal use only service level objective in an SLA at a higher tier in the hierarchical organization.