Abstract: An incompatible software level of an information technology infrastructure component is determined by comparing collected inventory information to a minimum recommended software level. If a knowledge base search finds that the incompatible software level is associated with a prior infrastructure outage event, an outage count score is determined for the incompatible software level by applying an outage rule to a historic count of outages caused by a similar incompatible software level, and combined with an average outage severity score assigned to the incompatible software level based on a level of severity of an actual historic failure of the component within a context of the infrastructure to generate a normalized historical affinity risk score. The normalized historical affinity risk score is provided for prioritizing the correction of the incompatible software level in the context of other normalized historical risk level scores of other determined incompatible software levels.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an integrated host and subsystem port selection methodology that uses performance measurements combined with information about active data paths. This technique also helps in resilient fabric planning by selecting ports from redundant fabrics. In a typical embodiment, host port to storage port pairs that create a path between a host and a storage device will be identified. From these pairs, a set of host port to storage port candidates for communicate data from the host to the storage device will be identified based on a set of resiliency constraints. Then, a specific host port to storage port pair will be selected from the set based on a lowest joint workload measurement. A path will then be created between the specific host port and storage port, and data will be communicated from the host to the storage device via the path.

Abstract: An incompatible software level of an information technology infrastructure component is determined by comparing collected inventory information to a minimum recommended software level. If a knowledge base search finds that the incompatible software level is associated with a prior infrastructure outage event, an outage count score is determined for the incompatible software level by applying an outage rule to a historic count of outages caused by a similar incompatible software level, and combined with an average outage severity score assigned to the incompatible software level based on a level of severity of an actual historic failure of the component within a context of the infrastructure to generate a normalized historical affinity risk score. The normalized historical affinity risk score is provided for prioritizing the correction of the incompatible software level in the context of other normalized historical risk level scores of other determined incompatible software levels.

Abstract: An approach for reactive throttling of heterogeneous migration sessions running concurrently in a virtualized cloud environment is disclosed. The heterogeneous migration sessions are characterized by several attributes such as the type of function performed by the migration session and the value that is attained by performing the migration session. An input/output (I/O) path to any resource in the virtualized cloud environment computing that is experiencing excessive resource congestion is identified. Bottlenecks along the I/O path are then determined. Virtual-to-physical resource mapping information of resources in the virtualized cloud computing environment are used to obtain a list of the heterogeneous migration sessions contributing to the bottlenecks along the identified I/O path.

Abstract: An incompatible software level of an information technology infrastructure component is determined by comparing collected inventory information to a minimum recommended software level. If a knowledge base search finds that the incompatible software level is associated with a prior infrastructure outage event, an outage count score is determined for the incompatible software level by applying an outage rule to a historic count of outages caused by a similar incompatible software level, and combined with an average outage severity score assigned to the incompatible software level based on a level of severity of an actual historic failure of the component within a context of the infrastructure to generate a normalized historical affinity risk score. The normalized historical affinity risk score is provided for prioritizing the correction of the incompatible software level in the context of other normalized historical risk level scores of other determined incompatible software levels.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to streaming virtual machine boot services over a network. An aspect of the invention includes booting a first virtual machine and recording data and metadata from a virtual machine boot image into a virtual machine boot file. The data and metadata are accessed in the process of booting the first virtual machine. The virtual machine boot image has setup information of the virtual machine type of the first virtual machine. The virtual machine boot file is configured for the virtual machine type of the first virtual machine. A descriptor is added to metadata of the virtual machine boot image, which references a location of the virtual machine boot file for the virtual machine type of the first virtual machine.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach to provision storage resources (e.g., across an enterprise storage system (ESS) such as a general parallel file system (GPFS) or the like) for different workloads in an energy efficient manner. The system evaluates different energy profiles/workloads' energy consumption characteristics of storage devices to determine an allocation plan that reduces the energy cost (e.g., results in the lowest cost/energy consumption for handling a storage workload). In a typical embodiment, energy consumption characteristics for handling a particular storage workload will be determined. Thereafter, a type of storage device capable of handling the workload will be determined. Then, an allocation plan that results in the most efficient energy consumption for handling the workload will be developed. In general, the allocation plan is based upon the energy consumption characteristics and an energy efficiency algorithm.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach to provision storage resources (e.g., across an enterprise storage system (ESS) such as a general parallel file system (GPFS) or the like) for different workloads in an energy efficient manner. The system evaluates different energy profiles/workloads' energy consumption characteristics of storage devices to determine an allocation plan that reduces the energy cost (e.g., results in the lowest cost/energy consumption for handling a storage workload). In a typical embodiment, energy consumption characteristics for handling a particular storage workload will be determined. Thereafter, a type of storage device capable of handling the workload will be determined. Then, an allocation plan that results in the most efficient energy consumption for handling the workload will be developed. In general, the allocation plan is based upon the energy consumption characteristics and an energy efficiency algorithm.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for migrating virtual machines across network (e.g., WAN) separated data centers (e.g., storage clouds). Specifically, under embodiments of the present invention, a first storage system associated with a first data center is synchronized with a second storage system associated with a second data center via a storage system link. Then, a minimal state of a virtual machine is migrated from a first computer in the first data center to a second computer in the second data center via a WAN link. Using the minimal state, the virtual machine is stored in the second computer. Thereafter, the storage system link is terminated. In addition, as updated pages are received in memory of the first computer, they are migrated to the second computer via the WAN link. Once this migration is complete, the WAN link can be terminated.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to streaming virtual machine boot services over a network. An aspect of the invention includes booting a first virtual machine and recording data and metadata from a virtual machine boot image into a virtual machine boot file. The data and metadata are accessed in the process of booting the first virtual machine. The virtual machine boot image has setup information of the virtual machine type of the first virtual machine. The virtual machine boot file is configured for the virtual machine type of the first virtual machine. A descriptor is added to metadata of the virtual machine boot image, which references a location of the virtual machine boot file for the virtual machine type of the first virtual machine.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an integrated host and subsystem port selection methodology that uses performance measurements combined with information about active data paths. This technique also helps in resilient fabric planning by selecting ports from redundant fabrics. In a typical embodiment, host port to storage port pairs that create a path between a host and a storage device will be identified. From these pairs, a set of host port to storage port candidates for communicate data from the host to the storage device will be identified based on a set of resiliency constraints. Then, a specific host port to storage port pair will be selected from the set based on a lowest joint workload measurement. A path will then be created between the specific host port and storage port, and data will be communicated from the host to the storage device via the path.