Abstract: Extending a plurality of manageability capabilities of manageable information technology (IT) resources utilize an “aspect of” association for describing a relationship between a first object representing a manageable resource playing a role of a subject and one or more additional objects each playing a role of an aspect. The “aspect of” association establishes an overall manageability function for the first object representing a manageable resource and the one or more additional objects as a logical composition of a plurality of manageability capabilities. The manageability capabilities are provided using distinct implementation classes for supporting a specific role, and for supporting management-discipline related aspects and behaviors needed by each of a plurality of resource management applications for managing the manageable resource. The one or more additional objects have an aspect life cycle that is bounded maximally by a subject lifecycle of the first manageable resource.

Abstract: A template generator organizing templates in a cost-aware clustering, a method of allocating resources using cost-aware clustering and computer program products therefor. A resource provisioning unit generates, selects and maintains a selected number of resource templates. Each template specifies an allocable resource capacity configuration. Each requesting client device has resources allocated determined by one of the selected resource templates. A resource provisioning unit includes a configuration store with costs of allocable resources and associated attributes, a server request store with previously received requests, and an input parameter store with template list options. A template generator determines an optimum list of templates to satisfy previously received requests. A template store stores generated template lists.

Abstract: Techniques for role-based service operation status reporting to clients are provided. In one aspect, a method for reporting a status of a service operation to a client is provided. The method includes the following steps. A sequence of business process steps involved in performing the service operation is identified. One or more abstractions of the business process steps are made, each abstraction containing a sequence of a fewer number of steps than the business process, wherein the number of steps in each of the abstractions correlates with a level of detail about the service operation. The status of the service operation is reported to the client based on a given one of the abstractions having the level of detail best suited to a role of the client.

Abstract: Extending a plurality of manageability capabilities of manageable information technology (IT) resources utilize an “aspect of” association for describing a relationship between a first object representing a manageable resource playing a role of a subject and one or more additional objects each playing a role of an aspect. The “aspect of” association establishes an overall manageability function for the first object representing a manageable resource and the one or more additional objects as a logical composition of a plurality of manageability capabilities. The manageability capabilities are provided using distinct implementation classes for supporting a specific role, and for supporting management-discipline related aspects and behaviors needed by each of a plurality of resource management applications for managing the manageable resource. The one or more additional objects have an aspect life cycle that is bounded maximally by a subject lifecycle of the first manageable resource.

Abstract: Components in a plurality of administrative domains that are communicatively coupled by a network are automatically managed. Permission to implement a corrective action in a second administrative domain is obtained by a management program in a first administrative domain that does not have existing permission to act in the second administrative domain. Responsive to obtaining the permission, the corrective action is implemented in the second administrative domain under control of the management program in the first administrative domain.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention is a system and method for an adaptive sales interview search technique for an electronic catalog. The system includes a customer interface, a host system coupled to the customer interface through a network and a database coupled to the host system. The host system provides, in the electronic catalog, products contained in a database. Also provided by the host system, are questions relating to the products to be presented to a customer who uses the electronic catalog. The host system supplies, in the electronic catalog, likely answers of the customer linked to constraints relative to the products contained in the database. The host system selects the electronic catalog questions in order of ranked importance, presents a highest ranked question, receives an answer to the highest ranked question, applies the constraints based on the answer to the highest ranked question and limits product choices based on the answer to the highest ranked question.

Abstract: A system for collecting, categorizing and searching metadata about products which may be the subject of user-input inequality searches. Unique methods are provided for: generating image information at the user interface; inputting of the inequality search; conducting an inequality search based on the metadata in response to input at the user interface; and; displaying the search results appropriately.