Abstract: Methods and systems for protecting virtual machines is provided. One method includes discovering, by a first plugin, from a virtual machine (“VM”) management system, a plurality of VMs that share a logical data store having a plurality of virtual volumes used for storing data for the VMs by a storage system registered with the first plugin and a virtual appliance of the VM management system; obtaining, by the first plugin, from the virtual appliance, metadata and storage layout of a set of virtual volumes used by a VM to store data; using a first application programming interface (API), by the first plugin, for identifying a first set of storage volumes used by the storage system to store data for the set of virtual volumes; and creating, by the first plugin, a consistency group (“CG”) having the identified the first set of storage volumes and generating a snapshot of the CG.

Abstract: Methods and systems for protecting virtual machines is provided. One method includes generating, by a first plugin, a directory for a virtual machine (VM) from among a plurality of VMs for a restore operation to restore the VM from a snapshot, the plurality of VMs sharing a logical data store having a plurality of virtual volumes used for storing data for the VMs by a storage system registered with the first plugin and a virtual appliance of a VM management system, the storage system using a first set of storage volumes to store data for a set of virtual volumes of the VM; renaming, by the first plugin, a logical object associated with the snapshot; and calling, by the first plugin, the virtual appliance to import the renamed logical object as a virtual volume.

Abstract: Methods and systems for protecting virtual machines is provided. One method includes discovering, by a first plugin, from a virtual machine (“VM”) management system, a plurality of VMs that share a logical data store having a plurality of virtual volumes used for storing data for the VMs by a storage system registered with the first plugin and a virtual appliance of the VM management system; obtaining, by the first plugin, from the virtual appliance, metadata and storage layout of a set of virtual volumes used by a VM to store data; using a first application programming interface (API), by the first plugin, for identifying a first set of storage volumes used by the storage system to store data for the set of virtual volumes; and creating, by the first plugin, a consistency group (“CG”) having the identified the first set of storage volumes and generating a snapshot of the CG.

Abstract: Methods and systems for protecting virtual machines is provided. One method includes discovering, by a first plugin, from a virtual machine (“VM”) management system, a plurality of VMs that share a logical data store having a plurality of virtual volumes used for storing data for the VMs by a storage system registered with the first plugin and a virtual appliance of the VM management system; obtaining, by the first plugin, from the virtual appliance, metadata and storage layout of a set of virtual volumes used by a VM to store data; using a first application programming interface (API), by the first plugin, for identifying a first set of storage volumes used by the storage system to store data for the set of virtual volumes; and creating, by the first plugin, a consistency group (“CG”) having the identified the first set of storage volumes and generating a snapshot of the CG.

Abstract: Presented is an automated policy-provisioning method for a computing system having a service-oriented architecture. The system comprises at least one managed service and at least one policy enforcement point operable to enforce a runtime policy for the service. The method comprises: receiving in machine-readable form at least one semantic rule defining a condition imposed by a business policy; receiving machine-readable data describing a runtime policy enforcement capability of the at least one policy enforcement point; determining based on the at least one rule and the capability whether the at least one policy enforcement point can meet the condition; based on the determination, deriving a runtime policy suitable for enforcing the condition; and communicating the runtime policy to the at least one policy enforcement point.

Abstract: A portable closet (10) with an interior (26) that can be used as a separable tote bag is disclosed. The portable closet is a clamshell-type piece of luggage with wheels (18) and an extendable and retractable handle (68). The interior of the piece of luggage includes at least one fold-down shelf (28, 30), and may include several fold-down shelves, as well as conventional pockets and closable compartments. The interior is connected to the piece of luggage such that it can be removed, folded, and configured as a tote bag. While connected, the interior may be moved aside to permit access to an undivided additional storage compartment behind or beneath it.

Abstract: Luggage with crushable, resilient portions and methods for making it are disclosed. In one embodiment, the cover of a piece of luggage is formed of a thermoplastic urethane (TPU) and has sufficient deformability so that it may be crushed and inverted into itself for storage and then resiliently returned to essentially the same shape. The luggage is preferably made by a process of vacuum forming a heated TPU sheet over a mold.

Abstract: A reconfigurable bag is disclosed. The reconfigurable bag has a center expanding section and two bottom expanding sections, all of which may be moved between stored and open configurations. Opening one or more of the expanding sections changes the shape and configuration of the bag.

Abstract: A web service management system manages a web service 12 with one or more policies. A service level agreement is represented ontologically and queries are provided corresponding to the policies. To determine which policies are required for a consumer with a specific instance of the service level agreement the queries are run against the service level agreement, and then the determined policies used in the service. An engine 26 may monitor metrics relating to the service 12 provided by a service intermediary 22 and run queries using the metrics as data to determine if the service level agreements are breached.

Abstract: A policy scheduler scheduling a policy is provided. The policy scheduler receives the policy for a system and information of a current state of the system. The policy scheduler evaluates one or more rules based on the current state of the system and generates a new rule via an evolutionary algorithm based on the information of the current state of the system. The policy scheduler adds the newly generated rule into the one or more rules and schedules the policy based on the one or more rules including the newly generated rule.

Abstract: A portable closet (10) with an interior (26) that can be used as a separable tote bag is disclosed. The portable closet is a clamshell-type piece of luggage with wheels (18) and an extendable and retractable handle (68). The interior of the piece of luggage includes at least one fold-down shelf (28, 30), and may include several fold-down shelves, as well as conventional pockets and closable compartments. The interior is connected to the piece of luggage such that it can be removed, folded, and configured as a tote bag. While connected, the interior may be moved aside to permit access to an undivided additional storage compartment behind or beneath it.

Abstract: An enforcement system may include a policy decision point and an adaptive grid. Requests for service from users are passed to the policy decision point which uses enforcer agents in the adaptive grid to enforce policies by selecting from available policy enforcement points. The adaptive grid may also include explorer agents for evaluating enforcement capabilities available to the enforcement system.

Abstract: A reconfigurable bag is disclosed. The reconfigurable bag has a center expanding section and two bottom expanding sections, all of which may be moved between stored and open configurations. Opening one or more of the expanding sections changes the shape and configuration of the bag.

Abstract: Luggage with crushable, resilient portions and methods for making it are disclosed. In one embodiment, the cover of a piece of luggage is formed of a thermoplastic urethane (TPU) and has sufficient deformability so that it may be crushed and inverted into itself for storage and then resiliently returned to essentially the same shape. The luggage is preferably made by a process of vacuum forming a heated TPU sheet over a mold.

Abstract: Presented is a method and system for a service intermediary selection in a web service management system. The method comprises: receiving a service request by the web service management system; and selecting the service intermediary from a plurality of service intermediaries by a planning module of the web service management system.

Abstract: An enforcement system may include a policy decision point and an adaptive grid. Requests for service from users are passed to the policy decision point which uses enforcer agents in the adaptive grid to enforce policies by selecting from available policy enforcement points. The adaptive grid may also include explorer agents for evaluating enforcement capabilities available to the enforcement system.

Abstract: Presented is an automated policy-provisioning method for a computing system having a service-oriented architecture. The system comprises at least one managed service and at least one policy enforcement point operable to enforce a runtime policy for the service. The method comprises: receiving in machine-readable form at least one semantic rule defining a condition imposed by a business policy; receiving machine-readable data describing a runtime policy enforcement capability of the at least one policy enforcement point; determining based on the at least one rule and the capability whether the at least one policy enforcement point can meet the condition; based on the determination, deriving a runtime policy suitable for enforcing the condition; and communicating the runtime policy to the at least one policy enforcement point.

Abstract: Presented is a method and system for a service intermediary selection in a web service management system. The method comprises: receiving a service request by the web service management system; and selecting the service intermediary from a plurality of service intermediaries by a planning module of the web service management system.

Abstract: A web service management system manages a web service 12 with one or more policies. A service level agreement is represented ontologically and queries are provided corresponding to the policies. To determine which policies are required for a consumer with a specific instance of the service level agreement the queries are run against the service level agreement, and then the determined policies used in the service. An engine 26 may monitor metrics relating to the service 12 provided by a service intermediary 22 and run queries using the metrics as data to determine if the service level agreements are breached.