Abstract: A system and method for managing power in virtualized computer systems are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, a request to instantiate a virtual machine is received. A processor determines whether a power state is to be altered to instantiate the virtual machine on a computing system, and in response to the determination, alters the power state.

Abstract: A provisioning server can provide and interact with an eraser agent on target machines. The eraser agent can execute on one or more target machines to erase all the contents of storage on the target machines. In particular, the eraser agent can utilize secure algorithms to alter and obscure the information stored the storage devices of the target machines. The provisioning server can instruct the target machines to alter their power state (e.g. power cycle), if necessary, to provide and to initiate the eraser agent.

Abstract: A system and method for managing power in virtualized computer systems are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, a request to instantiate a virtual machine is received. A processor determines whether a power state is to be altered to instantiate the virtual machine on a computing system, and in response to the determination, alters the power state.

Abstract: Embodiments relate systems and methods for detecting network conditions based on derivatives of event trending. In embodiments, a network management server can monitor the status and operation of network machines, such as servers or targets, as well as network transmission hardware (e.g. routers). Streams of network operation data from those sources can be captured and stored. The management server or other logic can examine the network operation data to identify trend lines for network conditions, such as application faults, attempted intrusions, or other events or conditions. trend line data can be treated to generate second or other higher-order derivatives, such as third-order derivatives representing the rate of change of acceleration (or jerk) in the time series of one or more conditions. The presence of acceleration or jerk for one or more trend lines, such as attempted network intrusions, can reflect an event and trigger a flag or other automated response.

Abstract: A system and method for managing power in virtualized computer systems are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, a request to instantiate a virtual machine is received. A processor determines that a power state is to be altered to instantiate the virtual machine on a computing system, and in response to the determination, alters the power state.

Abstract: Embodiments relate systems and methods for detecting network conditions based on a correlation between trend lines. In embodiments, a network management server can monitor the status and operation of network machines, such as servers or targets, as well as network transmission hardware (e.g. routers). Streams of network operation data from those sources can be captured and stored. The management server or other logic can examine the network operation data to identify trend lines for network conditions, such as application faults, attempted intrusions, or other events or conditions. Trend line data can be treated to generate second or other higher-order derivatives, such as third-order derivatives or others. A time correlation between two or more trend lines and/or their higher order derivatives, for instance, the occurrence of a peak value in the same time window, can be used to identify an event, state or condition.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for provisioning machines having virtual storage resources, such as virtual disks. A provisioning (or “cobbler”) server can interact with a local virtual machine installation client to initiate software provisioning to a set of target machines. Each virtualization profile or virtualized system record can have one or more virtual disks associated with it for installation and storage. The provisioning process can entail, for example, the delivery of an operating system, applications, or other software to the targets. The virtual machine installation client can identify potential locations for virtual disks on the target, such as volume identifiers, media types, and/or file systems. The cobbler server can generate a distribution to the target machine taking the configuration of the virtual disk into account, and install the provisioned software to that storage resource without a need to manually specify storage parameters. Diskless machines can also be provisioned.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating a reverse installation file for network restoration. A set of managed machines, such as personal computers or servers, can be managed by a network management engine communicating with the machines via a secure channel. The network management engine can scan the managed network for kickstart, or provisioning answer files, that were used to install software to network nodes at a prior time. The network management engine can access the original kickstart file, and update that file to reflect a current state of the associated machine by inserting user-supplied updates, storage configuration updates, security credentials, and/or other data. Upon a crash or other malfunction of the associated machine, the network management platform can access the reverse kickstart file and generate a restoration of that node to a current state from the reverse kickstart data.

Abstract: An administrator system can utilize a history generated by a tagging tool to determine the current configuration of computing systems. The administrator system can utilize the current configuration to verify that the computing systems have been configured properly and verify, over time, that the computing systems maintain the desired configuration. The administrator system can compare the current configuration with the desired configuration for the computing systems.

Abstract: A software provisioning environment can include several provisioning servers for providing software provisioning to one or more target machines. In the environment, one of the provisioning servers can initiate a replication action. The replication action can transfer and apply the metadata from one provisioning server to another provisioning server. Additionally, the replication action can transfer and apply portions of an inventory of provisioning objects from one provisioning server to another provisioning server. During the replication action, the provisioning server can utilize the interfaces and protocols of standard provisioning processes to transfer the metadata and portions of the inventory.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for depopulation of user data from a network. A network management platform can communicate with a set of managed machines in a network, and generally manage user accounts including user IDs, associated network processes, services, application files, data files, and/or other user data. In embodiments, a user may have a change in status, such as departing from the organization operating the network, changing their name or user name, or other updates. In such cases, a systems administrator may need to update or delete files, processes, services, and/or other user data associated with the user from the network. The network management platform can interrogate the network for files, processes, or other resources associated with the user ID of interest. The search can exhaustively interrogate every available node in the network, to update or purge all files associated with the subject user ID(s).

Abstract: A provisioning server can actively monitor the software provisioning processes being performed on a target machine to determine the status and integrity of the provisioning processes and notify an administrator or user of the status and integrity. The provisioning server can be configured to include a monitoring module and a message module. The monitoring module can be configured to monitor software provisioning processes being performed on a target machine and determine the status and integrity of the provisioning processes. The message module can be configured send notification to the administrator or user of the status and integrity of the provisioning processes.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for analyzing patterns and trends in online communities, and more particularly to organizing and analyzing data from community collaboration platforms and websites such as wikis, mailing lists, bug trackers, project management tools, and version control systems. At least one collaboration space can contain and store topics which can be submitted to and accessible by a plurality of users. The plurality of users can start new topics or add to existing topics within the at least one collaboration space. The at least one collaboration space can organize data within the topics according to various attributes of the data and the topics. The at least one collaboration space can send the organized data to a dashboard, which can create data organization aids to analyze the data.

Abstract: The management of a virtual machine is disclosed. A virtual machine can be identified that is configured in accordance with a cloud management scheme. A processor of a computing system can abstract differences of management protocol between cloud management schemes. The processor can reconfigure the virtual machine in view of the abstracted differences. An instance of the reconfigured virtual machine can be created.

Abstract: A provisioning server can cooperate with configuration management systems to deliver provisioning processes integrated with configuration management services. The provisioning server can associate provisioning objects for the various provisioning processes with management classes supported by the configuration management systems. The management classes can include data for configuring the resources of a target machine (hardware, software, data, etc.). As the provisioning server performs the provisioning process for a particular provisioning object on a target machine, the provisioning server can apply the management class, associated with the particular provisioning object, to the target machine.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for network management using a secure mesh command and control framework. A network management server can communicate with a set of supervisory hosts, which in turn communicate with an underlying set of targets. The set of targets can have associated digital certificates which can be authenticated by common certificate authorities. A controlled target can authenticate one or more other target requesting access to the controlled target via the trusted common certificate authority. One authenticated target can therefore mesh on a trusted basis with another target to perform installation, monitoring, testing, or other activities directly on the target of interest, without channeling commands through an intervening supervisory host.

Abstract: A cloud management system can maintain a set of “virtual groups,” and assign different “virtual groups” to particular computing resources. The “virtual groups” can be based on the particular usage (type of virtual machine, application of the virtual machine, function of the virtual machine, and the like) of the members in the groups and/or can be based on the specifications of the computing resources (type and amount of computing resources). When instantiating virtual machines in a cloud, the cloud management system can utilize the “virtual groups” to identify and allocate the computing resources.

Abstract: A services tool can detect, monitor, and manage software providing services in and for the network. The services tool can identify different types of software that provides services for the network (“services software”) and types of software that provide support (“support software”) to the services software. The services tool can determine configuration data for both the services software and the support software. The services tool can automatically identify when particular services software needs to be linked to particular support software. The services tool can configure the services software and/or support software to link the two according to the rules.

Abstract: The transferring of storage content is disclosed. The method may include providing an agent to a target machine in a network of target machines, where the agent is configured to copy storage contents of the target machine. The method may further include receiving the copied storage contents. The method may further include providing the agent to another target machine in the network of target machines, where the agent is configured to transfer the copied storage contents to the other target machine.

Abstract: A provisioning server can provide and interact with an eraser agent on target machines. The eraser agent can execute on one or more target machines to erase all the contents of storage on the target machines. In particular, the eraser agent can utilize secure algorithms to alter and obscure the information stored the storage devices of the target machines. The provisioning server can instruct the target machines to alter their power state (e.g. power cycle), if necessary, to provide and to initiate the eraser agent.