Abstract: The current document is directed to automated application-release-management facilities that, in a described implementation, coordinate continuous development and release of cloud-computing applications. The application-release-management process is specified, in the described implementation, by application-release-management pipelines, each pipeline comprising one or more stages, with each stage comprising one or more tasks. The currently described methods and systems allow resources to be shared among multiple, interdependent release pipelines and allow access to shared resources to be controlled.

Abstract: The current document is directed to automated application-release-management facilities that, in a described implementation, coordinate continuous development and release of cloud-computing applications. The application-release-management process is specified, in the described implementation, by application-release-management pipelines, each pipeline comprising one or more stages, with each stage comprising one or more tasks. The currently described methods and systems allow resources to be shared among multiple, interdependent release pipelines and allow access to shared resources to be controlled.

Abstract: The current document is directed to automated application-release-management facilities that, in a described implementation, coordinate continuous development and release of cloud-computing applications. The application-release-management process is specified, in the described implementation, by application-release-management pipelines, each pipeline comprising one or more stages, with each stage comprising one or more tasks. The currently described methods and systems allow resources to be shared among multiple, interdependent release pipelines and allow access to shared resources to be controlled.

Abstract: The current document is directed to an automated-application-installation subsystem that provisions, installs, and configures applications across cloud-computing providers. The automated-application-installation subsystem employs an application blueprint to identify components to provisions, including component specifications and constraints, and to identify interdependencies between components. The automated-application-installation subsystem then determines a cost-effective provisioning of the identified components across available cloud-computing providers and installs the application according to the cost-effective provisioning. When less expensive, storage and computer-instruction-execution components of the application may be allocated from different cloud=computing providers.

Abstract: The current document is directed to an automated-application-release-management subsystem that executes application-release-management pipelines that includes one or more tasks and/or stages, execution of which launch execution of scripts on specified host computers. The capability for launching scripts from application-release-management-pipeline tasks and stages provides flexibility in design and development of application-release-management pipelines and provides an incremental path for migration of legacy-script-based application-release management to automated pipeline-based application-release management.

Abstract: Techniques for providing a calendar based provisioning and management for IT administrator/user activities in a virtual datacenter is described. In one example embodiment, an IT task is scheduled as a calendar appointment using an at least one registered calendar application residing in a user device. The at least one registered calendar application is then monitored for the scheduled IT task. The scheduled IT task is then translated into an action/command based on the outcome of the monitoring. The action/command is then issued to manage the scheduled IT task in the datacenter/cloud.

Abstract: The current document is directed to automated application-release-management facilities that, in a described implementation, coordinate continuous development and release of cloud-computing applications. The application-release-management process is specified, in the described implementation, by application-release-management pipelines, each pipeline comprising one or more stages, with each stage comprising one or more tasks. The currently described methods and systems allow resources to be shared among multiple, interdependent release pipelines and allow access to shared resources to be controlled.

Abstract: The current document is directed to an automated-application-installation subsystem that provisions, installs, and configures applications across cloud-computing providers. The automated-application-installation subsystem employs an application blueprint to identify components to provisions, including component specifications and constraints, and to identify interdependencies between components. The automated-application-installation subsystem then determines a cost-effective provisioning of the identified components across available cloud-computing providers and installs the application according to the cost-effective provisioning. When less expensive, storage and computer-instruction-execution components of the application may be allocated from different cloud=computing providers.

Abstract: The current document is directed to automated application-release-management facilities that, in a described implementation, coordinate continuous development and release of cloud-computing applications. The application-release-management process is specified, in the described implementation, by application-release-management pipelines, each pipeline comprising one or more stages, with each stage comprising one or more tasks. The currently described methods and systems allow resources to be shared among multiple, interdependent release pipelines and allow access to shared resources to be controlled.

Abstract: The current document is directed to automated application-release-management facilities that, in a described implementation, coordinate continuous development and release of cloud-computing applications. The application-release-management process is specified, in the described implementation, by application-release-management pipelines, each pipeline comprising one or more stages, with each stage comprising one or more tasks. The currently described methods and systems allow resources to be shared among multiple, interdependent release pipelines and allow access to shared resources to be controlled.

Abstract: The current document is directed to an automated-application-release-management subsystem that executes application-release-management pipelines that includes one or more tasks and/or stages, execution of which launch execution of scripts on specified host computers. The capability for launching scripts from application-release-management-pipeline tasks and stages provides flexibility in design and development of application-release-management pipelines and provides an incremental path for migration of legacy-script-based application-release management to automated pipeline-based application-release management.

Abstract: Techniques for providing a calendar based provisioning and management for IT administrator/user activities in a virtual datacenter is described. In one example embodiment, an IT task is scheduled as a calendar appointment using an at least one registered calendar application residing in a user device. The at least one registered calendar application is then monitored for the scheduled IT task. The scheduled IT task is then translated into an action/command based on the outcome of the monitoring. The action/command is then issued to manage the scheduled IT task in the datacenter/cloud.