Abstract: An information technology (IT) asset management system provides for logically grouping IT assets and performing actions on the logical groups. Cluster analysis techniques are used to analyze the configuration data corresponding to IT assets in the IT asset management system, generating proposed logical groups from the clusters determined by the cluster analysis techniques. A system administrator may be allowed to accept or reject the proposed logical groups.

Abstract: A system includes a runbook manager configured to generate a runbook governing future server provisioning jobs, based on analyzed job history. The runbook manager includes a history analyzer configured to analyze a job history for a plurality of provisioning jobs performed to provision a plurality of servers, to thereby obtain the analyzed job history.

Abstract: The embodiments provide a data processing apparatus for automated blueprint assembly. The data processing apparatus includes a micro-blueprint assembler configured to receive a request for automated blueprint assembly for assembling an application, where the request specifies at least one feature, and a model database configured to store model data. The model data includes a plurality of classes and class properties. The data processing apparatus further includes a micro-blueprint database configured to store a plurality of micro-blueprints. Each micro-blueprint corresponds to a functional component of a stack element or service tier, and the functional component is annotated with one or more classes of the plurality of classes and at least one required capability and available capability. The micro-blueprint assembler is configured to generate at least one application blueprint based on the model data and the plurality of micro-blueprints according to the request.

Abstract: The system may include a troubleshooting activity recorder configured to record troubleshooting sessions. Each troubleshooting session may include a sequence of queries and query results. The troubleshooting activity recorder may include a query transformer configured to transform the queries and the query results into transformed queries and transformed query results before recording the troubleshooting sessions. The troubleshooting activity recorder may be configured to record the transformed queries and the transformed query results as troubleshooting session information in a troubleshooting activity database. The system may include a troubleshooting pattern learning unit including a graph builder configured to generate a troubleshooting pattern graph having query nodes and links between the query nodes based on the troubleshooting session information.

Abstract: The embodiments provide a data processing apparatus for automated blueprint assembly. The data processing apparatus includes a micro-blueprint assembler configured to receive a request for automated blueprint assembly for assembling an application, where the request specifies at least one feature, and a model database configured to store model data. The model data includes a plurality of classes and class properties. The data processing apparatus further includes a micro-blueprint database configured to store a plurality of micro-blueprints. Each micro-blueprint corresponds to a functional component of a stack element or service tier, and the functional component is annotated with one or more classes of the plurality of classes and at least one required capability and available capability. The micro-blueprint assembler is configured to generate at least one application blueprint based on the model data and the plurality of micro-blueprints according to the request.

Abstract: A system includes a runbook manager configured to generate a runbook governing future server provisioning jobs, based on analyzed job history. The runbook manager includes a history analyzer configured to analyze a job history for a plurality of provisioning jobs performed to provision a plurality of servers, to thereby obtain the analyzed job history.

Abstract: The embodiments provide a data processing apparatus for automated blueprint assembly. The data processing apparatus includes a micro-blueprint assembler configured to receive a request for automated blueprint assembly for assembling an application, where the request specifies at least one feature, and a model database configured to store model data. The model data includes a plurality of classes and class properties. The data processing apparatus further includes a micro-blueprint database configured to store a plurality of micro-blueprints. Each micro-blueprint corresponds to a functional component of a stack element or service tier, and the functional component is annotated with one or more classes of the plurality of classes and at least one required capability and available capability. The micro-blueprint assembler is configured to generate at least one application blueprint based on the model data and the plurality of micro-blueprints according to the request.

Abstract: The embodiments provide a data processing apparatus for automated blueprint assembly. The data processing apparatus includes a micro-blueprint assembler configured to receive a request for automated blueprint assembly for assembling an application, where the request specifies at least one feature, and a model database configured to store model data. The model data includes a plurality of classes and class properties. The data processing apparatus further includes a micro-blueprint database configured to store a plurality of micro-blueprints. Each micro-blueprint corresponds to a functional component of a stack element or service tier, and the functional component is annotated with one or more classes of the plurality of classes and at least one required capability and available capability. The micro-blueprint assembler is configured to generate at least one application blueprint based on the model data and the plurality of micro-blueprints according to the request.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for managing electronic messages. A method embodiment for managing electronic messages includes processing message content of an electronic message with an automated content classification module to determine a classification for the electronic message; and applying a security policy to the electronic message in dependence upon the classification. The classification module may be configured for a particular sender. The security policy may be configured for a particular receiver. The system may associate the classification with the electronic message. The system may train the classification module. The electronic message may be an email message, an instant message, a text message, or a message sent in the context of a social networking platform. The security policy may include a display policy or a filtering policy.

Abstract: The system may include a troubleshooting activity recorder configured to record troubleshooting sessions. Each troubleshooting session may include a sequence of queries and query results. The troubleshooting activity recorder may include a query transformer configured to transform the queries and the query results into transformed queries and transformed query results before recording the troubleshooting sessions. The troubleshooting activity recorder may be configured to record the transformed queries and the transformed query results as troubleshooting session information in a troubleshooting activity database. The system may include a troubleshooting pattern learning unit including a graph builder configured to generate a troubleshooting pattern graph having query nodes and links between the query nodes based on the troubleshooting session information.

Abstract: An information technology (IT) asset management system provides for logically grouping IT assets and performing actions on the logical groups. Cluster analysis techniques are used to analyze the configuration data corresponding to IT assets in the IT asset management system, generating proposed logical groups from the clusters determined by the cluster analysis techniques. A system administrator may be allowed to accept or reject the proposed logical groups.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating computer configuration rules comprising receiving configuration data regarding a plurality of computers, analyzing the configuration data to determine associations within the configuration data, and generating configuration rules from a result of the analysis.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for managing electronic messages. A method embodiment for managing electronic messages includes processing message content of an electronic message with an automated content classification module to determine a classification for the electronic message; and applying a security policy to the electronic message in dependence upon the classification. The classification module may be configured for a particular sender. The security policy may be configured for a particular receiver. The system may associate the classification with the electronic message. The system may train the classification module. The electronic message may be an email message, an instant message, a text message, or a message sent in the context of a social networking platform. The security policy may include a display policy or a filtering policy.

Abstract: A method of administering a mobile client device is provided. In an example, notice is received of a device being physically present at a location of interest, an executable work flow or script for implementing a corresponding change to the device is prepared in response to the physical presence notice, and the executable work flow or script is transmitted to the device upon an occurrence of the device initiating a communication with a network so as to enable an agent resident on the device to implement the corresponding change. In an example, a device detector remotely receives a response signal from a vicinity of the device, the response signal being generated and transmitted in response to a corresponding interrogation signal. In an example, the interrogation signal is an RFID interrogation signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating computer configuration rules comprising receiving configuration data regarding a plurality of computers, analyzing the configuration data to determine associations within the configuration data, and generating configuration rules from a result of the analysis.

Abstract: Decentralized orchestration of composite services results in a number of flow topologies which differ in their messaging patterns and the distribution of flow code amongst different partitions of a topology. Different performance metrics result for different topologies, and this is governed by the availability of resources, such as CPU cycles, memory, network bandwidth, and so on. A performance model is used to evaluate the performance of different topologies based on availability of resources, and dynamically direct client requests between different topologies according to prevailing conditions.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product provide a generic accounting management system that can be configured at runtime to monitor and meter resources connected to a network. An accounting manager monitors and meters resource usage on the network. One or more agents collect usage data from one or more managed resources connected to the network and report this usage data to the accounting manager. The accounting manager stores the usage data in an accounting data schema. An administration manager supplies network-specific configuration information to the accounting manager at runtime such that the accounting manager and the accounting data schema are configured to the specific resource usage characteristics of the network. The accounting data schema comprises monitoring, metering and accounting classes which are populated at runtime based on the network-specific configuration information.

Abstract: An extensibility mechanism for networked services is disclosed. The service provider can specify the contract for each extension permitted, as part of the web service description. A potential client of the web service can use this description to create customized implementations of the necessary extensions, each conforming to the corresponding contract. Therefore, a service provider offers a plurality of software services. Each service includes a plurality of operations and a plurality of extension points. Each said extension point attaches to an operation, and each operation has zero or more associated extension points. A plurality of requester implementations are stored for respective extension points. When an operation request is received from a requester, a service provider determines if the requested operation has extension points, and if so, invokes a stored implementation of the operation for the respective requester.

Abstract: Plan construction and selection decision phase is conducted separately from a plan assignment phase. Furthermore, the estimation of runtime variables is separated from the assignment of service instances. Moreover, at each stage, feedback is provided to enable the composition of the plan to be continuously refined. Optimization of runtime metrics can also be modelled for selection and composition of web services, or any other service-oriented architecture technology in which an application is described using a predetermined description language.

Abstract: Process accounting information is recorded, together with service request logs written by e-service applications. These two sets of information are aggregated and correlated, to generate usage metrics relating to resource usage for individual service requests. Such per-request information can be used as a basis for charging users making such requests. Services requests often simultaneously consume computing resources, in which case resource usage is proportionally divided between such simultaneous service requests.