Abstract: A software-defined passive optical network includes a set of optical network terminals, a set of passive optical network ports, and a plurality of splitters. Each of the optical network terminals is connected to a single one of the passive optical network ports through a given one of the splitters, and the network is divided into a plurality of areas, each of which is assigned a given fraction of the passive optical network ports. Passive optical network port utilization is monitored for each of the plurality of areas; for those of the areas determined to have passive optical network port overutilization, the number of the passive optical network ports assigned thereto is increased; and for those of the areas determined to have passive optical network port underutilization, the number of the passive optical network ports assigned thereto is reduced.

Abstract: A system management tool, with a risk assessment mode enabled, is executed within an execution infrastructure on a management computer system, to manage a target computer system in a production situation. When the execution of the tool reaches a risk segment which raises risk for the target system, a user is informed of at least one action to be executed in the risk segment. If the user agrees, the tool is allowed to execute in an automatic mode until an end of the risk segment is reached. Feedback is obtained from the user regarding safety of the risk segment; and the steps are repeated for a plurality of additional risk segments until the tool is deemed safe for all of the risk segments, after which the tool is transitioned from the risk assessment mode to an automatic mode of operation.

Abstract: A plurality of base templates is generated. Each of the base templates models a corresponding process. A plurality of instances of each of the base templates is instantiated. Each of the plurality of instances corresponds to an application of the corresponding process to a particular environment. Each of the instances of each of the base templates is annotated, based, in each case, upon observation of functioning of the instance in the particular environment.

Abstract: One or more embodiments identify server management actions for resolving problems associated with one or more nodes in information technology infrastructure. In one embodiment, a node-ticket record for an information processing node associated with at least one problem ticket is generated. A set of node-ticket clusters is queried based on the node-ticket record. Each of the set of node-ticket clusters maps a set of server management actions to set of historical node-ticket records associated with the node-ticket cluster. The set of server management actions was previously performed to resolve at least one operational problem associated with at least one information processing node. At least one set of server management actions associated with at least one of the set of node-ticket clusters corresponding to the node-ticket record within a given threshold is identified based on the querying.

Abstract: Techniques for improving application server performance and availability are provided. In one aspect, a method of monitoring the health of one or more application servers comprises the following steps. One or more health classes are specified, each of the one or more health classes defining one or more health policies for the one or more application servers. At least one of the one or more health policies is monitored. Violations, if any, of the one or more health policies are detected.

Abstract: Methods and arrangements for quantitatively modeling service processes. A process is assimilated, the process comprising at least one step. At least one quantitative metric with respect to the process is estimated, and at least one mashup pattern applicable to the process is determined, the at least one mashup pattern comprising at least one mashup pattern applicable to at least one process step. The determining includes recalculating the at least one quantitative metric in consideration of at least one mashup pattern and applying at least one mashup pattern to the process responsive to improvement in the at least one quantitative metric.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for improved issue resolution in an expert network. For example, a method comprises the following steps. Information is extracted comprising: content of one or more historical records associated with resolutions of one or more previous issues; and transfer routing sequences indicating routes through routing entities in an expert network that the one or more previous issues passed in order to be respectively resolved. A model is computed based on at least a portion of the extracted information, wherein the computed model statistically captures one or more ticket transfer patterns among routing entities in the expert network. One or more future issue resolution routing recommendations are determined based on at least one of the one or more ticket transfer patterns captured by the computed model.

Abstract: Techniques for dispatching one or more services requests to one or more agents are provided. The techniques include obtaining one or more attributes of each service request, obtaining one or more attributes of each agent, obtaining feedback from each of one or more agent queues, and using the one or more attributes of each service request, the one or more attributes of each agent and the feedback from each of the one or more agent queues to determine one or more suitable agents to receive a dispatch for each of the one or more service requests. Techniques are also provided for generating a database of one or more attributes of one or more service requests and one or more attributes of one or more agents.

Abstract: An exemplary method of responding to a request for a value of at least one metric associated with at least one process includes a step of determining whether responding to the request requires updating the value of the at least one metric. When responding to the request does not require updating the value of the at least one metric, a response is determined based at least in part on at least one stored value of the at least one metric. When responding to the request does require updating the value of the at least one metric, the value of the at least one metric is updated and a response is determined based at least in part on the at least one updated value of the at least one metric.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for improved issue resolution in an expert network. For example, a method comprises the following steps. Information is extracted comprising: content of one or more historical records associated with resolutions of one or more previous issues; and transfer routing sequences indicating routes through routing entities in an expert network that the one or more previous issues passed in order to be respectively resolved;. A model is computed based on at least a portion of the extracted information, wherein the computed model statistically captures one or more ticket transfer patterns among routing entities in the expert network. One or more future issue resolution routing recommendations are determined based on at least one of the one or more ticket transfer patterns captured by the computed model.

Abstract: A plurality of equivalent representations of a process are identified. The process has a plurality of tasks. Each of the representations specifies a different order of the tasks. The plurality of equivalent representations are consolidated into a single representation. The single representation captures, in at least one flexible order grouping, at least two of the tasks that may be performed in more than one order. At least one constraint is specified for the at least one flexible order grouping. Techniques for merging two or more flexible representations are also provided.

Abstract: Access is obtained to a parallel corpus including a problem corpus and a solution corpus. A first plurality of topics are mined from the problem corpus and a second plurality of topics are mined from the solution corpus. A transition probability from the first plurality of topics to the second plurality of topics is determined, to identify a most appropriate one of the topics from the solution corpus for a given one of the topics from the problem corpus.

Abstract: A method (which can be computer implemented) for inferring component associations among a plurality of components in a distributed computing system includes the steps of obtaining status information for each pertinent component of the plurality of components, forming an N by D matrix, X, based on the status information, and factorizing the matrix X to obtain a first matrix indicative of the component associations to be inferred and a second matrix indicative of failure explanations for corresponding ones of the probe instances. N is a number of probe instances associated with a given time frame. D is a number of the plurality of components for which the associations are to be inferred. Techniques are also presented for forming a database with the status information.

Abstract: A plurality of base templates are generated. Each of the base templates models a corresponding process. A plurality of instances of each of the base templates are instantiated. Each of the plurality of instances corresponds to an application of the corresponding process to a particular environment. Each of the instances of each of the base templates is annotated, based, in each case, upon observation of functioning of the instance in the particular environment.

Abstract: A plurality of equivalent representations of a process are identified. The process has a plurality of tasks. Each of the representations specifies a different order of the tasks. The plurality of equivalent representations are consolidated into a single representation. The single representation captures, in at least one flexible order grouping, at least two of the tasks that may be performed in more than one order. At least one constraint is specified for the at least one flexible order grouping. Techniques for merging two or more flexible representations are also provided.

Abstract: Techniques for dispatching one or more services requests to one or more agents are provided. The techniques include obtaining one or more attributes of each service request, obtaining one or more attributes of each agent, obtaining feedback from each of one or more agent queues, and using the one or more attributes of each service request, the one or more attributes of each agent and the feedback from each of the one or more agent queues to determine one or more suitable agents to receive a dispatch for each of the one or more service requests. Techniques are also provided for generating a database of one or more attributes of one or more service requests and one or more attributes of one or more agents.

Abstract: A method and system for processing complex long running queries with respect to a database in which the database workload is determined in terms of quality of service (QoS) requirements of with respect to short running queries, which can be of a transactional type, in which long running queries are partitioned into a plurality of sub-queries that satisfy the database QoS requirements, are then processed and the results of processing the plurality of sub-queries are aggregated so as to correspond to the processing of the long running query.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for supporting a large number of intermittently used application clusters without consuming all the resources needed to run server processes for all the application clusters all the time. A method in accordance with the present invention comprises: holding an application request for a dormant application cluster in a holding zone; changing a status of the dormant application cluster to active; changing a status of an unused active application cluster to dormant; stopping server processes for the newly dormant application cluster; starting server processes for the newly active application cluster; and directing the application request held in the holding zone to the server processes for the newly active application cluster.

Abstract: An exemplary method of responding to a request for a value of at least one metric associated with at least one process includes a step of determining whether responding to the request requires updating the value of the at least one metric. When responding to the request does not require updating the value of the at least one metric, a response is determined based at least in part on at least one stored value of the at least one metric. When responding to the request does require updating the value of the at least one metric, the value of the at least one metric is updated and a response is determined based at least in part on the at least one updated value of the at least one metric.

Abstract: A method (which can be computer implemented) fox inferring component associations among a plurality of components in a distributed computing system includes the steps of obtaining status information fox each pertinent component of the plurality of components, forming an N by D matrix, X, based on the status information, and factorizing the matrix X to obtain a first matrix indicative of the component associations to be inferred and a second matrix indicative of failure explanations for corresponding ones of the probe instances. N is a number of probe instances associated with a given time flame. D is a number of the plurality of components fox which the associations are to be inferred. Techniques are also presented for forming a database with the status information.