Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention pertain to using a reservation to automatically driven configuration management. According to one embodiment, a request to reserve a reproduction of a computer environment for a requested period of time is received. The reproduction of the computer environment is automatically created. The reproduction is automatically reserved for the requested period of time.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to techniques for collecting information. In an embodiment, a support engineer for a vendor, when desiring information to be collected at a customer site, creates an XML (Extensible Markup Language) file that includes collection instructions. The support engineer then sends the XML file to the customer who, upon receiving the XML file, posts the XML file to a collection system. The collection system having the XML file as an input invokes the collection software that executes the collection instructions included in the XML file, and generates the information desired by the support engineer. The collection system, via a pre-setup transport mechanism, then transfers the collected information to a system accessible to the support engineer on the vendor's site.

Abstract: A set of requirements for an application program are generated by a producer of the application program and communicated to a potential user of the application program via a computer file that specifies the requirements. The computer file may be used by the potential user to analyze the capabilities of a computer system relative to the set of requirements for the application program.

Abstract: Customer support personnel can access via a vendor's portal an automated support vendor website to view the status of a fault incident that is being handled by the vendor's automated support system. In an illustrated embodiment, the customer can actually alter the status of the fault incident while it is being handled on the vendor's site.