Abstract: For profiling and reusing software development assets, an apparatus includes an asset repository that stores assets, and functional and performance descriptions corresponding to each asset. The apparatus further includes a service planning module configured to interpret functional requirement(s) for a target application, and at least one service quality element corresponding to the functional requirement(s). The target application may be an internet-based application, and the functional requirements may be functions performed by software elements. The apparatus further includes a deployment module configured to compare the functional requirements with the stored assets to generate a solution plan. The solution plan may be a group of assets configured to perform the functional requirement(s) for the target application.

Abstract: Automated or autonomic techniques for managing deployment of one or more resources in a computing environment based on varying workload levels. The automated techniques may comprise predicting a future workload level based on data associated with the computing environment. Then, an estimation is performed to determine whether a current resource deployment is insufficient, sufficient, or overly sufficient to satisfy the future workload level. Then, one or more actions are caused to be taken when the current resource deployment is estimated to be insufficient or overly sufficient to satisfy the future workload level. Actions may comprise resource provisioning, resource tuning and/or admission control.

Abstract: An on-demand manager provides an improved distributed data processing system for facilitating dynamic allocation of computing resources among multiple domains based on a current workload and service level agreements. Based on a service level agreement, the on-demand manager monitors and predicts the load on the system. If the current or predicted load cannot be handled with the current system configuration, the on-demand manager determines additional resources needed to handle the workload. If the service level agreement violations cannot be handled by reconfiguring resources at a domain, the on-demand manager sends a resource request to other domains. These other domains analyze their own commitments and may accept the resource request, reject the request, or counter-propose with an offer of resources and a corresponding service level agreement.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for automating allocation of resources based on business decisions. An impact of a business decision is quantified in terms of information technology (IT) metrics. The resources that may be needed to address the impact are estimated. The estimated resources are provisioned.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for allocating resources. Performance metrics for a transaction are received. It is determined whether one or more service level objectives are being violated based on the received performance metrics. In response to determining that the one or more service level objectives are being violated, additional resources are allocated to the transaction. In response to allocating the additional resources, a resource allocation event is published.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for provisioning database resource within a grid database system. The apparatus comprises an analysis module and a provision module. The analysis module analyzes a data query stream from an application to a database instance and determines that the data query stream exhibits a predetermined performance attribute. The provision module provisions a database resource in response to a determination that the data query stream exhibits the predetermined performance attribute. The provisioned database resource may be a database instance, a database server, or a cache. The provisioning of the new database resource advantageously is substantially transparent to a client on the database system.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for distributing application transactions among work servers. Application transaction rates are determined for a plurality of applications supplying transactions to process. For each application, available partitions in at least one server are assigned to process the application transactions based on partition transaction rates of partitions in the servers. For each application, a determination is made of weights for each server including partitions assigned to the application based on a number of partitions in the server assigned to the application. The determined weights for each application are used to distribute application transactions among the servers including partitions assigned to the application.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for profiling and reusing software development assets. The apparatus includes an asset repository that stores assets, and functional and performance descriptions corresponding to each asset. The apparatus further includes a service planning module configured to interpret functional requirement(s) for a target application, and at least one service quality element corresponding to the functional requirement(s). The target application may be an internet-based application, and the functional requirements may be functions performed by software elements. The apparatus further includes a deployment module configured to compare the functional requirements with the stored assets to generate a solution plan. The solution plan may be a group of assets configured to perform the functional requirement(s) for the target application.

Abstract: An apparatus are provided for modeling queuing systems with highly variable traffic arrival rates. The apparatus includes a means to associate a value with a pattern of highly variable arrival rates that is simple and intuitive, and a means to accurately model queuing delays in systems that are characterized by bursts of arrival activity. The queuing delay is determined by a sum of queuing delays after first applying a weighting factor to the queuing delay based upon a random arrival rate, and a different weighting factor to the queuing delay based upon a bursty variable arrival rate. The weighting factors are variants of the server utilization. The model facilitates specification of server characteristics and configurations to meet response time metrics.

Abstract: A method are provided for modeling queuing systems with highly variable traffic arrival rates. The method includes a means to associate a value with a pattern of highly variable arrival rates that is simple and intuitive, and a means to accurately model queuing delays in systems that are characterized by bursts of arrival activity. The queuing delay is determined by a sum of queuing delays after first applying a weighting factor to the queuing delay based upon a random arrival rate, and a different weighting factor to the queuing delay based upon a bursty variable arrival rate. The weighting factors are variants of the server utilization. The model facilitates specification of server characteristics and configurations to meet response time metrics.

Abstract: Automated or autonomic techniques for managing deployment of one or more resources in a computing environment based on varying workload levels. The automated techniques may comprise predicting a future workload level based on data associated with the computing environment. Then, an estimation is performed to determine whether a current resource deployment is insufficient, sufficient, or overly sufficient to satisfy the future workload level. Then, one or more actions are caused to be taken when the current resource deployment is estimated to be insufficient or overly sufficient to satisfy the future workload level. Actions may comprise resource provisioning, resource tuning and/or admission control.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method, system and article of manufacture for performing analytic modeling on a computer system by handling a plurality of predefined system criteria directed to a modeled computer system. The present invention provides means for the user of an analytic model to specify (i.e. enable) any number of predefined system criteria that must all be simultaneously satisfied. The modeling methodology uses a variation of the well-known Mean Value Analysis technique in its calculations. Response times, resource utilizations, and resource queue lengths are initially estimated for a small user arrival rate. An iterative method is used to gradually increase the user arrival rate by a constant value. For each iteration, response times, resource utilizations, and resource queue lengths are calculated. Then for all the criteria, which have been enabled, it is checked to see if the value limits specified for those criteria have exceeded.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for distributed intersystem lock optimization are provided. With the apparatus and method of the present invention, the time required to obtain an uncontested lock, meaning a lock that no other program or process in the distributed system is simultaneously attempting to acquire, is minimized. The apparatus and method of the present invention increases the speed with which locks are acquired by splitting the process of obtaining a lock into two separate operations: a test for contention, and then if contention exists, a full lock operation. The test for contention is made fast by associating each lock with a memory location, and using an atomic operation or the like, to atomically set the memory location associated with the lock to a different value. If the lock is found to be contested, meaning that another program or process has already locked it, control is turned over to a slower operation than ensures that the lock-requesting program or process will eventually be granted the lock.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer implemented instructions for managing a plurality of caches of data, wherein the data processing system includes a plurality of independent computers. In response to initiating a read operation to read data on a data block, an indication is posted on a directory of data blocks identifying the computer that now holds a copy of that block and a location in the memory of that computer where a flag associated with that block is held. Then in response to initiating a write operation on that data block, messages are sent to all the computers holding that block which resets the said flag, thus informing each computer that the data in that block is no longer valid. These messages are sent using means that perform that flag reset without, in the preferred embodiment, any overhead of interruption of processing on the computers where the flags reside.

Abstract: Automated or autonomic techniques for managing deployment of one or more resources in a computing environment based on varying workload levels. The automated techniques may comprise predicting a future workload level based on data associated with the computing environment. Then, an estimation is performed to determine whether a current resource deployment is insufficient, sufficient, or overly sufficient to satisfy the future workload level. Then, one or more actions are caused to be taken when the current resource deployment is estimated to be insufficient or overly sufficient to satisfy the future workload level. Actions may comprise resource provisioning, resource tuning and/or admission control.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for estimating the performance of a computer system are provided. Initially, a business pattern representative of the expected usage of the computer system is identified. Then, for each parameter associated with each predefined script, which corresponds to the identified business pattern, a value is established. The computer system hardware characteristics and performance objectives are identified next. The performance estimate is then calculated utilizing the established parameter values, identified hardware characteristics and performance objectives. To calculate the performance estimate, the script measurements data is read from a table of previously measured values, and a weighted average number of page visits per user, a weighted average visit rate and a weighted average service time for each target device in the computer system are calculated.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method, system and article of manufacture for performing analytic modeling on a computer system by handling a plurality of predefined system criteria directed to a modeled computer system. The present invention provides means for the user of an analytic model to specify (i.e. enable) any number of predefined system criteria that must all be simultaneously satisfied. The modeling methodology uses a variation of the well-known Mean Value Analysis technique in its calculations. Response times, resource utilizations, and resource queue lengths are initially estimated for a small user arrival rate. An iterative method is used to gradually increase the user arrival rate by a constant value. For each iteration, response times, resource utilizations, and resource queue lengths are calculated. Then for all the criteria, which have been enabled, it is checked to see if the value limits specified for those criteria have exceeded.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for estimating the performance of a computer system are provided. Initially, a business pattern representative of the expected usage of the computer system is identified. Then, for each parameter associated with each predefined script, which corresponds to the identified business pattern, a value is established. The computer system hardware characteristics and performance objectives are identified next. The performance estimate is then calculated utilizing the established parameter values, identified hardware characteristics and performance objectives. To calculate the performance estimate, the script measurements data is read from a table of previously measured values, and a weighted average number of page visits per user, a weighted average visit rate and a weighted average service time for each target device in the computer system are calculated.

Abstract: The invention relates to scheduling multiple tasks running on multiple platforms by analysis and consideration of various factors and metrics, e.g., priority of execution, balancing the work load, balancing of resources, resource availability, time constraints, etc. through such expedients as task assignment, (i.e., deciding which processor or other resources will be used to execute one or more tasks). The purpose is to minimize processing execution time and client waiting time by efficiently distributing workload among operational computers, processors and other system resources. The relationship of real world server workload versus time, measured against various metrics and historical data, with an intermediate result used to simulate future demand. This simulation of future demand is then used to reconfigure the system to meet the demand, thereby providing higher degrees of self management and autonomy to the web site.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer implemented instructions for managing a plurality of caches of data, wherein the data processing system includes a plurality of independent computers. In response to initiating a read operation to read data on a data block, an indication is posted on a directory of data blocks identifying the computer that now holds a copy of that block and a location in the memory of that computer where a flag associated with that block is held. Then in response to initiating a write operation on that data block, messages are sent to all the computers holding that block which resets the said flag, thus informing each computer that the data in that block is no longer valid. These messages are sent using means that perform that flag reset without, in the preferred embodiment, any overhead of interruption of processing on the computers where the flags reside.