Abstract: Near clones for a set of targeted computing systems are provided by determining a highest common denominator set of components among the computing systems, producing a pseudo-clone configuration definition, and realizing one or more pseudo-clone computing systems as partially configured backups for the targeted computing systems. Upon a planned failover, actual failure, or quarantine action on a targeted computing system, a difference configuration is determined to complete the provisioning of the pseudo-clone system to serve as a replacement system for the failed or quarantined system. Failure predictions can be used to implement the pseudo-clone just prior to an expected first failure of any of the targeted systems. The system can also interface to an on-demand provisioning management system to effect automated workflows to realize pseudo-clones and replacement systems automatically, as needed.

Abstract: Near clones for a set of targeted computing systems are provided by determining a highest common denominator set of components among the computing systems, producing a pseudo-clone configuration definition, and realizing one or more pseudo-clone computing systems as partially configured backups for the targeted computing systems. Upon a planned failover, actual failure, or quarantine action on a targeted computing system, a difference configuration is determined to complete the provisioning of the pseudo-clone system to serve as a replacement system for the failed or quarantined system. Failure predictions can be used to implement the pseudo-clone just prior to an expected first failure of any of the targeted systems. The system can also interface to an on-demand provisioning management system to effect automated workflows to realize pseudo-clones and replacement systems automatically, as needed.

Abstract: Near clones for a set of targeted computing systems are provided by determining a highest common denominator set of components among the computing systems, producing a pseudo-clone configuration definition, and realizing one or more pseudo-clone computing systems as partially configured backups for the targeted computing systems. Upon a planned failover, actual failure, or quarantine action on a targeted computing system, a difference configuration is determined to complete the provisioning of the pseudo-clone system to serve as a replacement system for the failed or quarantined system. Failure predictions can be used to implement the pseudo-clone just prior to an expected first failure of any of the targeted systems. The system can also interface to an on-demand provisioning management system to effect automated workflows to realize pseudo-clones and replacement systems automatically, as needed.

Abstract: Gradually automation of a workflow by a configuration change management system is provided by a first workflow template having a relatively low level of automation and complexity in which at least a plurality of tasks require manual input, manual response, or manual approval, operating the first workflow by a workflow automation system engine, monitoring a measurement of the maturity level of the process during the operation the first workflow, and responsive to detecting the maturity level meeting pre-determined benchmark, automatically selecting, engaging, and operating a second workflow template which increases automation by automating one or more subprocesses, adding one or more subprocesses, or eliminating one or more subprocesses.

Abstract: Near clones for a set of targeted computing systems are provided by determining a highest common denominator set of components among the computing systems, producing a pseudo-clone configuration definition, and realizing one or more pseudo-clone computing systems as partially configured backups for the targeted computing systems. Upon a planned failover, actual failure, or quarantine action on a targeted computing system, a difference configuration is determined to complete the provisioning of the pseudo-clone system to serve as a replacement system for the failed or quarantined system. Failure predictions can be used to implement the pseudo-clone just prior to an expected first failure of any of the targeted systems. The system can also interface to an on-demand provisioning management system to effect automated workflows to realize pseudo-clones and replacement systems automatically, as needed.

Abstract: Near clones for a set of targeted computing systems are provided by determining a highest common denominator set of components among the computing systems, producing a pseudo-clone configuration definition, and realizing one or more pseudo-clone computing systems as partially configured backups for the targeted computing systems. Upon a planned failover, actual failure, or quarantine action on a targeted computing system, a difference configuration is determined to complete the provisioning of the pseudo-clone system to serve as a replacement system for the failed or quarantined system. Failure predictions can be used to implement the pseudo-clone just prior to an expected first failure of any of the targeted systems. The system can also interface to an on-demand provisioning management system to effect automated workflows to realize pseudo-clones and replacement systems automatically, as needed.

Abstract: Near clones for a set of targeted computing systems are provided by evaluating different configurations of the targeted computing systems including lists of installed hardware components and installed software components; determining a subset of components in common among the different configurations; determining an initial pseudo-clone configuration including the subset of components and excluding components which are not in common among the different target hardware configurations; for each of the targeted computing systems, producing a finish-out workflow of installation steps and components to be installed into an incompletely configured computer system according to the pseudo-clone configuration to produce an operational clone system; and outputting the pseudo-clone configuration and the workflow to a provisioning management system for subsequent realization of a pseudo-clone backup computing system and further subsequent realization of one or more operational clone systems.

Abstract: A system, a method, computer-readable medium for conveying software, or business methods for gradually automating a workflow in a configuration change management system by providing a first workflow template having a relatively low level of automation and complexity in which at least a plurality of tasks require manual input, manual response, or manual approval, operating the first workflow by a workflow automation system engine, monitoring a measurement of the maturity level of the process during the operation the first workflow, and responsive to detecting the maturity level meeting pre-determined benchmark, automatically selecting, engaging, and operating a second workflow template which increases automation by automating one or more subprocesses, adding one or more subprocesses, or eliminating one or more subprocesses.

Abstract: A system for establishing and maintaining inventories of computing environment assets comprising one or more custom collector interfaces that detect movement of assets from one environment to another, and an inventory scanner which modifies inventories for each environment based on monitored asset movements. The present invention is of especial benefit to autonomic and on-demand computing architectures.

Abstract: Correlating user actions in a long running process displayed on a computer controlled user interactive display system by an implementation, which, in response to a participating user login into said system, determines the role of said user in said long running process, displays a sequence of steps in the process, including at least the current step and the previous and next steps in the process, limits the data displayed for at least one of the displayed steps in said sequence as defined by said role of said user, and offers the participating user performance options for the current step defined by said role of said user in said long running process.

Abstract: A method and system for monitoring computational resources within a data processing system is presented. A monitoring service receives a non-application-specific request to perform a monitoring operation in order to gather information about the usage of a computational resource within a data processing system. The monitoring service automatically selects a monitoring application from a set of monitoring applications in which the selected monitoring application is are able to perform the monitoring operation on the computational resource. The monitoring service then sends to the selected monitoring application an application-specific request that identifies the computational resource and indicates the monitoring operation to be performed on the computational resource.

Abstract: Near clones for a set of targeted computing systems are provided by determining a highest common denominator set of components among the computing systems, producing a pseudo-clone configuration definition, and realizing one or more pseudo-clone computing systems as partially configured backups for the targeted computing systems. Upon a planned failover, actual failure, or quarantine action on a targeted computing system, a difference configuration is determined to complete the provisioning of the pseudo-clone system to serve as a replacement system for the failed or quarantined system. Failure predictions can be used to implement the pseudo-clone just prior to an expected first failure of any of the targeted systems. The system can also interface to an on-demand provisioning management system to effect automated workflows to realize pseudo-clones and replacement systems automatically, as needed.

Abstract: A system for establishing and maintaining inventories of computing environment assets comprising one or more custom collector interfaces that detect movement of assets from one environment to another, and an inventory scanner which modifies inventories for each environment based on monitored asset movements. The present invention is of especial benefit to autonomic and on-demand computing architectures.

Abstract: Workflows for execution by an autonomic provision management system to yield near clones and replacement systems for a set of targeted computing solutions are provided by determining a common denominator set of workflow steps among the workflows for the targeted computing systems, including workflows to morph a near clone to a specific targeted solution when executed a provisioning management system. Common portions of workflows are identified and archived as workflow templates for re-use in development of new workflows, thus virtualizing the process of subsequent workflow design which use the templates. Multi-level criteria-based searching is provided to workflow designers for finding and re-using existing workflows and workflow templates according to degree of matching common steps, quickest implementation, highest available, or other criteria.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method of accessing a remote computer system to initiate maintenance and management accesses on remote network computer systems are provided. A device is used to access the remote computer system. The device uses a Web service to gain access to the remote computer system as well as to instruct the remote computer system to initiate a maintenance and management access on a remote network computer system. In a particular embodiment, the interaction between the device and the remote computer system occurs through a Web browser. Further in cases where the network computer system is off, Wake-On-LAN (WOL) technology is used to turn the network computer system on. In addition, if the network computer system does not have an operating system (OS) installed thereon, Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) bootstrapping technology is used to download an image of an OS to the network computer. After the network computer is up and running it may be instructed to perform different tasks (e.g.