Abstract: A method for managing a business. At least one relationship is determined between N business components (B1, B2, . . . , BN) and respective N costs (C1, C2, . . . , CN) and respective N values (V1, V2, . . . , VN) pertaining to the N business components. The N business components are a subset of M business components (B1, B2, . . . , BM) of a Component Based Model (CBM) of the M business components subject to M?2 and N?M. Determining the at least one relationship includes relating business components of the CBM with an Information Technology (IT) model of an IT system. The IT model includes abstract IT structures, virtual IT structures, real IT structures, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: Techniques for obtaining environment information are disclosed. In an embodiment, a host that has not yet completed a boot process obtains information (also referred to as “environment information”) about facilities that are available for use in a computing environment. The host does not need any functionality that is enabled through a complete boot process to obtain the environment information. The environment information is used for configuring a system service or application on the host, prior to initialization of the system service or application. Initializing the system service or application with such configurations prepares the system service or application to interact with the existing facilities. In an embodiment, a validator validates functional requirements for a computing environment. The validator obtains the environment information.

Abstract: Techniques for obtaining environment information are disclosed. In an embodiment, a host that has not yet completed a boot process obtains information (also referred to as “environment information”) about facilities that are available for use in a computing environment. The host does not need any functionality that is enabled through a complete boot process to obtain the environment information. The environment information is used for configuring a system service or application on the host, prior to initialization of the system service or application. Initializing the system service or application with such configurations prepares the system service or application to interact with the existing facilities. In an embodiment, a validator validates functional requirements for a computing environment. The validator obtains the environment information.

Abstract: Techniques for obtaining environment information are disclosed. In an embodiment, a host that has not yet completed a boot process obtains information (also referred to as “environment information”) about facilities that are available for use in a computing environment. The host does not need any functionality that is enabled through a complete boot process to obtain the environment information. The environment information is used for configuring a system service or application on the host, prior to initialization of the system service or application. Initializing the system service or application with such configurations prepares the system service or application to interact with the existing facilities. In an embodiment, a validator validates functional requirements for a computing environment. The validator obtains the environment information.

Abstract: Techniques for obtaining environment information are disclosed. In an embodiment, a host that has not yet completed a boot process obtains information (also referred to as “environment information”) about facilities that are available for use in a computing environment. The host does not need any functionality that is enabled through a complete boot process to obtain the environment information. The environment information is used for configuring a system service or application on the host, prior to initialization of the system service or application. Initializing the system service or application with such configurations prepares the system service or application to interact with the existing facilities. In an embodiment, a validator validates functional requirements for a computing environment. The validator obtains the environment information.

Abstract: A method and system for porting an abstract Information Technology (IT) structure into an IT delivery environment. An abstract IT structure A that is currently within an IT delivery environment X is translated by generating a virtual IT structure V from the abstract IT structure A through specification of an IT delivery environment Y. Delivery binding the virtual IT structure V to the IT delivery environment Y generates a delivery-bound virtual IT structure D. The delivery-bound virtual IT structure D is deployed in the IT delivery environment Y, resulting in a real IT structure instance R capable of operating in the IT delivery environment Y.

Abstract: A method and system for consolidating N elements of an enterprise IT structure that consists of L elements (N?L). All combinations of M elements of the N elements are generated (M<N). M is a specified positive integer of at least 1 and less than N. One or more pairs of combinations selected from all of the combinations are ascertained such that each ascertained pair consists of IT structures S1 and an IT structure S2 which are specifically congruent with respect to each other. Specifically congruent means composition congruent, topologically congruent, interface congruent, composition congruent and topologically congruent, composition congruent and interface congruent, topologically congruent and interface congruent, or fully congruent. At least one pair of combinations selected is consolidated. Consolidating each pair P reduces a goal function G that is a function of a total cost of ownership (TCO) of the enterprise IT structure.

Abstract: A method and system for optimally scheduling a web conference managed by a web application. Date and time ranges are initialized with predefined values. A tentative start date included in the date range and a tentative start time included in the time range are automatically calculated, and are included in a tentative schedule for the web conference. A time period is determined by the tentative schedule and a duration of the web conference. The automatic calculation prevents the time period from overlapping a time interval during which processors utilized by the web application are to experience a peak load. The tentative schedule is presented to the user via the interface, and is recalculated and redisplayed in response to the user updating a load-related parameter. The user selects a final schedule, which is the tentative schedule or a user-specified schedule different from the tentative schedule.

Abstract: A method performed in an Information Technology (IT) development environment and an associated computer system. Business requirements are translated into functional requirements. An abstract IT structure is generated by translating the functional requirements into the abstract IT structure.

Abstract: A method and system for adapting an Information Technology (IT) structure to maintain service levels. An IT structure is deployed in an IT delivery environment. A service level associated with the IT structure is specified. At least one operational characteristic of the IT structure corresponding to the specified service level is identified. For each identified operational characteristic, a corresponding threshold is established in such that if the corresponding threshold is violated then the specified service level is not sustained. After establishing the thresholds, operation of the IT structure is monitored. The monitoring detects a condition wherein a measured value of a first operational characteristic has violated the corresponding threshold associated with the first operational characteristic such that the specified service level is not sustained by the measured value of the first operational characteristic, causing degradation of the specified service level.

Abstract: Generating a transition plan for a computer resource portfolio, representing each resource as a state machine, by generating a transition plan, the transition plan having a set of acts for transitioning states of the resources, to move the computer resource portfolio from a present state, the present state based on an inventory of present computer capabilities, to a future state. The future state is identified based on a difference between a present state and an identified state meeting given performance requirements. The transition plan is optimized to maximize the sum value of the computer resource portfolio values added over the state sequence of the transition.

Abstract: A method and system for consolidating N elements of an enterprise IT structure that consists of L elements (N?L). All combinations of M elements of the N elements are generated (M<N). M is a specified positive integer of at least 1 and less than N. One or more pairs of combinations selected from all of the combinations are ascertained such that each ascertained pair consists of IT structures S1 and an IT structure S2 which are specifically congruent with respect to each other. Specifically congruent means composition congruent, topologically congruent, interface congruent, composition congruent and topologically congruent, composition congruent and interface congruent, topologically congruent and interface congruent, or fully congruent. At least one pair of combinations selected is consolidated. Consolidating each pair P reduces a goal function G that is a function of a total cost of ownership (TCO) of the enterprise IT structure.

Abstract: A method performed in an Information Technology (IT) development environment and an associated computer system. Business requirements are translated into functional requirements. An abstract IT structure is generated by translating the functional requirements into the abstract IT structure.

Abstract: A method and system for predicting a user activity level associated with an application. An activity level is a number of transactions performed by users utilizing the application per time period or a number of users utilizing the application per time period. Measurements of activity levels are assigned to a user activity metric (UAM) variable, and associated values are assigned to a set of factors. At least one correlation coefficient between each factor and the UAM is calculated. In response to a maximum correlation coefficient associated with a factor being less than a pre-defined threshold, the factor is excluded from the set of factors to facilitate forming a subset of factors associated with correlation coefficients whose absolute values are greater than or equal to the pre-defined threshold. A regression model utilizing the subset is generated to predict an activity level.

Abstract: In an object-oriented computer system, an object can exist in a split state or a merged state. When in the split state, the object has multiple instances. When in the merged state, the object has a single instance. A request for migrating the object between the split state and the merged state is identified. In response thereto, the object is migrated therebetween. The object's state is preserved during the migration by consolidating the state of multiple instances of the object, or by copying the state of a single, merged, instance of the object.

Abstract: In an object-oriented computer system, an object can exist in a split state or a merged state. When in the split state, the object has multiple instances. When in the merged state, the object has a single instance. A request for migrating the object between the split state and the merged state is identified. In response thereto, the object is migrated therebetween. The object's state is preserved during the migration by consolidating the state of multiple instances of the object, or by copying the state of a single, merged, instance of the object.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for copying data between templates having data stored in fields. The field designations of the source and target template are read and compared and data is copied between fields having matching field designations. For example, each field in the target template with the same field name and field size as a field in the source template receives the data from the corresponding field of the first template. Non-matching fields are presented to a user to obtain instructions on how to complete the copying operation. The user may specify concatenation, splitting, or renaming/resizing to provide source data for the target template. Alternatively, the non-matching fields in the target template may be left empty or the user may manually enter data by using a clipboard function or keying in new data.

Abstract: In an object-oriented computer system, an object can exist in a split state or a merged state. When in the split state, the object has multiple instances. When in the merged state, the object has a single instance. A request for migrating the object between the split state and the merged state is identified. In response thereto, the object is migrated therebetween. The object's state is preserved during the migration by consolidating the state of multiple instances of the object, or by copying the state of a single, merged, instance of the object.

Abstract: In an object-oriented computer system, an object can exist in a split state or a merged state. When in the split state, the object has multiple instances. When in the merged state, the object has a single instance. A request for migrating the object between the split state and the merged state is identified. In response thereto, the object is migrated there between. The object's state is preserved during the migration by consolidating the state of multiple instances of the object, or by copying the state of a single, merged, instance of the object.

Abstract: In object oriented-computer systems, objects execute in different, heterogeneous execution environments. During runtime, an object is identified that should desirable execute in another, heterogeneous execution environment. Usage of the object in the current execution environment is terminated, and the object is instantiated in the other, heterogeneous execution environment. During the movement, the state of the object is preserved despite differences in state variable formatting between the execution environments.