Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for monitoring transactions for a set of known nodes in a network data processing system. Cache data is received from a router in the data processing system. The cache data includes an identification of the set of known nodes sending data packets for transactions onto the network data processing system. The transactions are tracked for the set of nodes using the cache data from the router. In this manner, the loading of work for different nodes in a set of nodes can be identified.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for identifying nodes in a network data processing system. Cache data is received from a set of routers in the data processing system. The cache data includes an identification of the nodes sending data packets onto the network data processing system. The nodes on the network data processing system are identified using the cache data from the set of routers.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product for monitoring the performance of a system. The mechanism of the present invention provides an interface in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) to communicate multiple layers of system performance data to an operator. An operator monitors this display of information and uses it to determine how to adjust the system to optimize system performance. This mechanism of the present invention provides immediate feedback to an operator by displaying a trail of metric points, wherein the metric points indicate the status of system performance over a period of time. In this manner, the display mechanism of the present invention immediately conveys to an operator whether the system is operating within predefined margins, the results of performance adjustments made to the system, as well as predictions or trends for the system.

Abstract: Event reports generated from multiple event sources within an event management system such as Tivoli (TM) Event Console are handled by an Event Bus, which links multiple problem resolution servers together and assigns an ownership to each event report. The Event Bus parses each incoming event for adding or altering a slot value. Based on the slot value, the event is forwarded to the configured event servers. In addition, the ability to dynamically change ownership to maintain an error-free systematic transmission flow is provided.

Abstract: A system and method for using hierarchical policy levels. In one embodiment, computers of the network are arranged into a hierarchy. A management policy server with access to the network queries the network to identify computers at or below its own level within the hierarchy. Computers under the control of the management policy server are identified, and management programs, updates or policies are automatically distributed to the computers, without manual intervention.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for allocating resources based on predictions of service level agreement (SLA) breaches in order to minimize costs are provided. With the method, apparatus, and computer instructions, a prediction that an SLA will be breached is received from a prediction engine associated with the SLM system. Based on a prediction that an SLA will be breached, a minimum cost analysis is performed to determine if computer resources may be shifted from another service consumer under another SLA to facilitate the service consumer of the potentially breached SLA in order to reduce the cost of the penalty associated with breaching SLAs. If so, resources are reallocated in order to minimize penalties associated with SLA breaches.

Abstract: Corrective actions are managed for differing preferences among multiple sharing customers by a repository inquirer which, responsive to receipt of a fault event or out-of-limits condition for a shared resource of a first computing system domain, queries a customer requirements repository, determines affected application programs for the customers sharing the resource, determines affected customers on behalf of which affected application programs are being executed, and by a preference extractor which, responsive to the inquirer, extracts preferences for each affected application programs; and a corrective action instigator which, responsive to the extractor, performs two or more corrective actions according to the extracted preferences, wherein the corrective actions comprise at least two different actions, and wherein at least one corrective action comprises moving execution of an application program from a first computing system to a second computing system.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product for monitoring the performance of a system. The mechanism of the present invention provides an interface in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) to communicate multiple layers of system performance data to an operator. An operator monitors this display of information and uses it to determine how to adjust the system to optimize system performance. This mechanism of the present invention provides immediate feedback to an operator by displaying a trail of metric points, wherein the metric points indicate the status of system performance over a period of time. In this manner, the display mechanism of the present invention immediately conveys to an operator whether the system is operating within predefined margins, the results of performance adjustments made to the system, as well as predictions or trends for the system.

Abstract: A mechanism and model are provided for representing and managing composite resource models. When a resource monitor is deployed for a resource, the resource monitor scans for information that indicates that the resource under monitoring is part of a cluster, grid, or other composite configuration. The resource monitor then determines whether monitoring information for the resource should be reported differently because of the composite configuration. If monitoring information for the resource is to be reported differently, the resource monitor alters the reporting format to reflect the composite resource model. The resource manager may then receive the monitoring information and apply this information to individual resources and aggregates the monitoring information for composite resources.

Abstract: An example of a solution provided here comprises automatically measuring bandwidth of a network connection; comparing results of the measuring, with bandwidth parameters; preventing a transfer of a file via the network connection, if measured bandwidth is less than a minimum acceptable value; providing to an end user an option of transferring a file via the network connection, if measured bandwidth is not less than a minimum acceptable value, but is less than an optimal value; and automatically transferring a file via the network connection, if measured bandwidth is greater than or equal to an optimal value.

Abstract: A monitoring program contains a method for detecting a load imbalance in a group of servers and providing notification so that corrections can be made. An embodiment of the invention reads from the address resolution protocol (ARP) cache to determine which server addresses are present, then clears the ARP cache. The address resolution protocol will repopulate the cache from traffic it snoops and from new requests. By performing this query and clear operation periodically, the tracking program can form a picture of the activity levels of the servers. When a significant imbalance exists, the program notifies a control console for human intervention to solve the problem. The tracking program will periodically write its results to a log file, allowing reports for various time periods to be produced as needed. By this mechanism, not only can an imbalance be quickly detected, but underutilization can be picked up by comparing known capability of a resource to its actual usage.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for identifying nodes in a network data processing system. Cache data is received from a set of routers in the data processing system. The cache data includes an identification of the nodes sending data packets onto the network data processing system. The nodes on the network data processing system are identified using the cache data from the set of routers.

Abstract: An example of a solution provided here comprises automatically measuring bandwidth of a network connection; comparing results of the measuring, with bandwidth parameters; preventing a transfer of a file via the network connection, if measured bandwidth is less than a minimum acceptable value; providing to an end user an option of transferring a file via the network connection, if measured bandwidth is not less than a minimum acceptable value, but is less than an optimal value; and automatically transferring a file via the network connection, if measured bandwidth is greater than or equal to an optimal value.

Abstract: An example of a solution provided here comprises automatically measuring bandwidth of a network connection; comparing results of the measuring, with bandwidth parameters; preventing a transfer of a file via the network connection, if measured bandwidth is less than a minimum acceptable value; providing to an end user an option of transferring a file via the network connection, if measured bandwidth is not less than a minimum acceptable value, but is less than an optimal value; and automatically transferring a file via the network connection, if measured bandwidth is greater than or equal to an optimal value.

Abstract: Setting up management and monitoring programs on one or more servers is simplified. When a pre-selected monitoring/management vendor is to be used, a general-purpose agent is installed after the vendor agent is installed and can determine the contents of the server(s), then manage additional setup for the vendor agent, such as configurations, best practices, and license management. When the user has not yet determined which vendor or vendors to utilize, a vendor-neutral agent will determine the contents of the server(s) and can then choose between various vendor programs, utilizing weightings according to the strengths and weaknesses of each vendor, as well as user preferences, to determine the best vendor or vendors to select. Any needed vendor agents are then downloaded by the vendor-neutral agent and installed. The vendor-neutral agent also includes the capabilities of the general-purpose agent and manages other setup needs, such as configurations, best practices, and license management.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for integrating a user resource into a managed computing resource system. If a level of data privacy indicating a first level of dedicated computing resources, a user resource is integrated into a first logical design. Responsive to the level of data privacy indicating a second level of dedicated computing resources, the user resource is integrated into a second logical design. If there is no indication of the level of data privacy and the user resource has at least one associated unique IP address, a capacity of a point of deployment (POD) device is determined. If there is no indication of the level of data privacy and no unique IP address, the user resource is integrated into the first logical design. If the user resource utilizes a predefined percentage of the capacity, the user resource is integrated into a third logical design.

Abstract: A corrective action method or subsystem for providing corrective actions in a for a computing domain shared among multiple customers wherein different domain resources are shared by different customers, and each customer's corrective action preferences are accommodated differently according a repository of customer preferences. A database may be queried when a fault event or out-of-limits condition is detected for a given shared resource to determine which customers share the resource, determine each affected customer's response preferences, and to perform corrective actions according to those response preferences. For example, three customers may share a particular hard drive in a shared computing system. One customer may prefer to receive an email notice when the drive is nearly full, another may prefer to receive additional allocation of disk space elsewhere, and the third may prefer to receive a written report of space utilization.

Abstract: A system and method for using hierarchical policy levels for distribution of software in a computer network. In one embodiment, computers of the network are arranged into a hierarchy. A management policy server with access to the network queries the hierarchy to identify computers at or below its own level within the hierarchy. Once a set of computers is identified, software programs, updates or policies are distributed, bypassing human intervention.

Abstract: A mechanism and model are provided for representing and managing composite resource models. When a resource monitor is deployed for a resource, the resource monitor scans for information that indicates that the resource under monitoring is part of a cluster, grid, or other composite configuration. The resource monitor then determines whether monitoring information for the resource should be reported differently because of the composite configuration. If monitoring information for the resource is to be reported differently, the resource monitor alters the reporting format to reflect the composite resource model. The resource manager may then receive the monitoring information and apply this information to individual resources and aggregates the monitoring information for composite resources.

Abstract: A corrective action method or subsystem for providing corrective actions in a for a computing domain shared among multiple customers wherein different domain resources are shared by different customers, and each customer's corrective action preferences are accommodated differently according a repository of customer preferences. A database may be queried when a fault event or out-of-limits condition is detected for a given shared resource to determine which customers share the resource, determine each affected customer's response preferences, and to perform corrective actions according to those response preferences. For example, three customers may share a particular hard drive in a shared computing system. One customer may prefer to receive an email notice when the drive is nearly full, another may prefer to receive additional allocation of disk space elsewhere, and the third may prefer to receive a written report of space utilization.