Abstract: A deployment system enables a developer to generate a deployment plan according to a logical, multi-tier application blueprint defined by application architects. The deployment plan includes tasks to be executed for deploying application components on virtual computing resource provided in a cloud infrastructure. The deployment plan includes time dependencies that determine an execution order of the tasks according to dependencies between application components specified in the application blueprint. The deployment plan enables system administrators to view the application blueprint as an ordered workflow view that facilitates collaboration between system administrators and application architects.

Abstract: A deployment system enables a developer to customize a deployment plan generated according to a logical, multi-tier application blueprint for deploying multiple applications in a cloud infrastructure. Using the deployment system, the developer inserts a custom script or task in a sequence of tasks to be performed to deploy an application component in different phases (e.g., installation, configuration, start-up) on a virtual machine. The deployment system anchors the custom script to the different phases of the application component's deployment such that the customizations to the deployment plan are maintained through changes to the underlying application blueprint.

Abstract: Modeling a data path of a network environment is disclosed. Components are identified at a source location of a data path, at a target location of the data path, and connections there between. The network environment includes a plurality of domains, and the data path traverses the plurality of domains. Components and the connections there between are assigned to one of: an input-output path pattern, a virtualizer pattern, and a meta pattern. The patterns represent common elements of components of the network environment. The patterns and relationships between patterns are defined to repeat within and across domains in the network environment. A model of the data path is created from the assigned patterns and the defined relationships between patterns. The created model of the data path is then presented.

Abstract: A method, and computer program product for computing a change plan are presented. A model of a current configuration is identified, the model including modeled system assets and modeled tasks. A request to change the current configuration to a new configuration is received. The request to change the current configuration to generate a plurality of valid strategies to be used in a genetic programming parse tree corresponding to modeled assets and modeled tasks of said model is applied to the model. The request to change the current configuration is applied to at least one of said valid strategies to generate a plurality of potential change plans. The change plans are evolved according to genetic programming principles to a preferred change plan.

Abstract: A SAN connectivity advisor analyzes the physical connections of a physical fabric, identifies logical connections based on the physical connections and connectivity information, and applies a set of connectivity rules indicative of good or mandatory SAN connection practices. The connectivity advisor generates a report indicative of connections that may need or benefit from modification, typically an error message for each suspect connection found. The connectivity advisor applies the rules to each physical and logical connection to qualify the connection according to the rules, thus reflecting the actual configuration at the port-to-port connection level, rather than the conventional device-to-device level. Further, the connectivity advisor does not require an interoperability matrix or other database query of device interoperability.

Abstract: A message rendering process receives an indication of a selected display context (e.g., one of multiple types of information pages) for viewing information associated with a respective storage area network resource. The message rendering process identifies one or more message data structures stored in a repository. The one or more message data structures are used to potentially display a respective message associated with the selected display context. For example, in response to detecting a presence of message data associated with the message data structure, the message rendering process populates a respective format specified by the message data structure to produce the respective message associated with the selected display context. Consequently, a respective user can view information associated with a respective storage area network resource.

Abstract: A mapping function deduces or attempts to deduce a type associated with the unknown type of storage area network resource based (at least in part) on functional capabilities or physical attributes associated with the unknown type of storage area network resource. If the mapping function is unable to map the unknown type of storage area network resource with a sufficient degree of certainty based on its physical attributes and/or retrieved configuration information, then the mapping function applies an algorithm that compares retrieved configuration information (such as a data string received from and) associated with the unknown type of storage area network resource to respective configuration information (e.g., data strings) associated with the known types of storage area network resources. Longer matching sequences in the compared data strings indicate a higher likelihood that the unknown type of storage area network resource matches a respective known type of storage area network resource.

Abstract: A system provides a user map service that receives component data associated with a resource in a storage area network and matches the component data to entries in a user-created component matching database to determine a specific identity of the resource in the storage area network to which the component data is associated. The system provides the specific identity of the resource in the storage area network to which the component data is associated. The system maintains the user-created component matching database by allowing a user to create matches between individual resources for which component data is received to specific identities of those resources as determined by the user. The database can be queried and updated to make matching more efficient.

Abstract: If retrieved information from a storage area network resource does not enable simple and direct mapping of the respective unknown type of storage area network resource to a known type of storage area network resource with sufficient certainty (because the collection of data does not match any known unique groupings of data associated with known types of resources), then a mapping function attempts to automatically map the storage area network resource to a respective known type of storage area network resource. For example, the mapping function attempts to identify the specific identity of the storage area network resource in question. After repeating a process of mapping and determining identities of one or more different resources in a storage area network environment, an advisory process applies a set of configuration rules to identify whether an arrangement of resources will work properly.

Abstract: A method, and computer program product for computing a change plan are presented. A model of a current configuration is identified, the model including modeled system assets and modeled tasks. A request to change the current configuration to a new configuration is received. The request to change the current configuration to generate a plurality of valid strategies to be used in a genetic programming parse tree corresponding to modeled assets and modeled tasks of said model is applied to the model. The request to change the current configuration is applied to at least one of said valid strategies to generate a plurality of potential change plans. The change plans are evolved according to genetic programming principles to a preferred change plan.

Abstract: A rule engine process maintains a set of rules for purposes of validating a storage area network configuration. The rule engine process has access to user-defined conditions indicating whether to generate respective rule message information (e.g., advisories) when applying one or more rules in the maintained set of rules. For example, during validation of a respective storage area network configuration, the rule engine process can apply or utilize the user-defined conditions to potentially prevent generation of advisories associated with one or more applied rules. Accordingly, a user such as a storage area network administrator can customize a respective rule engine (e.g., via the user-defined conditions associated with the rules) and, based on a subsequent application of the set of rules to a storage area network configuration according to the user-defined conditions, limit generation of error messages in the event that one or more respective rules happens to fail.

Abstract: A rule engine process utilizes so-called validator functions to identify how to apply specified sets of different rules to respective types of resources in a storage area network environment. For example, a rule engine initially receives information indicating a given storage area network resource to be validated. The rule engine process identifies a type or characteristic associated with the given resource and, thereafter, selects one of multiple respective validator functions to test the given resource. The selected validator function specifies rule processing information such as which rules to apply to the identified type of resource, an order for applying the rules, and conditions whether certain rules will be applied to the given resource based on an outcome of previously applied rules. In one embodiment, application of a set of rules specified by a respective validator function can yield a range of different types of error and/or warning information.