Abstract: Resources are provisioned in an automated manner for shared services in a resource-on-demand system. A model representing an observed state of resources in the resource-on-demand system allocated to the shared services and a model representing a desired state of the shared services are stored. At least one policy applicable to provisioning the resources for the shared services is determined. The policy and information from the models are applied to automatically provision the resources for satisfying the desired state of the shared services.

Abstract: A system comprises a processor and storage containing software. When executed, the software causes the processor to receive a set of metrics to be monitored, cause to be monitored the set of metrics, and filter the monitored metrics per a sharing policy to produce a subset of the set of metrics.

Abstract: A third-party service relationship may be established between a service consumer, a service provider, and a third-party service using a service relationship management server. The service consumer and service provider can have a primary service relationship. The primary service relationship may be managed using the service relationship management server. Service relationship information related to the primary service relationship can be received in a database in communication with the service relationship management server. The primary service relationship can be modified using the third-party service and based on the service relationship information.

Abstract: Workload requirements for an application to be deployed in a system are received. Descriptions of resources in the system are matched with the workload requirements.

Abstract: An electronic document is accessed. A structural definition that defines a structural convention according to which information within the electronic document is arranged also is accessed. Based on the accessed structural definition, at least some of the information is extracted from the electronic document. A machine-understandable representation of the extracted information then is generated.

Abstract: Each of a plurality of nodes in an overlay network includes information for a corresponding resource-on-demand system, wherein the information may be used to select a resource-on-demand system to host the workload. A request to place a workload is received at a node in an overlay network. A distributed control algorithm is executed for selecting a resource-on-demand system host the workload.

Abstract: An automated provisioning system provisions computing resources for shared services in a resource-on-demand system. A number of virtual machines needed for a virtual machine production pool for a period of time to satisfy the computing demand for the shared services is determined from a policy. Also, a number of unassigned virtual machines needed for a virtual machine buffer pool is determined from the policy. Servers and virtual machines are automatically provisioned for the virtual machine production pool and the virtual machine buffer pool based on the determined number of virtual machines needed for the virtual machine production pool, the determined number of unassigned virtual machines needed for the virtual machine buffer pool, and a changing computing demand of the shared services during the period of time.

Abstract: A template-based technique for making a best practices framework actionable includes creating a formal representation of a best practices framework, where the representation includes a machine-readable template. A portion of the template is interpreted to link the portion of the template with logic that corresponds to an action. Execution of the logic is triggered to perform the action in response to occurrence of a trigger condition.

Abstract: Dynamic adaptation of a business activity involves creation and updating of the business activity in an ad-hoc and collaborative manner as the business activity executes. User input relating to creation of a business activity is received through a user portal, where the business activity involves interactions among people. A business activity orchestrator orchestrates execution of work in the business activity. The business activity is updated using a business activity adapter, where updating the business activity occurs during execution of the business activity, and the updating is further responsive to collaborative input of the people involved in the business activity.

Abstract: A collaborative work environment is provided that supports collaboration among users for performance of a people service that is associated with ad-hoc activities. An information base is provided that includes information relating to responsibilities of the users and work items for the ad-hoc activities. An interactive guidance structure is presented in the collaborative environment to guide actions of the users with respect to the work items. Materials produced as a result of the actions to update the information base are collected.

Abstract: Computer resources from a pool of resources are allocated for executing an application. An amount of unutilized resources in the pool of resources is determined. One or more sets of resources previously allocated to execute the application are selected, and the unutilized resources are distributed among the sets of resources.

Abstract: Resources are provisioned for shared services in a resource-on-demand system. A model representing an observed state of resources in the resource-on-demand system allocated to the shared services and a model representing a desired state of the shared services are stored. At least one policy applicable to provisioning the resources for the shared services is determined. The policy and information from the models are applied to automatically provision the resources for satisfying the desired state of the shared services.

Abstract: A control system for controlling the allocation of computer resources includes control plug-ins arranged in a multi-level hierarchy. A first-level control plug-in is operable to generate instructions for a resource manager to allocate computer resources for an application. A second-level control plug-in is operable to generate instructions for the first-level control plug-in to control the allocation of the computer resources for the application.

Abstract: A computer network system having an overlay network, which comprises of a plurality of nodes and an initiator node connected via a reference. The generalized references are links, which interconnect the nodes and form an overlay topology. The system uses position information in the overlay topology for message routing between participating applications in the overly network. The automatic generation of path-based service identifiers and service locations is another aspect of the system.

Abstract: A method of automated deployment managed by a service provider, of a computer based business process, involves generating a model (730) of the business process including a design of computing infrastructure, and deploying the model on hardware (770) dedicated to the enterprise, with an interface for the service provider to enable ongoing management of the deployed process by the service provider. Having dedicated hardware means the location of the hardware can be arranged to suit the enterprise. This means limitations such as bandwidth or latency of WAN links, can be addressed by choosing the location of the dedicated hardware appropriately. Trust of security can also be increased compared to that of the shared data centres. The automated model driven deployment can help enable the service provider to provide such deployments on different types of hardware. The need for the enterprise to maintain specialist expertise in house is reduced.

Abstract: A modelling system to provide a computer based business process for an enterprise, allows the enterprise to input values for a plurality of non functional requirements (760) for the deployment, and allows at least some of the values to be varied independently of others of the values, and creates a design of software application components (770) and a design of computing infrastructure (780), for running the software application components, so that the business process operates according to the values input for the non functional requirements of the business process. By modelling the underlying computing infrastructure, it becomes feasible to create models with greater certainty that they will deploy successfully, and with greater predictability of how well they will meet given non functional requirements. This enables more freedom to be allowed to vary the values of these non functional requirements and get greater customisation to suit the needs of the enterprise.

Abstract: A system for generating a model representing an existing computer based business process involves analysing existing source content (910) which has annotations (920) added, to provide information for the modelling. Static analysis of the annotations can provide some of the information. Other information can be discovered at run time if the annotations alter the run time behaviour to generate monitoring events showing the behaviour. The annotations need not be restricted to codes or symbols or structures of the language of the source content, and can use concepts closer to those in the model being generated. Using annotations rather than manual modelling can reduce errors and lead to better predictions of performance from the model, and result in better reconfiguration of the software or the computing infrastructure to make more efficient usage of shared resources.

Abstract: Modelling a computer based business process having a number of functional steps, involves providing software candidate models (740) of the business process, each specifying the functional steps (750), an arrangement of software application components (770) for carrying out the functional steps, and a design of computing infrastructure (780), for running the software application components, to meet given non functional requirements, and suitable for automated deployment. For each of the candidate models, operation of the business process is simulated (730) according to the respective candidate model and their simulated operation is evaluated against the non-functional requirements. The simulation can help the search for a suitable or optimum deployment to be more efficient and can lead to more efficient usage of shared resources.

Abstract: A method of setting up a development environment for development work on a computer based business process, involves providing a software model (827) of the business process, and providing in the model a representation (870) of tools for developing part of the process, incorporated with the corresponding part of the modelled business process. The selected parts of the model incorporating the tools are deployed, and the given tools installed, to set up the development environment. By modelling the development tools incorporated in the business process, setting up the development environment can be made easier. Choice and arrangement of tools needs less manual input, so risks of errors, and time spent in setting up can be reduced.

Abstract: One embodiment is a method that receives a description of services desired by a service requestor and then crawls web sites to extract information on services offered by service providers. The extracted information is used to transform the description of services desired by the service requestor into an improved description of services.