Abstract: A system includes a goal state repository, a goal state repository instance and management tools. The goal state repository stores goals for a managed system. The goal state repository instance stores a subset of the goals applicable to a current state of the managed system. The goal state repository instance is created by comparing the current state of the managed system to the goals stored in the goal state repository. The management tools modify the managed system to be in compliance with the subset of goals stored in the goal state repository instance.

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: 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: Method and apparatus for tracing operations of and interactions between components of a composite web service. An identifier code is generated at the initiation of a web service, and the identifier code is propagated in messages transmitted between components of the web service. The identifier code and message-description data are logged in a correlation database when a component receives a message and when a component sends a message.

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 method for generating a pixel-oriented graph provides visual boundaries for representing aggregate information. The present method for generating a pixel-oriented graph includes determining a visual boundary for representing an aggregate of a set of information depicted in the pixel-oriented graph and constructing a set of pixel blocks that represent the information such that the pixel blocks are visually distinguished by the visual boundary. A method according to the present techniques employs a visual weight to classify labels and high weight information is shown and other information is made invisible and hidden in the property of a graph.

Abstract: Quality of Service (QoS) management in a service-based system may be provided by adaptively adjusting system operational parameters in response to real time relationships between QoS specifications and measurements. A QoS manager may include a measurement engine configured to acquire real time data that is specific to transaction instances of various transaction types. The manager also may include a controller for comparing transaction data from the measurement engine to the guaranteed QoS standards. Depending upon the results of the comparison, the controller may invoke control actions.

Abstract: The management of end-to-end cooperation among multiple e-service providers is enabled in a distributed correlation manner by locally appending a tag to each outgoing document, with each tag uniquely identifying the transaction to which it is related and identifying management information. The tags are management information structures that are updated at each participating e-service provider. Consequently, in a succession of e-service providers, the parent e-service is furnished with management information for each of the participating e-services and is able to discern the contributions of each such e-service. The different providers maintain separate management information libraries which are used in registration and correlation processes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a data transfer system and a method of data transfer. The invention aims to provide a high bandwidth channel between a mobile device, such as a mobile telephone and a network storing data, such as the Internet. A standard public land mobile network (PLMN) is used to notify the mobile device that there is data on the network awaiting download. The mobile device user then moves to within range of a high bandwidth short range (HBSR) base station to download the data more quickly than is possible over the PLMN.

Abstract: A platform and method for monitoring and analyzing data is disclosed and which includes at least one measurement logic which converts service execution data having a plurality of elements into a measure, and wherein a subset of the elements of the service execution data is identified as a context; a metric which identifies an aspect of a business that a user wishes to monitor and analyze, and wherein the metric has a predetermined data type; and a meter which defines the measurement logic used to compute the measures for use with the metric and the subset of the elements within the context.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method comprises providing a machine-readable meta-model that defines the structure of how information is represented in at least one data model. The method further comprises using, by a data accessor, the meta-model for interpreting the at least one data model. According to another embodiment, a method comprises providing a machine-readable metric meta-model that defines a syntax for defining metric models, and defining a metric model in the syntax defined by the metric meta-model. The method further comprises associating the metric model with a monitoring source in a monitoring environment, wherein the metric model defines monitoring data available at the monitoring source, and interpreting, by a monitoring tool, the metric model based on the metric meta-model.

Abstract: A co-operative network includes a first device that advertises resources it has available for sharing and a second device that requests at least part of the available resources of the first device. The devices co-operatively execute a task using the shared resources of the first device and the resources of the second device.

Abstract: A web transaction visualization system may include at least one web transaction visualization (WTV) processor adapted to automatically extract massive amounts of web transaction data from at least one data source for visual classification based on at least one aggregate transaction metric and to display the classified web transaction data interactively in three dimensions without overlapping.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for visualizing business agreement interactions. One method embodiment comprises: displaying one or more parties of a first type as nodes in a first region of a view window; displaying one or more parties of a second type as nodes in a second region of the view window; displaying one or more parties of a third type as nodes in a third region that is at least substantially between the first and second region; and displaying agreements between parties as lines between corresponding nodes. The lines may be displayed with at least one characteristic indicative of when a violation of a represented agreement condition has occurred.

Abstract: A method for generating a pixel-oriented graph provides visual boundaries for representing aggregate information. The present method for generating a pixel-oriented graph includes determining a visual boundary for representing an aggregate of a set of information depicted in the pixel-oriented graph and constructing a set of pixel blocks that represent the information such that the pixel blocks are visually distinguished by the visual boundary. A method according to the present techniques employs a visual weight to classify labels and high weight information is shown and other information is made invisible and hidden in the property of a graph.

Abstract: Quality of Service (QoS) management in a service-based system may be provided by adaptively adjusting system operational parameters in response to real time relationships between QoS specifications and measurements. A QoS manager may include a measurement engine configured to acquire real time data that is specific to transaction instances of various transaction types. The manager also may include a controller for comparing transaction data from the measurement engine to the guaranteed QoS standards. Depending upon the results of the comparison, the controller may invoke control actions.

Abstract: An auto-discovery system discovers related components of a service operating on a distributed network. This auto-discovery system involves (1) selecting a model of the configuration of the service; (2) determining, from the model, “scope hints” that limit the possible locations of related components; (3) determining a root component of the service; (4) using scope hints to limit the search, to rapidly find related instances of components contained in the root service component; (5) determining whether a quorum of components comprising a distributed service has been discovered; (6) determining the parent service component of each discovered service component by instance matching; and (7) using the instance match information to determine the discovery tree of components that have the structure of the service map, share a common root component, and define a service group. This auto-discovery system efficiently discovers the components of a wide range of services within a distributed environment.

Abstract: Information visualization methods, information visualization systems, and articles of manufacture are described. According to one aspect, an information visualization method includes providing data for a plurality of attributes of a plurality of data items, first arranging the data items according to a common attribute having a first scale, first displaying the data items arranged according to the first arranging, selecting a subset of the data items responsive to the displaying, second arranging the data items of the subset according to the attribute having a second scale of increased resolution compared with the first scale, and second displaying the subset of the data items arranged according to the second arranging.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for tracing operations of and interactions between components of a composite web service. An identifier code is generated at the initiation of a web service, and the identifier code is propagated in messages transmitted between components of the web service. The identifier code and message-description data are logged in a correlation database when a component receives a message and when a component sends a message.

Abstract: A web transaction visualization system may include at least one web transaction visualization (WTV) processor adapted to automatically extract massive amounts of web transaction data from at least one data source for visual classification based on at least one aggregate transaction metric and to display the classified web transaction data interactively in three dimensions without overlapping.