Abstract: The invention broadly and generally provides a database comprising at least one record, the aforesaid at least one record comprising: (a) solution metadata relating to an information technology solution; and (b) evaluation metadata relating to a complexity evaluation of the aforesaid information technology solution.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing cross-tier management in a multi-tier computing system architecture. For example, a method for managing a computing system, wherein the computing system includes a first tier and at least a second tier, wherein the first tier and the second tier are configured to respond to a request received by the computing system, includes the steps of monitoring performance of the second tier from the first tier, and sending one or more management commands from the first tier to the second tier based on the monitored performance. In one embodiment, the first tier may be an application server tier of the computing system, and the second tier may be a database server tier of the computing system.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for optimizing the performance and/or allocation of constrained resources in a dynamic computing environment using adaptive regulatory control methods. For example, systems and methods for providing constrained optimization in a dynamic computing system implement model-based adaptive (self-tuning) regulatory control schemes that are designed to handle the system dynamics and which take into consideration control costs (such as the overheads of changing resource allocations and performance degradation due to transient load imbalances) to find an optimal solution. To facilitate practical application, a dual control architecture is disclosed which combines a heuristic fixed step control process that is implemented when there is no valid system model for model-based control. A system model is continually obtained and validated during run-time to adapt control parameters to variations in system dynamics.

Abstract: Improved management feedback-based controller techniques are disclosed for use in accordance with a computing system. For example, a method for managing a computing system includes the following steps. At least one measured performance metric is obtained from the computing system being managed. At least one control input value is generated based on parameters including a control error and a control deadzone such that uncertainty associated with the computing system is accounted for in accordance with the parameters. The control error is determined from a computation comprising the at least one measured performance metric and at least one performance metric goal. The control deadzone is defined such that the control input value is not generated when the control error is within the control deadzone. The control input value is sent to the computing system to effectuate achievement of the at least one performance metric goal associated with the computing system.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing cross-tier management in a multi-tier computing system architecture. For example, a method for managing a computing system, wherein the computing system includes a first tier and at least a second tier, wherein the first tier and the second tier are configured to respond to a request received by the computing system, includes the steps of monitoring performance of the second tier from the first tier, and sending one or more management commands from the first tier to the second tier based on the monitored performance. In one embodiment, the first tier may be an application server tier of the computing system, and the second tier may be a database server tier of the computing system.

Abstract: The invention broadly and generally provides a method of quantifying the complexity of an information technology management process, the aforesaid method comprising: (a) obtaining process-related data for the aforesaid information technology management process; wherein the aforesaid process-related data defines: at least one task, at least one role, and any number of business items which can be transferred between a plurality of roles within the aforesaid at least one role while executing the aforesaid at least one task; (b) creating a set of process component complexity metrics by applying a process complexity model to the aforesaid process-related data, the aforesaid process complexity model comprising at least one relationship of properties selected from the roles, tasks, and business items; and (c) creating a value representing the complexity of the aforesaid information technology management process from the aforesaid set of process component complexity metrics.

Abstract: The invention broadly and generally provides a database comprising at least one record, the aforesaid at least one record comprising: (a) solution metadata relating to an information technology solution; and (b) evaluation metadata relating to a complexity evaluation of the aforesaid information technology solution.

Abstract: The invention broadly and generally provides a method for calibrating the relationship between management-inherent complexity metrics deriving from the management structure and human perceived complexity of information technology management comprising: (a) obtaining a set of management-inherent complexity metrics; (b) obtaining a set of human-perceived complexity metrics; (c) constructing a control model identifying a set of dominant indicators selected from the aforesaid set of management-inherent complexity metrics; (d) establishing a value model mapping from the aforesaid set of dominant indicators to the aforesaid set of human-perceived complexity metrics.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for tuning memory allocated among a plurality of applications in a data processing system. In one implementation, the method includes generating memory benefit data for the plurality of applications, comparing the generated memory benefit data associated with each of the plurality of applications, and dynamically reallocating memory from one or more of the plurality of applications to one or more other of the plurality of applications based on the comparison. A method and system is also provided for tuning memory allocated among a plurality of individual memory consumers for a given application.

Abstract: A method for reducing oscillations of an output value associated with a program to be operatively coupled to a data processing system. The program having an internal process configured to read an input value provided by the program, the input value adjusting a performance aspect of the internal process, the internal process configured to provide an output value reflecting changes in the internal process responsive to the input value, the output value readable by the program.

Abstract: Techniques for managing feedback control systems are provided. By way of example, a method of controlling performance of a managed system by a controller includes the following steps/operations. The controller issues a control value to the managed system to affect a performance of the managed system. The controller maintains a measurement time period having a variable start time within which the performance of the managed system is measured, such that the control value is given time to take effect on the managed system and a performance metric fed back to the controller from the managed system reflects the effect of the control value on the managed system.

Abstract: In one embodiment, functional system elements are added to an autonomic manager to enable automatic online sample interval selection. In another embodiment, a method for determining the sample interval by continually characterizing the system workload behavior includes monitoring the system data and analyzing the degree to which the workload is stationary. This makes the online optimization method less sensitive to system noise and capable of being adapted to handle different workloads. The effectiveness of the autonomic optimizer is thereby improved, making it easier to manage a wide range of systems.

Abstract: A method for reducing oscillations of an output value associated with a program to be operatively coupled to a data processing system. The program having an internal process configured to read an input value provided by the program, the input value adjusting a performance aspect of the internal process, the internal process configured to provide an output value reflecting changes in the internal process responsive to the input value, the output value readable by the program.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for optimizing the performance and/or allocation of constrained resources in a dynamic computing environment using adaptive regulatory control methods. For example, systems and methods for providing constrained optimization in a dynamic computing system implement model-based adaptive (self-tuning) regulatory control schemes that are designed to handle the system dynamics and which take into consideration control costs (such as the overheads of changing resource allocations and performance degradation due to transient load imbalances) to find an optimal solution. To facilitate practical application, a dual control architecture is disclosed which combines a heuristic fixed step control process that is implemented when there is no valid system model for model-based control. A system model is continually obtained and validated during run-time to adapt control parameters to variations in system dynamics.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for generically controlling one or more resources associated with at least one computing system. In one aspect of the invention, the technique comprises evaluating one or more performance metrics associated with the one or more resources given one or more configurations of the one or more resources. The technique then causes a change in the one or more configurations of the one or more resources based on the performance metric evaluating step. The one or more performance metrics and the one or more configurations are expressed in generic formats.

Abstract: Nonlinear optimization is applied to resource allocation, as for example, buffer pool optimization in computer database software where only the marginal utility is known. The method for allocating resources comprises the steps of starting from an initial allocation, calculating the marginal utility of the allocation, calculating the constraint functions of the allocation, and applying this information to obtain a next allocation and repeating these steps until a stopping criteria is satisfied, in which case a locally optimal allocation is returned.

Abstract: Techniques for constructing and using models in accordance with service level management are disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, a technique for constructing a model (e.g., a system model) representative of a resource for use in managing a service associated with the resource, comprises the following steps/operations. A set of resource metrics is obtained in accordance with a resource abstract model (RAM) associated with the resource. Then, a model representative of the resource is constructed based on at least a portion of the set of resource metrics obtained from the resource abstract model.

Abstract: An improved method and system for performing dynamic online multi-parameter optimization for autonomic computing systems are provided. With the method and system of the present invention, a simplex, i.e. a set of points in the parameter space that has been directly sampled, is maintained. The system's performance with regard to a particular utility value is measured for the particular setting of configuration parameters associated with each point in the simplex. A new sample point is determined using the geometric transformations of the simplex. The method and system provide mechanisms for limiting the size of the simplex that is generated through these geometric transformations so that the present invention may be implemented in noisy environments in which the same configuration settings may lead to different results with regard to the utility value. In addition, mechanisms are provided for resampling a current best point in the simplex to determine if the environment has changed.