Patent Application
20130086234
This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. Not Yet Assigned, entitled “Cloud Management System and Method,” filed on Sep. 20, 2011.
The present invention relates generally to a system for management of information technology systems.
Cloud computing enables convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources, for example, networks, servers, storage, applications, and services that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal human managerial effort or service provider interaction. For one or more end-users that are attached to the shared pool of configurable computing resources that comprise a cloud, cloud computing provides computation, applications, data access, and storage services for the end-user. The end-user does not require knowledge of the physical location and configuration of the system that delivers the services. Further, the end-user is able to pay for the computation, applications, data access, and storage services based on the amount of usage rather than having to purchase and manage dedicated computation, applications, data access, and storage resources.
Clouds are developed as stand-alone platforms and include hardware and applications necessary to perform required services for the end-users. In some contexts, clouds are known as platforms. The term “cloud” for the purpose of this application also encompasses the term “platform.” The term “off-site cloud” is used to refer to a public cloud, which is a cloud that is accessible on the Internet. The term “in-house cloud” is used to refer to a private cloud, which is not generally accessible on the Internet.
Examples of the services include software as a service (“SAAS”), platform as a service (“PAAS”), and infrastructure as a service (“IAAS”). In SAAS, users pay a fee, on a recurring basis, to access and use specific applications. In PAAS, the user leases access to an entire platform, for example, a customer resource management platform. In IAAS, the user leases access to certain infrastructure, for example, a physical or virtual server with particular computational and/or storage capabilities.
The above clouds do not address several issues with using such clouds in corporate, government or similar complex environments. In the corporate environment, for example, it is advantageous to be able to connect to multiple off-site and in-house clouds simultaneously and optionally link aspects of the clouds together. Some corporate services are provided by a first cloud optimized to provide that service, for example, human resource services. Other corporate services, for example, payroll services are performed on a second cloud optimized to provide that service. It is advantageous, however, if some services in the payroll cloud can access services provided by the human resource cloud. To pass data between the above clouds requires that the different clouds are setup and programmed to communicate with each other. Some services can be provided by more than one general purpose cloud, the decision as to which cloud depending on the current usage of each cloud and cost of using each of the general purpose clouds.
Further, in the corporate environment, for example, not all corporate services are provided by a cloud. Some services such as core services and legacy services of the corporation may be kept in-house and provided by dedicated hardware because these services embody a competitive advantage of the corporation. Other services may be kept on dedicated hardware because of the sensitive nature of the data or processes the services embody. Yet other services may be provided by dedicated hardware because these services are a part of security and protection for the corporate environment, for example, authentication services, firewalls and antimalware and virus services. Some services are too data intensive to reliably be provided by a cloud. Therefore, it is advantageous to have a hybrid information technology (IT) enterprise with some services provided by dedicated hardware, some provided by in-house clouds and some services provided by off-site clouds.
The above fragmentation of resources means that both users and administrators are faced with numerous different interfaces, and attributes that must be used and maintained in the various clouds and dedicated hardware. The dedicated hardware, in-house clouds and off-site clouds are better managed as a part of a general overall IT solution. Current in-house clouds and off-site clouds do not allow the corporate IT infrastructure to be managed together. Moreover, a corporation does not wish to be tied too deeply to a particular cloud whether in-house or off-site. If the cost of switching the provider of the particular cloud becomes prohibitive then the corporation is no longer able to use competition to drive down prices for the services provided by the particular cloud.
The systems and methods described herein attempt to overcome the drawbacks discussed above by providing an IT system management (ITSM) that includes the processes and governance policies into which the above discussed resources are integrated and managed. The system comprises a cloud resource management unit that allows management of a hybrid enterprise comprising a data center, one or more in-house and one or more a off-site clouds from a single point in the hybrid enterprise. The cloud resource management unit allows management of and provisioning for applications that span one or more portions of the data center, the one or more in-house and the one or more off-site clouds from a single point in the hybrid enterprise. The cloud resource management unit allows self-provisioning of services on the one or more in-house clouds and the one or more a off-site clouds from a single point in the hybrid enterprise without requiring the requester to know which of the one or more in-house clouds and the one or more a off-site clouds are used to provide the services requested.
In one embodiment, an information technology system comprising a cloud resource management unit comprising attributes of the information technology system. At least one cloud connected to the cloud resource management unit, each of the at least one clouds comprising attributes for controlling a service provided by the corresponding cloud, and an interface for modifying or retrieving the attributes, the corresponding cloud adapted to provided the service to a user of the information technology system. The cloud resource management unit comprising a attribute conversion unit adapted to convert a received request to modify or retrieve the attributes of the information technology system to requests to modify or retrieve the attributes of one or more of the corresponding clouds.
In one embodiment, a method of configuring an information technology system comprising connecting at least one cloud adapted to provided a service to a user of the information technology system to a cloud resource management unit. The cloud resource management unit receiving a request to modify or retrieve one or more attributes of information technology system, the one or more attributes for controlling a service provided by the at least one cloud. Based on the request, modifying or retrieving attributes of each corresponding cloud using a corresponding interface of each cloud.
The accompanying drawings constitute a part of this specification and illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the specification, explain the invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
The IT resources 115 are connected by one or more computer networks 120. Also attached to the network 120 are one or more in-house clouds 125. The in-house clouds 125 are used in addition to or instead of the IT resources 115 to perform services for the corporation.
For the purpose of this application clouds include platforms or systems that provide services including one or more of software as a service (“SAAS”), platform as a service (“PAAS”), and infrastructure as a service (“IAAS”). The platforms or systems include the hardware, such as servers, computers, data storage systems, communication equipment, software applications and infrastructure required to deliver the SAAS, PAAS or IAAS to one or more users attached to the cloud via a data network. Clouds can be in-house or private meaning the cloud is only accessible to users behind a firewall of an institution along with the cloud and provides one or more of SAAS, PAAS or IAAS to the users. An in-house or private cloud may also be accessible to users outside the firewall of the institution via a virtual private network (VPN) connection. An in-house or private cloud also includes platforms that are not attached to the internet and provide SAAS, PAAS or IAAS to users. An in-house cloud can also have built in security, controlling access to the in-house cloud and preventing users from interfering with one another. Such an in-house cloud may also be known as a secure private cloud (SPC). Public clouds include platforms that provide one of SAAS, PAAS or IAAS to users via the internet, or some other public network such as WiFi or mobile phone networks.
The user 110 is, for example, a person controlling a computer. The user 110 can also be an administrator of the corporate IT system 100. Furthermore, the user 110 can be an application running on a computer. The application can be running on a computer forming any of the IT resources 115, in-house clouds 125.
The user 110 can also use resources external to the corporate IT system 100. Referring to
Thus, the user 110 has access to multiple resources, each of the resources providing a corresponding set of services to the user 110 via one or more interfaces and/or protocols with corresponding security and access features.
The servers 210 and storage or database systems 215 may also be used to define virtual servers 220 and virtual storage or database systems 225. The user 110 connects to the in-house clouds 125 via the router 205 and accesses services provided by the servers 210, virtual servers 220, storage or database systems 215 and virtual storage or database systems 225. In some embodiments, the user 110 is not aware if the services are provided by virtual portions or non-virtual portions of the hardware 200. Further, in some embodiments the user 110 is not aware of the numbers or performance of the portions of the hardware 200 used to provide the services.
The in-house clouds 125 comprise a cloud management unit (shown as cloud management unit 300 in
Resources are provisioned to the user 110 by consulting and updating the resource attributes 310 of the cloud management unit 300. The resource attributes 310 contain details of the servers 210 and storage or database systems 215 contained in the hardware 200. Further, the resource attributes 310 contain details regarding how portions of the servers 210 and storage or database systems 225 are assigned to users 110. In some embodiments, the user 110 self-provisions the resources using the cloud management unit 300. In other embodiments, the resources are provisioned by an IT manager, or by an automated provisioning system. The user 110 can be provisioned with any combination of servers 210, storage and database systems 215 and/or virtual servers 220 and virtual storage or database systems 225.
The definitions for virtual servers 220 and the virtual storage or database systems 225 are stored in blueprint attributes 315 of the cloud management unit 300. Using the blueprint attributes 315 the user 110 can choose appropriate virtual servers 220 and virtual storage or database systems 225 for providing the services required. The blueprint attributes 315 indicate, for example, how much memory is assigned to each virtual server 220, the speed of a CPU of each virtual server 220, the type of CPU for each virtual server 220, the operating system to run by each virtual server 220, any application software to be run by each virtual server 220 and any ports or resources such as printers, modems, network access, or any other resources available to each virtual server 220. The blueprint attributes 315 can be administered by an administrator.
The cloud management unit 300 further comprises actor/role attributes 320. The actor/role attributes 320 define for each user 110 the role and authority of the corresponding user 110. For example, some users have administrator rights and are able to control the access and rights of other users. Some users are only users of services provided by the cloud management unit 300. The actor/role attributes 320 may also give access rights to particular applications running on any one of the in-house clouds 125 or any other computer or server in the corporate IT system 100.
The cloud management unit 300 further comprises security attributes 330. The security attributes may, for example, augment the access rights in the actor/role attributes 320 with additional constraints, by not allowing particular combinations of services to be performed, or by forcing additional services to be performed. Thus, for example, the security attributes may force a virus scan on all data entering the cloud, or prevent the execution, storing or deletion of various kinds of files or data.
The cloud management unit 300 further comprises performance attributes 335. The performance attributes allow, for example, the utilization of the in-house cloud 125 to be determined. The utilization includes the number of servers 210 and virtual servers 220 currently in use, and the amount of storage remaining in the storage or database systems 215 and virtual storage or database systems 225 . The performance attributes may also include faults and errors currently occurring in the in-house cloud 125 as well as any current or scheduled maintenance for the in-house cloud 125.
The cloud management unit 300 further comprises application programming interfaces (APIs) 325 that can be called by a user 110 or an application running on the corporate IT system 100. When called, functions defined by the APIs 325 cause the cloud management unit 300 to perform various services. The APIs 325 form a consistent interface between the user 110 and the cloud management unit 300, independent of the specific hardware 200 and applications used to implement the in-house clouds. Thus, the hardware 200 of a specific in-house cloud 125 can be reconfigured, and the user 110 sees the same APIs 325 for the reconfigured in-house cloud 125. Different in-house clouds 125 may have different APIs. Therefore, a user 110 dealing directly with a particular in-house cloud 125 may have to adapt to the different APIs running on each in-house cloud 125. Further, an application attempting to use a particular in-house cloud 125 directly may have to adapt to the different APIs running on each in-house cloud 125.
The off-site clouds 135 may have similar attributes and APIs to the attributes and APIs discussed above for the in-house clouds 125. However, being off-site, and therefore, designed managed and maintained by different entities, the specific attributes and APIs of the off-site clouds 135 may be quite different and not compatible with the attributes 305, 310, 315, 320, 330, 335 and APIs 325 of the in-house clouds 125. In some embodiments, the off-site clouds may have no APIs available. Therefore, a user 110 dealing directly with a particular off-site cloud 135 may have to adapt to the different APIs running on each off-site cloud 135. Further, an application attempting to directly use a particular off-site cloud 135 may have to adapt to the different APIs running on each off-site cloud 135.
In some embodiments, IT resources 115 may also have similar sets of attributes 305, 310, 315, 320, 330, 335 and APIs 325. In other embodiments, IT resources 115 may lack one or more similar sets of attributes 305, 310, 315, 320, 330, 335 and APIs 325.
In a corporate IT system 400 including cloud resource management unit 405, the user 110 interfaces the in-house clouds 125, IT resources 115 and off-site clouds 135 via the cloud resource management unit 405 using a self-service portal 415. The self-service portal 415 may be located on any server or dedicated hardware that is connected to both the user 110 and the cloud resource management unit 405.
The cloud resource management unit 405 allows system administrators to manage multiple attached IT resources 115, multiple attached in-house clouds 125 and multiple attached off-site clouds 135 from a central user interface 410.
To manage each of the in-house clouds 125 the cloud resource management unit 405 uses a portion of the APIs 325 of the corresponding in-house cloud 125 to manipulate the attributes 305, 310, 315, 320, 330, 335 of the corresponding cloud management unit 300.
As illustrated in
The above in-house resources 115, 125 can also be stopped, started, maintained, and managed from the central user interface 410. The health of any of the multiple attached IT resources 115, multiple attached in-house clouds 125 and multiple attached off-site clouds 135 can also be monitored from the central user interface 410.
To manage the cloud resource management unit 405 from a point other than the central user interface 410, the cloud resource management unit 405 further comprises middleware APIs 510. The middleware APIs 510 provide all of the functions required for either an administrator acting remotely, or for an automated system to manage the cloud resource management unit 405. The cloud resource management unit 405 also provides middleware APIs that allow applications to use the services provided by the resource management unit.
In some embodiments, the cloud resource management unit 405 merely provides the authorization and centralized management, as discussed above, and the users 110 are free to provision services directly with resources 115, 125, 135 in accordance with rights each user 110 has to access resources 115, 125, 135. In these embodiments, the users 110 use the APIs 325 to obtain services from the in-house clouds 125, as well as other interfaces provided by the IT resources 115, in-house clouds 125 and the off-site clouds 135.
At step 610, the cloud resource management unit 405 receives a request to modify or retrieve one or more of the attributes 305, 310, 315, 320, 330, 335 for controlling a service provided by one or more of the in-house or off-site clouds 125, 135. The method proceeds to step 615.
At step 615, based on the request, the cloud resource management unit 405 modifies or retrieves the requested attributes 305, 310, 315, 320, 330, 335 from the appropriate in-house and off-site clouds 125, 135. In some embodiments, the request includes the specific in-house or off-site clouds 125, 135 for which the attributes 305, 310, 315, 320, 330, 335 are to be modified or retrieved. In other embodiments, the request does not include information regarding the specific in-house and off-site clouds 125, 135. The cloud resource management unit 405 based on information stored in the resource mapping unit 530, modifies or retrieves the appropriate attributes in the appropriate in-house or off-site clouds. In this manner, an administrator of the corporate IT system 400 is able to define groups of attributes in the resource mapping unit 530 so that groups of attributes 305, 310, 315, 320, 330, 335 are modified or retrieved simultaneously. The cloud resource management unit 405 may, for example, base the clouds and attributes to be modified on the identity of the user making the request, the particular attributes requested to be modified, the location of the user making the request on a network, a group the user making the request belongs to or the date and time of the request.
In other embodiments, the cloud resource management unit 405 provides services and resources allowing the various resources 115, 125, 135 and users 110 attached to the cloud resource management unit 405 to communicate in a uniform manner.
As illustrated in
Further, any interface adapter units 515 required can be used if the resource is attached on a different interface from the interface expected. Interface adapter units 515 may include, for example, bridges such as ATA or USB over internet protocol.
In the above manner, if appropriate API translator units 520 file translator units 525 and interface adapter units 515 are written for each resource 115, 125, 135 attached to the resource management unit, any service called by a user 110 or application will produce the same result independent of the resource 115, 125, 135 used to perform the service.
In other embodiments, the cloud resource management unit 405 does not perform the translation of APIs files and data. The cloud resource management unit 405, however, upon request provides a terminal or a computer used by the user 110 with the required information for an API translator and file converter in the terminal or the computer used by the user 110 to provide the translations and conversions. The terminal or the computer used by the user 110 is then able to communicate directly with the resource 115, 125, 135 used to provide the service.
Thus, the cloud resource management unit 405 allows the user 110 or application to be unaware and independent of the precise one of the resources used to provide any particular service. Information regarding which of the resources can provide which services, and any necessary conversion or translation units required for a specific resource 115, 125, 135 to provide a specific service are stored in the resource mapping unit 530. When a new resource is added to the corporate IT system the resource mapping unit 530 is updated and any required API translator units 520 interface adapter units 515 or file translator units 525 are added to the cloud resource management unit 405 as necessary.
Because the cloud resource management unit 405 provides the above API translator units 520 interface adapter units 515 and file translator units 525, some services can be provided by multiple ones of the resources 115, 125, 135. This allows the one of the resources 115, 125, 135 used to provide the service to be switched depending on the conditions of the resources 115, 125, 135 in the corporate IT system 400. The cloud resource management unit 405 comprises a reassignment and load-balancing unit 535 to reassign and load-balance the above resources 115, 125, 135 depending upon the current usage. Thus, for example, during the daytime when many users 110 are active the cloud resource management unit 405 may assign applications and users 110 to off-site clouds 135 when the in-house clouds 125 IT and resources 115 are at capacity. In the evening services being provisioned from the off-site clouds 135 can be brought back to the in-house clouds 125 to save the expense of using the and off-site clouds 135, and to fully use the in-house clouds 125 and IT resources 115. The reassignment and load-balancing unit can be configured by an administrator or the user 110 depending upon the rights of the user 110. Further, by monitoring the performance attributes 335 of the above resources 115, 125, 135 the load-balancing unit 535 is able to provision services from resources 115, 125, 135 that are under used and functioning correctly.
If a resource with new technology is attached to the cloud resource management unit 405, new adapters and additional attributes for the resource mapping unit 530 are all that is required for the new technology resource to be accessed by the user 110. The cloud resource management unit 405, thus, speeds the deployment of newly developed resources as well as the deployment of clones of existing resources.
The method begins at step 705. At step 705 one or more in-house or off-site clouds 125, 135 are connected to the cloud resource management unit 405. In some embodiments, the in-house clouds 125 are directly attached to the cloud resource management unit 405 via the network 120. In other embodiments, the in-house clouds 125 are attached to the cloud resource management unit 405 via the network 120, the internet 105 and any other suitable networks. In some embodiments, the off-site clouds 135 are connected to the cloud resource management unit 405 via the Internet 105. In some embodiments, the connection between the cloud resource management unit 405 and the in-house or off-site clouds 125, 135 is via a virtual private network (VPN). After connection, the method proceeds to step 710.
At step 710, the cloud resource management unit 405 receives a request for a service from the user 110 using the application programming interface 510. In some embodiments, the user 110 is directly attached to the cloud resource management unit 405 via the network 120. In other embodiments, the user 110 is attached to the cloud resource management unit 405 via the network 120, the internet 105 and any other suitable networks. In some embodiments, the connection between the user 110 and the cloud resource management unit 405 is via a virtual private network (VPN). After receiving the request, the method proceeds to step 710.
At step 715, in some embodiments the cloud resource management unit 405 optionally selects one or more of the connected in-house or off-site clouds 125, 135 to provide the service to the user. In other embodiments, the user 110 selects the in-house or off-site clouds 125, 135 to provide the service. The resource mapping unit 530 stores information regarding whether the user 110 or the cloud resource management unit 405 selects the resource 125, 135 to provide the service. The method proceeds to step 720.
At step 720, the cloud resource management unit 405 stores, in the API translator unit 520, information required to convert the request for the service from the user 110. Specifically, the API translator unit 520 stores the information required to convert the request for the service using the application programming interface 510 to a request suitable for application programming interface 325 of the in-house cloud 125 or the off-site cloud 135. The method proceeds to step 725.
At step 725, the cloud resource management unit 405 checks if converting the request will be carried out by the cloud resource management unit 405 or the user 110 based on information stored in the resource mapping unit 530. If the conversion is by the user 110 the method proceeds to step 730, else the method proceeds to step 750.
At step 730, the cloud resource management unit 405 transfers to the user 110 the stored information required to convert the request from the API translator unit 520 and the stored information required to convert any data for the request, and any response, from the file translator unit 525. The method proceeds to step 735.
At step 735, the cloud user 110 translates the request and any data for the request and requests the service from the in-house or off-site clouds 125, 135. The method proceeds to step 740.
At step 740, the in-house or off-site clouds 125, 135 perform the service and return the resulting data to the user 110. The method proceeds to step 745.
At step 745, the user 110 translates resulting data using the information from the file translator unit 525, and the method terminates.
At step 750 or, the cloud resource management unit 405 converts the request for the service from the user using the API translator unit 520 and the stored information required to convert the request. The method proceeds to step 755.
At step 755, the in-house or off-site clouds 125, 135 perform the service and return the resulting data to the cloud resource management unit 405. The method proceeds to step 760.
At step 760, the cloud resource management unit 405 translates the resulting data using file translator unit 525. The method proceeds to step 765.
At step 765, the cloud resource management unit 405 sends the translated resulting data to the user, and the method terminates.
As well as the user 110 being provisioned with resources using the cloud resource management unit 405, applications running on the corporate IT system 100 are managed and provisioned with resources using the cloud resource management unit 405. For any particular application running on the corporate IT system 100 access can be allowed or denied to a particular one of the resources 115, 125, 135. Moreover, the cloud resource management unit 405 allows for applications to be defined that span more than one of the resources 115, 125, 135. For example, by using scripting languages running on the cloud resource management unit 405 and one or more of the middleware APIs 510 an application can be written to span more than one of the resources 115, 125, 135. Further, if the application uses APIs 510 to provision services from the resources 115, 125, 135 the cloud resource management unit 405 can request the service from any appropriate one of the resources 115, 125, 135. Thus, the application is able to span the resources 115, 125, 135 without requiring specific knowledge of the services or characteristics of the resources 115, 125, 135. This allows the cloud resource management unit 405 to provide Application as a Service (AAAS) capability, so that an administrator of the corporate IT system 400 is able to associate one of the resources 115, 125, 135 to a specific application. When the ones of the resources 115, 125, 135 have been associated the administrator of the corporate IT system 400 is able to manage at the level of the application and does not need to be concerned with how the application is running on any particular one of the resources 115, 125, 135.
The embodiments described above are intended to be exemplary. One skilled in the art recognizes that numerous alternative components and embodiments that may be substituted for the particular examples described herein and still fall within the scope of the invention.
