Patent Application
20190026472
The subject disclosure relates to facilitating compliance-aware runtime generation of containers.
The following presents a summary to provide a basic understanding of one or more embodiments of the invention. This summary is not intended to identify key or critical elements, or delineate any scope of the particular embodiments or any scope of the claims. Its sole purpose is to present concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. In one or more embodiments herein, devices, systems, computer-implemented methods, apparatus and/or computer program products that facilitate compliance-aware runtime generation of containers are described.
According to one embodiment, a system is provided. The system can comprise a memory that stores computer executable components. The system can also comprise a processor, operably coupled to the memory, and that can execute computer executable components stored in the memory. The computer executable components can comprise a collection component that can identify information used by a target application to containerize. The computer executable components can further comprise a risk assessment component that can determine whether one or more risk violations exist for the information within one or more defined thresholds. The computer executable components can further comprise a compliance component that can determine whether a compliance or a security violation exists in the information, wherein the determination by the compliance component is performed based on a determination by the risk assessment component that one or more risk violations do not exist. The computer executable components can further comprise a construction component that, based on a determination that no compliance or security violation exists in the information, can generate a new container corresponding to defined components of the target application that allow the target application to execute without an underlying operating system.
According to another embodiment, a computer-implemented method is provided. The computer-implemented method can comprise identifying, by a system operatively coupled to a processor, information used by a target application to containerize. The computer-implemented method can further comprise determining, by the system, whether one or more risk violations exist for the information within one or more defined thresholds. The computer-implemented method can further comprise determining, by the system, whether a compliance or a security violation exists in the information, wherein the determining whether the compliance or security violation exists is performed based on a determination by the risk assessment component that one or more risk violations do not exist. The computer-implemented method can further comprise generating, by the system, a new container of components corresponding to defined components of the target application that allow the target application to execute without an underlying operating system, wherein the generating is based on a determination that no compliance or security violation exists in the information.
According to another embodiment, a computer program product for facilitating compliance-aware runtime generation of containers is provided. The computer program product can comprise a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions can be executable by a processor to cause the processor to identify information used by a target application to containerize. The program instructions can further be executable by a processor to cause the processor to determine whether one or more risk violations exist for the information within one or more defined thresholds. The program instructions can further be executable by a processor to cause the processor to determine whether a compliance or a security violation exists in the information, wherein the determination regarding the compliance or security violation is based on a determination by the risk assessment component that one or more risk violations do not exist. The program instructions can further be executable by a processor to cause the processor to generate a new container of components corresponding to defined components of the target application that allow the target application to execute without an underlying operating system.
The following detailed description is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit embodiments and/or application or uses of embodiments. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied information presented in the preceding Background or Summary sections, or in the Detailed Description section.
One or more embodiments are now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like referenced numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the one or more embodiments. It is evident, however, in various cases, that the one or more embodiments can be practiced without these specific details.
One or more embodiments described herein can automatically generate a compliance-aware runtime container that can allow an application (e.g., executable, service, service instance, application instance, etc.) to run without an underlying operating system. As used herein, the terms “application,” “executable,” “service,” “service instance,” “process” and/or “application instance” can be used interchangeably herein.
In various embodiments, the system 100 can be any type of component, machine, device, facility, apparatus, and/or instrument that comprises a processor. In some embodiments, system 100 is capable of effective and/or operative communication with a wired and/or wireless network. Components, machines, apparatuses, devices, facilities, and/or instrumentalities that can comprise the system 100 can include, but are not limited to, tablet computing devices, handheld devices, server class computing machines and/or databases, laptop computers, notebook computers, desktop computers, cell phones, smart phones, consumer appliances and/or instrumentation, industrial and/or commercial devices, digital assistants, multimedia Internet enabled phones, multimedia players, and the like.
As illustrated in
In one or more embodiments described herein of system 100, predictive analytics can be used to automatically generate one or more compliance-aware runtime containers. For example, the automatic generation can be based on information retained in a patterns knowledgebase. As used herein, the term “knowledgebase” can be a database or other storage location or repository that can store one or more types of information. All such embodiments are envisaged.
The patterns knowledgebase can comprise information related to one or more applications. In some embodiments, the information related to the one or more applications can be gathered over time and retained in the patterns knowledgebase. In some embodiments, the information gathered can include risk, compliance and/or security violations used for the target application. Based on the obtained information, when or after an application is launched, the system 100 can evaluate the patterns knowledgebase (or multiple patterns knowledgebases) and generate one or more patterns and/or can map information known about the target application to the information known about other applications. The predictive analytics of system 100 can determine that, if information of the target application is similar to one or more other applications, the compliance-aware runtime containers of the similar applications can be utilized to automatically execute the target application.
The computer processing systems, computer-implemented methods, apparatus and/or computer program products described herein can employ hardware and/or software to generate compliance-aware runtime containers that are highly technical in nature, that are not abstract and that cannot be performed as a set of mental acts by a human. For example, the one or more embodiments can perform the lengthy interpretation and analysis on the available information to determine which runtime containers from the one or more runtime containers should be utilized for a target application. In another example, the one or more embodiments can perform predictive analytics on a large amount of data to automatically facilitate compliance-aware runtime generation of containers with a high level of accuracy, even in the absence of detailed knowledge about the target application. Accuracy can be evaluated by comparing a training set with a test set. After training a model employing a training set, accuracy can be calculated using a test set by computing percentage of output generated by the model running on the training set elements that matches a predicted target.
In various embodiments, the collection component 106 can identify system information such as, but not limited to, dynamic libraries (e.g., dependent files and libraries) and system calls (e.g., requests by a process for a service performed) employed by a target application to deploy. For example, in modern Unix-based operating systems, the collection component 106 can perform the list dynamic dependencies (ldd) and strace commands to track dependencies (e.g., files that are open and system calls that are made when or after a new application is launched) and find errors (e.g., version mismatch, missing files or libraries, etc.). More specifically, the collection component 106 can retain from a docker container with a service that has been deployed inside it codes that allow an application to deploy. For example, the collection component 106 can download a docker image for a target application from a docker hub.
Also, in modern Unix-based operating systems, the collection component 106 can also run the target application in a separate partition environment or separate partition folder using the chroot and strace commands to capture all (or, in some embodiments, one or more of) the codes that are running to find errors. The collection component 106 can run an application in a separate partition environment by depositing the files employed to run the application in a folder and executing the chroot command The chroot command can switch a root file system to a separate partition directory. If an action is risky after performing the chroot and strace commands because an error indicates a file or library is missing then the collection component 106 can copy the missing file or library from the docker image if the missing file can be located. The system 100 can go through this process iteratively until the target application runs in the separate partition folder by copying and/or depositing to the separate partition folder the files and libraries employed to run an application instance that is already installed on an operating system.
One or more of the embodiments described herein can drastically reduce the number of files that are running that are typically employed in order to conform with compliance guidelines and/or policies. With a reduced number of files, vulnerability issues can also decrease. Due to the reduced image size, in one or more embodiments, there can be a reduction in network traffic. Additionally, due to the reduced image footprint, application deployment and/or boot up can also be faster.
Applications are typically classified into two categories: executables that can directly load a set of system libraries and applications that employ a language runtime. For applications with executables that can directly load a set of system libraries, the computer-implemented methods described above can generate a compliance-aware runtime container. Examples of these applications that can run directly without a runtime include, but are not limited to, nginx, MySQL, Redis, etc. For applications that employ a language runtime (e.g., Ruby, Python, Java, Erlang, etc.), the computer-implemented methods above can also build a runtime image and additional logic can determine language-specific packages (e.g., Ruby Gems, Python Wheels, Java JARs, etc.) that can be installed on the runtime image.
In some embodiments, system 100 can generate a compliance-aware runtime container by taking as input an application that is already installed on an operating system. The resulting runtime environment for the service can contain the codes employed by the service to deploy and nothing else. Every file and library (and/or in some embodiments, at least one or more file and/or library) that are included in the compliance-aware runtime container can be evaluated for vulnerability and/or compliance. Risk can be properly assessed when or after creating container images so that containers do not incorporate potentially vulnerable libraries. For example, the risk assessment component 108 can capture the files and/or libraries that are opened and/or accessed when an application is running in its native environment and analyze the files and/or libraries for vulnerabilities, as well as analyzing the configuration files for compliance. In some embodiments, the risk assessment component 108 can perform dynamic and/or static analysis of application properties to determine whether additional information (e.g., files, libraries, codes, etc.) are to be employed for a container to deploy a target application. The risk assessment component 108 can analyze and determine the feasibility of adjustments. For example, the risk assessment component 108 can determine one or more issues associated with running an application in a generated container with reduced set of files and libraries.
The risk assessment component 108 can determine whether one or more risk violations exist for the information within one or more defined thresholds. For example, a risk or impact function can be employed to measure an amount of risk to perform an action or deploy a service. If the risk value is equal to or greater than a particular defined threshold, such can indicate the system 100 may fail to run the target application. Information captured by the risk assessment component 108 can be evaluated to provide risk analytics and/or pattern formation that can be utilized when generating containers. If the risk assessment component 108 indicates an action has an accompanying risk that is greater than or equal to the defined threshold, the application can be replicated and/or one or more actions can be simulated before constructing a new container. For example, if an action has an accompanying risk that is greater than or equal to a defined threshold, after performing the chroot and strace commands (e.g., via the collection component 106) because an error indicates a file or library is missing, then the system 100 can copy the missing file or library from the docker image if the missing file or library is in the docker image. This can be an iterative process until the target application can run in the separate partition folder.
In some embodiments, the compliance component 110 can determine whether compliance or security violation exists in the information. The determination by the compliance component 110 can be based on a determination by the risk assessment component 108 that one or more defined risk violations do not exist. For example, when the risk assessment component 108 can determine that an action has an accompanying risk that is not greater than and not equal to a defined threshold (so the action is considered to be not risky), the compliance component 110 can determine whether compliance or security violation exists by employing an active learning algorithm. If a compliance or security violation is found, that information can be stored in a pattern knowledgebase. The learning can be performed as a result of analyzing two patterns for one or more applications and the uncovered security issues. More than two different containers can be created for a given application as needed. By using current activities to train data in a learning algorithm (e.g., support vector machine (SVM)), patterns can be learned and/or can be employed to expedite compliance and/or security evaluations by analyzing the differences. Additionally, a machine learning process of system 100 can be used to analyze the steps in generating a compliance-aware runtime container and expedite the process. For example, a machine learning process can recognize patterns and/or can evaluate whether a piece of code is redundant, unnecessary or irrelevant. Patterns and/or pattern recognition can be employed to make the process of collecting system information by the collection component 106 more efficient thereby saving resources and time. If no compliance or security violation exists, a compliance-aware runtime container can be generated.
The construction component 112 can generate a new container that allows the target application to execute without an underlying operating system in some embodiments. The generation of a compliance-aware runtime container can be based on a determination that no compliance or security violation exists in the information (e.g., files, libraries, codes, etc., employed to run a target application). The lack of an operating system in a container can removes the need to perform compliance evaluations such as password management and operating system resources. This can also automatically prevent users from installing additional services such as secure socket shell (SSH) on a container, which can expose a container to other potential security vulnerabilities.
More specifically, the construction component 112 can generate containers and, in some embodiments, can include only the files and libraries that are employed by a container to run a specific service or application. After a determination is made that no compliance or security violation exists (e.g., via the risk assessment component 108 and compliance component 110) and the target application is running inside a separate partition folder (e.g., via collection component 106) the construction component 112 can copy the files and libraries employed to run the application into a dockerfile. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the construction component 112 can utilize the dockerfile to generate container images with compliance guaranteed and minimal security risk. The same components and/or processes that is used to generate these compliance guaranteed container images can be used for all running containers to assess risk, compliance and/or security violations.
In some embodiments, these compliance-aware runtime generated containers are also immutable. In some embodiments, immutable containers cannot be entered and/or modified because there are no shells. As such, the image that was originally deployed can be the image that is going to run, and there is no easy way to change the structure of this immutable, compliance-aware runtime container. These generated containers can allow the application to run without the need for an underlying operating system. A container without an underlying operating system can also have an accompanying reduced risk of attack surface because without an underlying operating system there are less files and libraries to modify (e.g., attack). A smaller attack surface in turn can reduce compliance costs and enhance security. The result can be a drastic reduction in cost of operating a service by shifting focus to compliance for the application itself and eliminating the cost of configuring and securing a complex underlying operating system.
Turning now to
Together, the components of systems 100, 200, 300 and/or 400 can communicate with each other to generate a compliance-aware container and/or collect the information learned through the process for future use. The collection component 106 can identify information used by a target application and this information can be used by the risk assessment component 108 and the compliance component 110 to assess risk, compliance and security related issues. Risk, compliance and/or security assessment can be performed continually for both dynamic and static analyses of the application properties. The information analyzed by the risk component 108 and compliance component 110 can be utilized by the mapping component 202 to generate maps and can be utilized by the pattern component 302 to generate patterns. The operations component 402 can employ the patterns generated based risk, compliance and security violations to halt processes of the operating system.
At 520, computer-implemented method 500 can comprise collecting system information such as dynamic libraries and system calls used for the target application (e.g., via the collection component 106). System information can be determined by performing the ldd command to identify immediate dependencies for the executable. The identification can also include downloading a docker image for the target application from the docker hub and performing the chroot and strace commands to capture all the codes that are running to find errors. This process can be completed by creating a separate partition environment or separate partition folder that can run an executable inside it by performing the chroot command The executable that runs inside the separate partition folder will respond as if it was the root directory of the file system. If after performing the chroot and strace commands an error indicates a file or library is missing then copy the missing file or library from the docker image if the missing file or library is there. This can be an iterative process that can be performed until the executable can run inside the separate partition folder. The result is a separate partition folder with a set of files and libraries that is employed for the code to run and nothing more. At a point in which the files or libraries employed are running inside the separate partition folder, computer-implemented method 500 can comprise copying the files and libraries that are used to run the target application into a new dockerfile. The new dockerfile can be used to generate a new docker image with a compliance-aware runtime. At 530, computer-implemented method 500 can comprise performing a risk assessment on the libraries and system calls (e.g., via the risk assessment component 108). A risk or impact function can be used to assess the potential risks of running an application with a reduced set of files and libraries.
A non-limiting example of a sample risk or impact function can be R(θ,δ)=E74,L(θ,δ(X))=∫xL(θ,δ(X))dPθ,(X), in which risk function R is a value that varies from 0 to 1. θ is a fixed value, and possibly unknown, state of nature. X is a vector of observations stochastically drawn from a population, e.g., prior application or server profiles, a list of related upgrade actions, versions, available service management function, etc. Eθ is the expectation over all population values of X. dPθ is a probability measure over the event space of X, parameterized by θ, and the integral is evaluated over the entire support of X. If the risk value exceeds a defined threshold, an application can be replicated and/or actions can be simulated for a safety check or risk analysis.
At 540, computer-implemented method 500 can comprise determining whether a risk violation is found (e.g., via the risk assessment component 108). A risk analysis can be determined by comparing the risk value with a defined threshold value. If a risk violation is found, then at 542, computer-implemented method 500 can comprise inputting risk violations information in a patterns knowledgebase (e.g., via the risk assessment component). If no risk violation is found, then at 550, computer-implemented method 500 can comprise performing a compliance and security assessment on the libraries and system calls (e.g., via the compliance component 110). A compliance and security can be determined by employing an active learning algorithm, as detailed in below in
The various aspects (e.g., in connection with automatically assessing compliance and security violations) can employ various artificial intelligence-based schemes for carrying out various aspects thereof. For example, a process for evaluating one or more parameters of a target application can be utilized to predict one or more responses to the assessment, without interaction from the target application, which can be enabled through an active learning algorithm. A support vector machine (SVM) is an example of a classifier that can be employed. The SVM operates by finding a hypersurface in the space of possible inputs, which hypersurface attempts to split the triggering criteria from the non-triggering events. Intuitively, this makes the classification correct for testing data that can be similar, but not necessarily identical to training data. Other directed and undirected model classification approaches (e.g., naïve Bayes, Bayesian networks, decision trees, neural networks, fuzzy logic models, and probabilistic classification models) providing different patterns of independence can be employed. Classification as used herein, can be inclusive of statistical regression that is utilized to develop models of priority.
In order to provide a context for the various aspects of the disclosed subject matter,
With reference to
The system memory 1116 can also include volatile memory 1120 and nonvolatile memory 1122. The basic input/output system (BIOS), containing the basic routines to transfer information between elements within the computer 1112, such as during start-up, is stored in nonvolatile memory 1122. By way of illustration, and not limitation, nonvolatile memory 1122 can include read only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, or nonvolatile random access memory (RAM) (e.g., ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM). Volatile memory 1120 can also include random access memory (RAM), which acts as external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available in many forms such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), direct Rambus RAM (DRRAM), direct Rambus dynamic RAM (DRDRAM), and Rambus dynamic RAM.
Computer 1112 can also include removable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer storage media.
System applications 1130 take advantage of the management of resources by operating system 1128 through program modules 1132 and program data 1134, e.g., stored either in system memory 1116 or on disk storage 1124. It is to be appreciated that this disclosure can be implemented with various operating systems or combinations of operating systems. A user enters commands or information into the computer 1112 through input device(s) 1136. Input devices 1136 include, but are not limited to, a pointing device such as a mouse, trackball, stylus, touch pad, keyboard, microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, TV tuner card, digital camera, digital video camera, web camera, and the like. These and other input devices connect to the processing unit 1114 through the system bus 1118 via interface port(s) 1138. Interface port(s) 1138 include, for example, a serial port, a parallel port, a game port, and a universal serial bus (USB). Output device(s) 1140 use some of the same type of ports as input device(s) 1136. Thus, for example, a USB port can be used to provide input to computer 1112, and to output information from computer 1112 to an output device 1140. Output adapter 1142 is provided to illustrate that there are some output devices 1140 like monitors, speakers, and printers, among other output devices 1140, which require special adapters. The output adapters 1142 include, by way of illustration and not limitation, video and sound cards that provide a means of connection between the output device 1140 and the system bus 1118. It should be noted that other devices and/or systems of devices provide both input and output capabilities such as remote computer(s) 1144.
Computer 1112 can operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as remote computer(s) 1144. The remote computer(s) 1144 can be a computer, a server, a router, a network PC, a workstation, a microprocessor based appliance, a peer device or other common network node and the like, and typically can also include many or all of the elements described relative to computer 1112. For purposes of brevity, only a memory storage device 1146 is illustrated with remote computer(s) 1144. Remote computer(s) 1144 is logically connected to computer 1112 through a network interface 1148 and then physically connected via communication connection 1150. Network interface 1148 encompasses wire and/or wireless communication networks such as local-area networks (LAN), wide-area networks (WAN), cellular networks, etc. LAN technologies include Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), Copper Distributed Data Interface (CDDI), Ethernet, Token Ring and the like. WAN technologies include, but are not limited to, point-to-point links, circuit switching networks like Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN) and variations thereon, packet switching networks, and Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL). Communication connection(s) 1150 refers to the hardware/software employed to connect the network interface 1148 to the system bus 1118. While communication connection 1150 is shown for illustrative clarity inside computer 1112, it can also be external to computer 1112. The hardware/software for connection to the network interface 1148 can also include, for exemplary purposes only, internal and external technologies such as, modems including regular telephone grade modems, cable modems and DSL modems, ISDN adapters, and Ethernet cards.
It is to be understood that although this disclosure includes a detailed description on cloud computing, implementation of the teachings recited herein are not limited to a cloud computing environment. Rather, embodiments of the present invention are capable of being implemented in conjunction with any other type of computing environment now known or later developed.
Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing, memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or interaction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may include at least five characteristics, at least three service models, and at least four deployment models.
Characteristics are as follows:
On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as needed automatically without requiring human interaction with the service's provider.
Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network and accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).
Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to demand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumer generally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of the provided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher level of abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).
Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elastically provisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out and rapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilities available for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can be purchased in any quantity at any time.
Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage, processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported, providing transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized service.
Service Models are as follows:
Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer is to use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure. The applications are accessible from various client devices through a thin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based e-mail). The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exception of limited user-specific application configuration settings.
Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer is to deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquired applications created using programming languages and tools supported by the provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, or storage, but has control over the deployed applications and possibly application hosting environment configurations.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to the consumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and other fundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy and run arbitrary software, which can include operating systems and applications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage, deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networking components (e.g., host firewalls).
Deployment Models are as follows:
Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for an organization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party and may exist on-premises or off-premises.
Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by several organizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns (e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and compliance considerations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third party and may exist on-premises or off-premises.
Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the general public or a large industry group and is owned by an organization selling cloud services.
Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or more clouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities but are bound together by standardized or proprietary technology that enables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for load-balancing between clouds).
A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus on statelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability. At the heart of cloud computing is an infrastructure that includes a network of interconnected nodes.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Hardware and software layer 1360 includes hardware and software components. Examples of hardware components include: mainframes 1361; RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture based servers 1362; servers 1363; blade servers 1364; storage devices 1365; and networks and networking components 1366. In some embodiments, software components include network application server software 1367 and database software 1368.
Virtualization layer 1370 provides an abstraction layer from which the following examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers 1371; virtual storage 1372; virtual networks 1373, including virtual private networks; virtual applications and operating systems 1374; and virtual clients 1375.
In one example, management layer 1380 may provide the functions described below. Resource provisioning 1381 provides dynamic procurement of computing resources and other resources that are utilized to perform tasks within the cloud computing environment. Metering and Pricing 1382 provide cost tracking as resources are utilized within the cloud computing environment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of these resources. In one example, these resources may include application software licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloud consumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources. User portal 1383 provides access to the cloud computing environment for consumers and system administrators. Service level management 1384 provides cloud computing resource allocation and management such that required service levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planning and fulfillment 1385 provide pre-arrangement for, and procurement of, cloud computing resources for which a future requirement is anticipated in accordance with an SLA.
Workloads layer 1390 provides examples of functionality for which the cloud computing environment may be utilized. Non-limiting examples of workloads and functions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping and navigation 1391; software development and lifecycle management 1392; virtual classroom education delivery 1393; data analytics processing 1394; transaction processing 1395; and transaction model software 1396.
The present invention may be a system, a method, an apparatus and/or a computer program product at any possible technical detail level of integration. The computer program product can include a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention. The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium can be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium can also include the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire.
Computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network. The network can comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing/processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing/processing device. Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention can be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions can execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection can be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) can execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention.
Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions. These computer readable program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. The computer readable program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational acts to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams can represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks can occur out of the order noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession can, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks can sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
While the subject matter has been described above in the general context of computer-executable instructions of a computer program product that runs on a computer and/or computers, those skilled in the art will recognize that this disclosure also can or can be implemented in combination with other program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks and/or implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the inventive computer-implemented methods can be practiced with other computer system configurations, including single-processor or multiprocessor computer systems, mini-computing devices, mainframe computers, as well as computers, hand-held computing devices (e.g., PDA, phone), microprocessor-based or programmable consumer or industrial electronics, and the like. The illustrated aspects can also be practiced in distributed computing environments in which tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. However, some, if not all aspects of this disclosure can be practiced on stand-alone computers. In a distributed computing environment, program modules can be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.
As used in this application, the terms “component,” “system,” “platform,” “interface,” and the like, can refer to and/or can include a computer-related entity or an entity related to an operational machine with one or more specific functionalities. The entities disclosed herein can be either hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to being, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on a server and the server can be a component. One or more components can reside within a process and/or thread of execution and a component can be localized on one computer and/or distributed between two or more computers. In another example, respective components can execute from various computer readable media having various data structures stored thereon. The components can communicate via local and/or remote processes such as in accordance with a signal having one or more data packets (e.g., data from one component interacting with another component in a local system, distributed system, and/or across a network such as the Internet with other systems via the signal). As another example, a component can be an apparatus with specific functionality provided by mechanical parts operated by electric or electronic circuitry, which is operated by a software or firmware application executed by a processor. In such a case, the processor can be internal or external to the apparatus and can execute at least a part of the software or firmware application. As yet another example, a component can be an apparatus that provides specific functionality through electronic components without mechanical parts, wherein the electronic components can include a processor or other means to execute software or firmware that confers at least in part the functionality of the electronic components. In an aspect, a component can emulate an electronic component via a virtual machine, e.g., within a cloud computing system.
In addition, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. Moreover, articles “a” and “an” as used in the subject specification and annexed drawings should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. As used herein, the terms “example” and/or “exemplary” are utilized to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as an “example” and/or “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
As it is employed in the subject specification, the term “processor” can refer to substantially any computing processing unit or device comprising, but not limited to, single-core processors; single-processors with software multithread execution capability; multi-core processors; multi-core processors with software multithread execution capability; multi-core processors with hardware multithread technology; parallel platforms; and parallel platforms with distributed shared memory. Additionally, a processor can refer to an integrated circuit, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic controller (PLC), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Further, processors can exploit nano-scale architectures such as, but not limited to, molecular and quantum-dot based transistors, switches and gates, in order to optimize space usage or enhance performance of user equipment. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing processing units. In this disclosure, terms such as “store,” “storage,” “data store,” data storage,” “database,” and substantially any other information storage component relevant to operation and functionality of a component are utilized to refer to “memory components,” entities embodied in a “memory,” or components comprising a memory. It is to be appreciated that memory and/or memory components described herein can be either volatile memory or nonvolatile memory, or can include both volatile and nonvolatile memory. By way of illustration, and not limitation, nonvolatile memory can include read only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, or nonvolatile random access memory (RAM) (e.g., ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM). Volatile memory can include RAM, which can act as external cache memory, for example. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available in many forms such as synchronous RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), direct Rambus RAM (DRRAM), direct Rambus dynamic RAM (DRDRAM), and Rambus dynamic RAM (RDRAM). Additionally, the disclosed memory components of systems or computer-implemented methods herein are intended to include, without being limited to including, these and any other suitable types of memory.
What has been described above include mere examples of systems and computer-implemented methods. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or computer-implemented methods for purposes of describing this disclosure, but one of ordinary skill in the art can recognize that many further combinations and permutations of this disclosure are possible. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “possesses,” and the like are used in the detailed description, claims, appendices and drawings such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The descriptions of the various embodiments have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.
