Patent ID: 7941523
Filing Date: 2011-05-10
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for adapting an Information Technology (IT) structure to maintain service levels, said method comprising: deploying an IT structure in an IT delivery environment; after said deploying, specifying a service level associated with the IT structure; after said specifying, identifying at least one operational characteristic of the IT structure such that the at least one operational characteristic corresponds to the specified service level and may be adjusted to sustain the specified service level; for each identified operational characteristic, establishing a corresponding threshold such that if the corresponding threshold is violated then the specified service level is not sustained; a processor of a computer system monitoring operation of the IT structure after said thresholds have been established; and said processor ascertaining that said monitoring has detected a violation condition in which a measured value of each operational characteristic of one or more operational characteristics of the identified at least one operational characteristic has violated the corresponding threshold associated with each operational characteristic of the one or more operational characteristics such that the specified service level is not sustained by the measured value of each operational characteristic of the one or more operational characteristics, causing the specified service level to be degraded; responsive to said ascertaining that said monitoring has detected the violation condition, said processor invoking performance of a SLmaintenance( ) method to adjust each operational characteristic of the one or more operational characteristics to sustain the specified service level, wherein said invoking performance of the SLmaintenance( ) method comprises inputting to the SLmaintenance( ) method a name and measured value of each operational characteristic of the one or more operational characteristics, wherein said invoked performance of the SLmaintenance( ) method comprises a first invoked performance of the SLmaintenance( ) method and a second invoked performance of the SLmaintenance( ) method, wherein the first invoked performance of the SLmaintenance( ) method records that the measured value of each operational characteristic of the one or more operational characteristics has violated the corresponding threshold associated with each operational characteristic of the one or more operational characteristics, and wherein the second invoked performance of the SLmaintenance( ) method adjusts each operational characteristic of the one or more operational characteristics to sustain the specified service level; said processor determining that an error consisting of a failure to maintain the specified service level has occurred during the performance of the SLmaintenance( ) method; and after said determining that the error has occurred during the performance of the SLmaintenance( ) method, notifying an IT developer of the error so that the IT developer may effectuate an appropriate intervention to correct the error, wherein an error rate of the specified service level exceeds an error rate threshold, wherein the error rate threshold is the corresponding threshold associated with a first operational characteristic of the one or more operational characteristics, wherein the first invoked performance of the SLmaintenance( ) method records that the measured error rate of the specified service level exceeds the error rate threshold, and wherein the second invoked performance of the SLmaintenance( ) method adjusts the error rate of the specified service level to sustain the specified service level.