Patent ID: 8516098

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: selecting a managed entity from a plurality of managed entities included in a consumer system, wherein the selected managed entity corresponds to a first hierarchical level included in the computer system; selecting a rule template corresponding to a subset of the plurality of managed entities included in the first hierarchical level, wherein the selected managed entity is included in the plurality of managed entities; receiving, at the consumer system, capabilities metadata from a producer system, wherein the capabilities metadata includes resource class metrics for a resource class included in the producer system; in response to receiving the capabilities metadata, creating, at the consumer system, a rule from the rule template that corresponds to the selected managed entity included in the consumer system, wherein the rule is subordinate to a superior rule corresponding to a second hierarchal level included in the consumer system and includes one or more prescriptions that reference the resource class metrics and specify a periodicity, the periodicity informing the producer system as to a time interval for which to send prescription results to the consumer system that includes metric information pertaining to the resource class metrics; sending the rule from the consumer system to the producer system; receiving, at the specified periodicity included in the rule, the prescription results from the producer system at the consumer system; comparing the prescription results to one or more objectives; detecting a breach in response to the comparison; and resolving the breach in response to the detection.