Patent ID: 8850431

Claim:
A method for managing a computing system having components, the components including a hardware platform, an operating system or a hypervisor, a guest operating system, and software applications, the method comprising: arranging the components of the computing system in a hierarchy of layers, comprising a lowest layer, a highest layer and one or more intermediate layers, comprising arranging: the hardware platform to occupy the lowest layer; the hypervisor to occupy an intermediate layer of the one or more intermediate layers; the guest operating system to occupy another intermediate layer of the one or more intermediate layers; and the software applications to occupy the highest layer; launching at least two autonomic management elements, each autonomic management element running in a different layer, comprising launching: one autonomic management element in the hardware platform; another autonomic management element in the hypervisor; and yet another autonomic management element in the guest operating system; and configuring each autonomic management element as a master or a slave depending on a position of the each autonomic management element in the hierarchy of layers, and running the at least two autonomic management elements in a master-slave mode, the master controlling the management responsibilities of the slave, comprising configuring: the one autonomic management element running in the hardware platform as the master for all other autonomic management elements; the yet another autonomic management element running in the guest operating system as the slave for all other autonomic management elements; and the another autonomic management element running in the hypervisor: as the master for the yet another autonomic management element running in the guest operating system; and as the slave for the one autonomic management element running in the hardware platform.