Method and apparatus for managing data center using Web services

Abstract

Access of data center resources is provided by the present invention using stateless and stateful Web services. For stateless Web services, the present invention provides an invoker API that allows a client to invoke a specific resource and perform an operation on the resource. For stateful Web services, the present invention provides a Web Service Definition file that defines attributes and operations for data center resources. The client may access an instance of a Web service resource once an endpoint reference is obtained from the server. Since the resource instance is persistent, the client may invoke data center operations and manipulate the resource attributes accordingly.

1 . A method in a data processing system for managing a data center, the method comprising: 
 receiving a user input to invoke an operation on a resource in the data center, wherein the user input identifies the operation and a Web service for performing the operation; and    initiating the operation on the resource in the data center using the Web service identified in the user input.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the Web service is a stateless Web service in which an identification of a resource is required each time a selected operation is invoked on the resource.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the Web service is a stateful Web service in which an identification of the resource is persisted for subsequent invocation of operations on the resource.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user input is received at an interface for the Web service.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the user input includes a Web services description language file location, an operation name, and operation parameters.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user input includes an identification of a Web service description language file and wherein the initiating step includes: 
 invoking the operation on the resource in a manner specified in the Web service description language file.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein resources in the data center includes at least one of a server, a cluster of servers, and a virtual local area network.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein resources in the data center further includes at least one of a switch, a router, a balancer, software products, and a data container.  
   
   
       9 . A method for performing operations on a resource in a data center, the method comprising: 
 detecting a request to invoke an operation on the resource in the data center from a data processing system, wherein the request includes an identification of a Web service; and    invoking the operation from a plurality of logical device operations to perform a logical device operation on the resource using the identification of the Web service.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the identification of the Web service is an endpoint reference of the Web service.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the request includes a Web services description language file and wherein the Web services description language file defines attributes and operations of the resource in the data center.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of logical device operations includes adding a server resource to a cluster, removing a server resource from a cluster, setting the resource in maintenance, associating the resource with another resource, and disassociating the resource from another resource.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein invoking the operation from the plurality of logical device operations includes invoking workflows associated with the resource, and wherein the workflows includes low level scripts that physically manipulate the resource in the data center.  
   
   
       14 . A data processing system for managing a data center, the data processing system comprising: 
 receiving means for receiving a user input to invoke an operation on a resource in the data center, wherein the user input identifies the operation and a Web service for performing the operation; and    initiating means for initiating the operation on the resource in the data center using the Web service identified in the user input.    
   
   
       15 . The data processing system of  claim 14 , wherein the Web service is a stateless Web service in which an identification of a resource is required each time a selected operation is invoked on the resource.  
   
   
       16 . The data processing system of  claim 14 , wherein the Web service is a stateful Web service in which an identification of the resource is persisted for subsequent invocation of operations on the resource.  
   
   
       17 . The data processing system of  claim 14 , wherein the user input is received at an interface for the Web service.  
   
   
       18 . The data processing system of  claim 17 , wherein the user input includes a Web services description language file location, an operation name, and operation parameters.  
   
   
       19 . A data processing system for performing operations on a resource in a data center, the data processing system comprising: 
 detecting means for detecting a request to invoke an operation on the resource in the data center from a data processing system, wherein the request includes an identification of a Web service; and    invoking means for invoking the operation from a plurality of logical device operations to perform a logical device operation on the resource using the identification of the Web service.    
   
   
       20 . The data processing system of  claim 19 , wherein the identification of the Web service is an endpoint reference of the Web service.  
   
   
       21 . The data processing system of  claim 19 , wherein the request includes a Web services description language file and wherein the Web services description language file defines attributes and operations of the resource in the data center.  
   
   
       22 . The data processing system of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of logical device operations includes adding a server resource to a cluster, removing a server resource from a cluster, setting the resource in maintenance, associating the resource with another resource, and disassociating the resource from another resource.  
   
   
       23 . The data processing system of  claim 19 , wherein invoking means includes means for invoking workflows associated with the resource, and wherein the workflows includes low level scripts that physically manipulate the resource in the data center.  
   
   
       24 . A computer program product in a computer readable medium for managing a data center, the computer program product comprising: 
 first instructions for receiving a user input to invoke an operation on a resource in the data center, wherein the user input identifies the operation and a Web service for performing the operation; and    second instructions for initiating the operation on the resource in the data center using the Web service identified in the user input.    
   
   
       25 . The computer program product of  claim 24 , wherein the Web service is a stateless Web service in which an identification of a resource is required each time a selected operation is invoked on the resource.  
   
   
       26 . The computer program product of  claim 24 , wherein the Web service is a stateful Web service in which an identification of the resource is persisted for subsequent invocation of operations on the resource.  
   
   
       27 . The computer program product of  claim 24 , wherein the user input is received at an interface for the Web service.  
   
   
       28 . The computer program product of  claim 27 , wherein the user input includes a Web services description language file location, an operation name, and operation parameters.  
   
   
       29 . The computer program product of  claim 24 , wherein the user input includes an identification of a Web service description language file and wherein the second instructions includes: 
 sub-instructions for invoking the operation on the resource in a manner specified in the Web service description language file.    
   
   
       30 . The computer program product of  claim 24 , wherein resources in the data center includes at least one of a server, a cluster of servers, and a virtual local area network.  
   
   
       31 . The computer program product of  claim 24 , wherein resources in the data center further includes at least one of a switch, a router, a balancer, software products, and a data container.  
   
   
       32 . A computer program product for performing operations on a resource in a data center, the computer program product comprising: 
 first instructions for detecting a request to invoke an operation on the resource in the data center from a data processing system, wherein the request includes an identification of a Web service; and    second instructions for invoking the operation from a plurality of logical device operations to perform a logical device operation on the resource using the identification of the Web service.    
   
   
       33 . The computer program product of  claim 32 , wherein the identification of the Web service is an endpoint reference of the Web service.  
   
   
       34 . The computer program product of  claim 32 , wherein the request includes a Web services description language file, and wherein the Web services description language file defines attributes and operations of the resource in the data center.  
   
   
       35 . The computer program product of  claim 32 , wherein the plurality of logical device operations includes adding a server resource to a cluster, removing a server resource from a cluster, setting the resource in maintenance, associating the resource with another resource, and disassociating the resource from another resource.  
   
   
       36 . The computer program product of  claim 32 , wherein the second instructions includes sub-instructions for invoking workflows associated with the resource, and wherein the workflows includes low level scripts that physically manipulate the resource in the data center.  
   
   
       37 . A data processing system comprising: 
 a bus system;    a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and    a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes a set of instructions to receive a user input to invoke an operation on a resource in the data center, wherein the user input identifies the operation and a Web service for performing the operation; and initiate the operation on the resource in the data center using the Web service identified in the user input.    
   
   
       38 . A data processing system comprising: 
 a bus system;    a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and    a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes a set of instructions to detect a request to invoke an operation on the resource in the data center from a data processing system, wherein the request includes an identification of a Web service; and invoke the operation from a plurality of logical device operations to perform a logical device operation on the resource using the identification of the Web service.