Application lifecycle management system

Abstract

A computer-implemented method or system is provided to automate actions for one or more applications executed via a platform using at least one virtual machine in a guest system. Each virtual machine includes a guest operating system, a guest agent and an application to be executed on the virtual machine. The method or system stores in a memory user-defined automation actions and causal relationships between the user-defined automation actions from which an automation graph is derived for the application to be executed on the virtual machine on the guest system; launches the guest system and the virtual machine via the platform; and executes the user-defined automation actions via the guest agent of the virtual machine according to the automation graph after the guest system and the virtual machine are launched.

1 . A computer-implemented method of automating actions for one or more applications executed via a platform using at least one virtual machine in a guest system, each virtual machine including a guest operating system, a guest agent and an application to be executed on the virtual machine, the method comprising:
 storing in a memory user-defined automation actions and causal relationships between the user-defined automation actions from which an automation graph is derived for the application to be executed on the virtual machine on the guest system;   launching the guest system and the virtual machine via the platform; and   executing the user-defined automation actions via the guest agent of the virtual machine according to the automation graph after the guest system and the virtual machine are launched.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the platform is configured to execute for the guest system the stages of Initialization, VM Launch, Configuration, Application Launch, Running, Reboot, Stop and Shutdown, and
 wherein the user-defined automation actions are executed by the guest agent in or over one or more of the stages of Configuration, Application Launch, Running, Reboot, Stop and Shutdown.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the platform is implemented on a cloud computing architecture, the guest system and the virtual machine being launched by the platform in response to a request sent via a web browser over the Internet. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the automation graph is a directed acyclic graph including a plurality of graph nodes having payloads that correspond to respective ones of the user-defined automation actions to be executed, the payloads of the graph nodes being executed in a sequential order according to the user-defined causal relationships. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of graph nodes includes at least one conditional node having a plurality of direct predecessor nodes, the guest agent of the virtual machine executing a payload of the conditional node when execution of a payload of at least one of the plurality of direct predecessor graph nodes has been completed even if execution of one or more of the other direct predecessor graphical nodes has failed or is not completed. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the user-defined automation actions have associated therewith two automation graphs to be executed on two different virtual machines, each of the two automation graphs including a plurality of graph nodes with payloads corresponding to respective ones of the user-defined automation actions, the virtual machines executing the payloads of the graph nodes of the two automation graphs in synchronization with each other. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein the virtual machines execute the payloads of the graph nodes of the two automation graphs in synchronization with each other via step-by-step messaging therebetween. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a user interface for a user to input information corresponding to the user-defined automation actions and causal relationships; and   deriving the automation graph based on the inputted user-defined automation actions and causal relationships.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the inputted information corresponds to a graph adjacency list with a happens-before relationship and a payload for each automation action. 
     
     
         10 . A tangible memory medium storing executable code which, when executed by one or more processors, implements a method of automating actions for one or more applications executed via a platform using at least one virtual machine in a guest system, each virtual machine including a guest operating system, a guest agent and an application to be executed on the virtual machine, the method comprising:
 storing in a memory user-defined automation actions and causal relationships between the user-defined automation actions from which an automation graph is derived for the application to be executed on the virtual machine on the guest system;   launching the guest system and the virtual machine via the platform; and   executing the user-defined automation actions via the guest agent of the virtual machine according to the automation graph after the guest system and the virtual machine are launched.   
     
     
         11 . A computer system for automating actions for one or more applications executed via a platform using at least one virtual machine in a guest system, each virtual machine including a guest operating system, a guest agent and an application to be executed on the virtual machine, the computer system comprising:
 a memory; and   one or more processors that provide the platform which is configured:   to store in a memory user-defined automation actions and causal relationships between the user-defined automation actions from which an automation graph is derived for the application to be executed on the virtual machine on the guest system;   to configure and provision the guest system and the virtual machine via the platform; and   execute the user-defined automation actions via the guest agent of the virtual machine according to the automation graph after the guest system and the virtual machine are configured and provisioned.   
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the platform is configured to execute for the guest system the stages of Initialization, VM Launch, Configuration, Application Launch, Running, Reboot, Stop and Shutdown, and
 wherein the user-defined automation actions are executed by the guest agent in or over one or more of the stages of Configuration, Application Launch, Running, Reboot, Stop and Shutdown.   
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the platform is implemented on a cloud computing architecture, the guest system and the virtual machine being configured and provisioned by the platform in response to a request sent via a web browser over the Internet. 
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the automation graph is a directed acyclic graph including a plurality of graph nodes having payloads that correspond to respective ones of the user-defined automation actions to be executed, the payloads of the graph nodes being executed in a sequential order according to the user-defined causal relationships. 
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of graph nodes includes at least one conditional node having a plurality of direct predecessor nodes, the guest agent of the virtual machine executing a payload of the conditional node when execution of a payload of at least one of the plurality of direct predecessor graph nodes has been completed even if execution of one or more of the other direct predecessor graphical nodes has failed or is not completed. 
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 14 , wherein the user-defined automation actions have associated therewith two automation graphs to be executed on two different virtual machines, each of the two automation graphs including a plurality of graph nodes with payloads corresponding to respective ones of the user-defined automation actions, the virtual machines executing the payloads of the graph nodes of the two automation graphs in synchronization with each other. 
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the virtual machines execute the payloads of the graph nodes of the two automation graphs in synchronization with each other via step-by-step messaging therebetween. 
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to provide a user interface for a user to input information corresponding to the user-defined automation actions and causal relationships, and to derive the automation graph based on the inputted user-defined automation actions and causal relationships. 
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 18 , wherein the inputted information corresponds to a graph adjacency list with a happens-before relationship and a payload for each automation action.