Methods and apparatus to assess compliance of a virtual computing environment

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to assess compliance of a virtual computing environment. An example method disclosed herein to assess compliance of computing resources of a computing environment includes monitoring for an occurrence of a change in a computing resource in the computing environment, and in response to detecting the occurrence and without waiting for batch testing, assessing compliance of the computing resource with a compliance policy.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method, comprising:
 monitoring a feed for an occurrence of a change in a configuration of a computing resource in a computing environment;   parsing the feed to identify the computing resource;   identifying additional computing resources related to the computing resource;   retrieving a compliance policy comprising a plurality of rules comprising a plurality of scope conditions which specify whether the plurality of rules apply to the computing resource; and   in an instance in which the occurrence of the change in the configuration of the computing resource is detected, assessing compliance of the additional computing resources with the compliance policy.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein identifying additional computing resources comprises:
 retrieving an inventory of resources from a virtualization manager that maintains a dynamic list of computing resources that relate to other computing resources.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein a rule of the plurality of rules comprises a plurality of check conditions, the method further comprising:
 assessing compliance of the computing resource with the compliance policy; and   storing a compliance events record comprising an indication of compliance states of the computing resource with respect to the plurality of check conditions.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein a rule of the plurality of rules comprises a check condition that defines a Boolean-valued logical expression, the Boolean-valued logical expression comprising a configuration setting or a property of the computing resource and a value for the configuration setting or the property. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the check condition further comprises a reference by name to another check condition of the rule or another rule of the plurality of rules. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 in an instance in which it is determined that the computing resource fails to satisfy a scope condition of the plurality of scope conditions, testing at least one of the additional computing resources that satisfies the scope condition against the compliance policy.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein testing the at least one of the additional computing resources comprises:
 determining that the at least one of the additional computing resources satisfies a check condition of a rule of the compliance policy indicative of the at least one of the additional computing resources satisfying the rule.   
     
     
         28 . A system, comprising:
 a computing device;   an application executable by the computing device, wherein when executed the application causes the computing device to at least:
 monitor a feed for an occurrence of a change in a configuration of a computing resource in a computing environment; 
 parse the feed to identify the computing resource; 
 identify additional computing resources related to the computing resource; 
 retrieve a compliance policy comprising a plurality of rules comprising a plurality of scope conditions which specify whether the plurality of rules apply to the computing resource; and 
 in an instance in which the occurrence of the change in the configuration of the computing resource is detected, assess compliance of the additional computing resources with the compliance policy. 
   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein identify additional computing resources comprises:
 retrieve an inventory of resources from a virtualization manager that maintains a dynamic list of computing resources that relate to other computing resources.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein a rule of the plurality of rules comprises a plurality of check conditions, and wherein when executed the application further causes the computing device to at least:
 assess compliance of the computing resource with the compliance policy; and   store a compliance events record comprising an indication of compliance states of the computing resource with respect to the plurality of check conditions.   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein a rule of the plurality of rules comprises a check condition that defines a Boolean-valued logical expression, the Boolean-valued logical expression comprising a configuration setting or a property of the computing resource and a value for the configuration setting or the property. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the check condition further comprises a reference by name to another check condition of the rule or another rule of the plurality of rules. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein when executed the application further causes the computing device to at least:
 in an instance in which it is determined that the computing device fails to satisfy a scope condition of the plurality of scope conditions, test at least one of the additional computing resources that satisfies the scope condition against the compliance policy.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein test the at least one of the additional computing resources comprises:
 determine that the at least one of the additional computing resources satisfies a check condition of a rule of the compliance policy indicative of the at least one of the additional computing resources satisfying the rule.   
     
     
         35 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to:
 monitor a feed for an occurrence of a change in a configuration of a computing resource in a computing environment;   parse the feed to identify the computing resource;   identify additional computing resources related to the computing resource;   retrieve a compliance policy comprising a plurality of rules comprising a plurality of scope conditions which specify whether the plurality of rules apply to the computing resource; and   in an instance in which the occurrence of the change in the configuration of the computing resource is detected, assess compliance of the additional computing resources with the compliance policy.   
     
     
         36 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein identify additional computing resources comprises:
 retrieve an inventory of resources from a virtualization manager that maintains a dynamic list of computing resources that relate to other computing resources.   
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein a rule of the plurality of rules comprises a plurality of check conditions, and wherein, when executed, the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
 assess compliance of the computing resource with the compliance policy; and   store a compliance events record comprising an indication of compliance states of the computing resource with respect to the plurality of check conditions.   
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein a rule of the plurality of rules comprises a check condition that defines a Boolean-valued logical expression, the Boolean-valued logical expression comprising a configuration setting or a property of the computing resource and a value for the configuration setting or the property. 
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein, when executed, the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
 in an instance in which it is determined that the computing resource fails to satisfy a scope condition of the plurality of scope conditions, test at least one of the additional computing resources that satisfies the scope condition against the compliance policy.   
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 39 , wherein test the at least one of the additional computing resources comprises:
 determine that the at least one of the additional computing resources satisfies a check condition of a rule of the compliance policy indicative of the at least one of the additional computing resources satisfying the rule.