Predicting resource provisioning times in a computing environment

Abstract

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for provisioning resources of a computing environment using predictive time analysis. In certain computing environments, such as a highly utilized cloud computing environment, a predictive provisioning analysis engine can determine how long a resource provisioning request can take to complete. By learning from a window of previously completed provisioning requests that is kept current, the predictive provisioning analysis engine can accurately predict when the resource provisioning request can complete.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A computer program product for resource provisioning in a computing environment, comprising a computer readable storage device having computer readable program code embodied therein that executes to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving a provisioning request for resources of the computing environment; 
 executing the provisioning request for resources identified as having at least one of a firm requirement and a soft requirement, wherein the firm and soft requirements concern computational resources required of the provisioning request; 
 adding a provisioning request result to a repository, wherein the repository includes information for predicting a provisioning time to complete a future provisioning request; and 
 determining at least one of a time to provision value and a time to failure value to complete the future provisioning request based on at least one of a firm requirement and a soft requirement of the future provisioning request and provisioning request results in the repository similar to the future provisioning request, wherein firm requirements are weighted more than soft requirements in determining similar provisioning request results used to determine the at least one of the time to provision value and the time to failure value. 
 
     
     
       2. The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the firm requirement includes at least one of a platform, a computing resource retention value, a number of computing devices value, and post provisioning module, the post provisioning module comprising at least one of:
 automating installation of a resource; and 
 configuring a software application. 
 
     
     
       3. The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the soft requirement identifies at least one of a storage device allocation value and a memory size. 
     
     
       4. The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the repository further comprises:
 accumulating window values of completed provisioning requests to predict the provisioning time to complete future provisioning requests. 
 
     
     
       5. The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein soft requirements have less of an impact on provisioning completion time than firm requirements. 
     
     
       6. The computer program product of  claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 dynamically altering resources defined as firm and soft requirements over time, such that resources characterized as soft requirements that become busier are reclassified as firm requirements. 
 
     
     
       7. A computer program product for resource provisioning in a computing environment, comprising a computer readable storage device having computer readable program code embodied therein that executes to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 accumulating window values of completed provisioning requests to predict a provisioning time to complete future provisioning requests; 
 receiving a provisioning request for resources of the computing environment; 
 executing the provisioning request for resources identified as having at least one of a firm requirement and a soft requirement; 
 adding a provisioning request result to a repository, wherein the repository includes information for predicting a provisioning time to complete a future provisioning request; 
 determining at least one of a time to provision value and a time to failure value to complete the future provisioning request; and 
 comparing at least one of the accumulated window values with a minimum required score value to determine a future use of the at least one of the accumulated window values to predict the provisioning time to complete the future provisioning requests. 
 
     
     
       8. The computer program product of  claim 7 , wherein the minimum required score value dynamically adjusts in relation to a plurality of successful or failed comparisons with the at least one window value. 
     
     
       9. The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein a successful or failed future provisioning request affects the next determining of at least one of a time to provision value and a time to failure value to complete future provisioning requests. 
     
     
       10. A system for resource provisioning in a computing environment, comprising:
 a processor of a computing device of the computing environment; and 
 a computer readable storage device having computer readable program code embodied executed by the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving a provisioning request for resources of the computing environment; 
 executing the provisioning request for resources identified as having at least one of a firm requirement and a soft requirement, wherein the firm and soft requirements concern computational resources required of the provisioning request; 
 adding a provisioning request result to a repository, wherein the repository includes information for predicting a provisioning time to complete a future provisioning request; and 
 determining at least one of a time to provision value and a time to failure value to complete the future provisioning request based on at least one of a firm requirement and a soft requirement of the future provisioning request and provisioning request results in the repository similar to the future provisioning request, wherein firm requirements are weighted more than soft requirements in determining similar provisioning request results used to determine the at least one of the time to provision value and the time to failure value. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the repository operates in a computing system of the computing environment. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the repository further operates in memory of the computing system. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the firm requirement includes a platform. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the soft requirement includes values of least one of a storage device and a memory. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 10 , wherein soft requirements have less of an impact on provisioning completion time than firm requirements. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 dynamically altering resources defined as firm and soft requirements over time, such that resources characterized as soft requirements that become busier are reclassified as firm requirements. 
 
     
     
       17. A method for resource provisioning in a computing environment, comprising:
 receiving a provisioning request for resources of the computing environment; 
 executing the provisioning request for resources identified as having at least one of a firm requirement and a soft requirement, wherein the firm and soft requirements concern computational resources required of the provisioning request; 
 adding a provisioning request result to a repository, wherein the repository includes information for predicting a provisioning time to complete a future provisioning request; and 
 determining at least one of a time to provision value and a time to failure value to complete the future provisioning request based on at least one of a firm requirement and a soft requirement of the future provisioning request and provisioning request results in the repository similar to the future provisioning request, wherein firm requirements are weighted more than soft requirements in determining similar provisioning request results used to determine the at least one of the time to provision value and the time to failure value. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the firm requirement includes at least one of a platform, a computing resource retention value, a number of computing devices value, and post provisioning module, the post provisioning module comprising at least one of:
 automating installation of a resource; and 
 configuring a software application. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the soft requirement identifies at least one of a storage device allocation value and a memory size. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the repository further comprises:
 accumulating window values of completed provisioning requests to predict the provisioning time to complete future provisioning requests. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 17 , wherein a successful or failed future provisioning request affects the next determining of at least one of a time to provision value and a time to failure value to complete future provisioning requests. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 17 , wherein soft requirements have less of an impact on provisioning completion time than firm requirements. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 dynamically altering resources defined as firm and soft requirements over time, such that resources characterized as soft requirements that become busier are reclassified as firm requirements. 
 
     
     
       24. A method for resource provisioning in a computing environment, comprising:
 accumulating window values of completed provisioning requests to predict a provisioning time to complete future provisioning requests; 
 receiving a provisioning request for resources of the computing environment; 
 executing the provisioning request for resources identified as having at least one of a firm requirement and a soft requirement; 
 adding a provisioning request result to a repository, wherein the repository includes information for predicting a provisioning time to complete a future provisioning request; 
 determining at least one of a time to provision value and a time to failure value to complete the future provisioning request; and 
 comparing at least one of the accumulated window values with a minimum required score value to determine a future use of the at least one of the accumulated window values to predict the provisioning time to complete the future provisioning requests. 
 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24 , wherein the minimum required score value dynamically adjusts in relation to a plurality of successful or failed comparisons with the at least one window value.