Cloud computing was supposed to be the solution to physical machine sprawl. No longer would enterprises have to invest millions of dollars in data centers, static mainframes, and ever-larger server farms. Instead, a new era of shared resources would enable companies and organizations to draw upon the exact IT computing capabilities they needed via the Internet, as they needed it.

Unfortunately, sprawl has a way of creeping into any system, even virtual ones. Costs can quickly escalate due to lax or antiquated resource management regimens. For example, managers can easily detect when physical hardware is underutilizedbut as so often happens in the virtual world, no one checks to see if cloud resources are "turned off" after use. Just as in a building where lights are left on after people leave for the day; virtual machines have a tendency to run long after their assigned task is complete.

"The reality of the virtual computing era is that most enterprises use the same management principles as they did before the cloud came along," notes Ben Rosenberg, President of Advanced Systems Concepts, Inc. "It's true that cloud resources can be highly efficient in terms of cost and performancebut only if strategies and tools evolve to meet the cloud's unique characteristics."

ActiveBatch's Unique Solutions

To solve this increasingly common problem, Advanced Systems Concepts has pioneered two innovative cloud resource management features for its leading IT automation solution, ActiveBatch: Smart Queue and Managed Queue. Together, these features eliminate both virtual machine sprawl and utilization waste. With Smart Queue and Managed Queue, IT can improve workload execution, reduce manual intervention, satisfy SLAs, and optimize IT spending.

Smart Queue helps IT operations match supply with demand by managing the exact number of execution agents (e.g., servers) needed for scheduled jobs. To do this, Smart Queue uses both reactive and predictive algorithms; reactive in order to accommodate unexpected loads or failures, and predictive to prepare for anticipated workload surges and peakseven those occurring on short notice.

Managed Queue enables IT to set broad infrastructure parameters; that is, the minimum/maximum number of virtual machines it requires from the cloud provider. The number of machines can go up or down to reflect changing needs; if the number goes down, machines will be powered down and subjected to a Retention Period (by default, machines are retained indefinitely but can be set to terminate after a specific time span). Managed Queue can automatically create, provision, de-provision, or shut down virtual machine instances as needed.

Intelligent Automation

Smart Queue and Managed Queue offer multiple benefits to IT. Resources can be configured on-the-flyif the organization has a plan or multiple jobs that are running longer than expected, other machines can be added or provisioned so the workflow can better meet SLA expectations. Resources can also be monitored so that when they go quiet (nothing running or scheduled to run), those machines can be stopped and returned for use by other processes.

"ActiveBatch's Smart Queue and Managed Queue capabilities fulfill the promise of cloud computing. They allow the virtual computing environment to adapt and optimize itself to the environment on a moment-by-moment basis, according to business rules set by the organization," said Rosenberg. "Smart Queue and Managed Queue are key players in intelligent automation."

Smart Queue and Managed Queue are now available as part of ActiveBatch Version 9. To learn more, or to get more information about ActiveBatch IT Workload Automation, visit www.advsyscon.com.