Linking instances within a cloud computing environment
Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach to allow a user to link multiple cloud instances (e.g., virtual machines) together such that an action on one (cloud) instance is triggered when a second instance's state changes thereby invoking a predefined set of rules. Specifically, instances can be linked to one another via a graphical user interface (GUI or the like), and associated with a set of rules. The set of rules indicates a behavior/reaction of one instance when an action is performed with respect to another instance linked thereto. These embodiments could be implemented external to or within a cloud operating environment.
1. A method for linking instances within a cloud computing environment, comprising:
providing a first graphical user interface (GUI) comprising: a first button for performing at least one action on a first cloud instance, a tag field for tagging the first cloud instance with at least one keyword, at least one access control button for generating at least one security key for the first cloud instance, location information for the first cloud instance, and an instance field identifying the first cloud instance;
receiving a request from a user, via the first GUI, to link a second cloud instance with the first cloud instance,
the request comprising information for generating a set of rules, the information comprising:
one or more actions that may be performed with respect to the first cloud instance, and
for each action of the one or more actions, a corresponding reaction to be performed with respect to a second cloud instance;
generating a first alert for the user in response to receiving the request;
starting the first cloud instance;
generating, based on the information included in the request, the set of rules, the set of rules defining the corresponding reaction to be performed with respect to the second cloud instance when the each action of the one or more actions is performed with respect to the first cloud instance;
associating the first cloud instance with the set of rules;
generating a second alert for the user in response to the associating the first cloud instance with the set of rules;
performing an action of the one or more actions on the first cloud instance;
generating a third alert for the user in response to the action;
identifying a rule of the set of rules based on the performed action of the one or more actions;
performing the reaction of the second cloud instance, based on the identified rule, the corresponding reaction comprising at least one of a start of the second cloud instance, a restart of the second cloud instance, a deletion of the second cloud instance, a creation of the second cloud instance, a creation of a new copy of the second cloud instance, and a provisioning of the second cloud instance;
generating a fourth alert for the user in response to the reaction; and
providing a confirmation of the reaction on a second GUI, the second GUI comprising: a second button for performing at least one action on the second cloud instance, a tag field for tagging the second cloud instance with at least one keyword, at least one access control button for generating at least one security key for the second cloud instance, location information for the second cloud instance, and an instance field identifying the second cloud instance.
2. The method of claim 1 , the action being performed in response to a request to perform the action.
3. The method of claim 1 , the set of rules being generated according to preferences of a user.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a link of the second cloud instance with the first cloud instance is viewable on the GUI.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating an alert pursuant to the action and the reaction.
6. The method of claim 1 , the first cloud instance and the second cloud instance comprising virtual machines.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first alert, the second alert, the third alert and the fourth alert each comprise a text message.
8. A system for linking instances within a cloud computing environment, comprising:
a bus;
a processor coupled to the bus; and
a memory medium coupled to the bus, the memory medium comprising instructions to:
provide a first graphical user interface (GUI) comprising: a first button for performing at least one action on a first cloud instance, a tag field for tagging the first cloud instance with at least one keyword, at least one access control button for generating at least one security key for the first cloud instance, location information for the first cloud instance, and an instance field identifying the first cloud instance;
receive a request from a user, via the first GUI, to link a second cloud instance with the first cloud instance,
the request comprising information for generating a set of rules, the information comprising:
one or more actions that may be performed with respect to the first cloud instance, and
for each action of the one or more actions, a corresponding reaction to be performed with respect to a second cloud instance;
generate a first alert for the user in response to receiving the request;
start the first cloud instance;
generate, based on the information included in the request, the set of rules, the set of rules defining the corresponding reaction to be performed with respect to the second cloud instance when the each action of the one or more actions is performed with respect to the first cloud instance;
associate the first cloud instance with the set of rules;
generate a second alert for the user in response to the associating the first cloud instance with the set of rules;
perform an action of the one or more actions on the first cloud instance;
generate a third alert for the user in response to the action;
identify a rule of the set of rules based on the performed action of the one or more actions;
perform the reaction of the second cloud instance, based on the identified rule, the corresponding reaction comprising at least one of a start of the second cloud instance, a restart of the second cloud instance, a deletion of the second cloud instance, a creation of the second cloud instance, a creation of a new copy of the second cloud instance, and a provisioning of the second cloud instance;
generate a fourth alert for the user in response to the reaction; and
provide a confirmation of the reaction on a second GUI, the second GUI comprising: a second button for performing at least one action on the second cloud instance, a tag field for tagging the second cloud instance with at least one keyword, at least one access control button for generating at least one security key for the second cloud instance, location information for the second cloud instance, and an instance field identifying the second cloud instance.
9. The system of claim 8 , the action being performed in response to a request to perform the action.
10. The system of claim 8 , the set of rules being generated according to preferences of a user.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein a link of the second cloud instance with the first cloud instance is viewable on the GUI.
12. The system of claim 8 , the memory medium further comprising instructions to generate an alert pursuant to the action and the reaction.
13. The system of claim 8 , the first cloud instance and the second cloud instance comprising virtual machines.
14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first alert, the second alert, the third alert and the fourth alert each comprise an email message.
15. A computer program product for linking instances within a cloud computing environment, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media, to:
provide a first graphical user interface (GUI) comprising: a first button for performing at least one action on a first cloud instance, a tag field for tagging the first cloud instance with at least one keyword, at least one access control button for generating at least one security key for the first cloud instance, location information for the first cloud instance, and an instance field identifying the first cloud instance;
receive a request from a user, via the first GUI, to link a second cloud instance with the first cloud instance,
the request comprising information for generating a set of rules, the information comprising:
one or more actions that may be performed with respect to the first cloud instance, and
for each action of the one or more actions, a corresponding reaction to be performed with respect to a second cloud instance;
generate a first alert for the user in response to receiving the request;
start the first cloud instance;
generate, based on the information included in the request, the set of rules, the set of rules defining the corresponding reaction to be performed with respect to the second cloud instance when the each action of the one or more actions is performed with respect to the first cloud instance;
associate the first cloud instance with the set of rules;
generate a second alert for the user in response to the associating the first cloud instance with the set of rules;
perform an action of the one or more actions on the first cloud instance;
generate a third alert for the user in response to the action;
identify a rule of the set of rules based on the performed action of the one or more actions;
perform the reaction of the second cloud instance, based on the identified rule, the corresponding reaction comprising at least one of a start of the second cloud instance, a restart of the second cloud instance, a deletion of the second cloud instance, a creation of the second cloud instance, a creation of a new copy of the second cloud instance, and a provisioning of the second cloud instance;
generate a fourth alert for the user in response to the reaction; and
provide a confirmation of the reaction on a second GUI, the second GUI comprising: a second button for performing at least one action on the second cloud instance, a tag field for tagging the second cloud instance with at least one keyword, at least one access control button for generating at least one security key for the second cloud instance, location information for the second cloud instance, and an instance field identifying the second cloud instance.
16. The computer program product of claim 15 , the action being performed in response to a request to perform the action.
17. The computer program product of claim 15 , the set of rules being generated according to preferences of a user.
18. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein a link of the second cloud instance with the first cloud instance is viewable on the GUI.
19. The computer program product of claim 15 , further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage media to generate an alert pursuant to the action and the reaction.
20. The computer program product of claim 15 , the first cloud instance and the second cloud instance comprising virtual machines.
21. A method for deploying a system for linking instances within a cloud computing environment, comprising:
deploying a computer infrastructure being operable to:
provide a first graphical user interface (GUI) comprising: a first button for performing at least one action on a first cloud instance, a tag field for tagging the first cloud instance with at least one keyword, at least one access control button for generating at least one security key for the first cloud instance, location information for the first cloud instance, and an instance field identifying the first cloud instance;
receive a request from a user, via the first GUI, to link a second cloud instance with the first cloud instance,
the request comprising information for generating a set of rules, the information comprising:
one or more actions that may be performed with respect to the first cloud instance, and
for each action of the one or more actions, a corresponding reaction to be performed with respect to a second cloud instance;
generate a first alert for the user in response to receiving the request;
start the first cloud instance;
generate, based on the information included in the request, the set of rules, the set of rules defining the corresponding reaction to be performed with respect to the second cloud instance when the each action of the one or more actions is performed with respect to the first cloud instance;
associate the first cloud instance with the set of rules;
generate a second alert for the user in response to the associating the first cloud instance with the set of rules;
perform an action of the one or more actions on the first cloud instance;
generate a third alert for the user in response to the action;
identify a rule of the set of rules based on the performed action of the one or more actions;
perform the reaction of the second cloud instance, based on the identified rule, the corresponding reaction comprising at least one of a start of the second cloud instance, a restart of the second cloud instance, a deletion of the second cloud instance, a creation of the second cloud instance, a creation of a new copy of the second cloud instance, and a provisioning of the second cloud instance;
generate a fourth alert for the user in response to the reaction; and
provide a confirmation of the reaction on a second GUI, the second GUI comprising: a second button for performing at least one action on the second cloud instance, a tag field for tagging the second cloud instance with at least one keyword, at least one access control button for generating at least one security key for the second cloud instance, location information for the second cloud instance, and an instance field identifying the second cloud instance.
22. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the first alert, the second alert, the third alert and the fourth alert each comprise a phone message.