Automatically configured management service payloads for cloud IT services delivery

1. A system for automatically configuring payloads in a service solution comprising:

a processor that is configured to execute computer-readable program code to download and implement one or more containers; and

one or more particular containers downloaded by the system that comprise computer-readable program code configured to provide at least one service as downloaded,

wherein the computer-readable program code of the one or more particular containers downloaded by the system also comprises:

one or more processes that are configured to provide the at least one service,

a container specification that specifies the payloads that are required to implement the at least one service, and

automation scripts for downloading and configuring those payloads; and

wherein the processor executes the computer-readable program code to implement the one or more particular containers by:

reading the container specification of each of the one or more particular containers,

invoking the automation scripts to download the payloads that are required to implement the at least one service,

invoking the automation scripts to connect the downloaded payloads to the one or more particular containers, and

configuring the connected and downloaded payloads to support the one or more particular containers in providing the at least one service.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer-readable program code to implement one or more particular containers by:

downloading the one or more particular containers from a solution provider system; and

downloading the payloads that are required to implement the at least one service provided by the one or more particular containers from the solution provider system.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein downloading the one or more particular containers from a solution provider system initiates an autonomic process in which the processor executes the computer-readable program code to implement the one or more particular containers by:

reading the container specification of each of the one or more particular containers,

invoking the automation scripts to download the payloads that are required to implement the at least one service, and

invoking the automation scripts to link the downloaded payloads to the one or more particular containers.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

as downloaded, each of the one or more particular containers comprises two or more processes that are configured to provide the at least one service; and

the processor is further configured to execute computer-readable program code to implement one or more particular containers by:

downloading the one or more particular containers;

writing one or more unique descriptors to the container specification of each of the one or more particular containers that identify each of the one or more particular containers in context of the service solution supported by the at least one service provided by that container;

placing a first process from among the two or more processes in an active state in which it provides the at least one service; and

placing a second process from among the two or more processes in a passive state in which it does not provide the at least one service.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer-readable program code to implement one or more particular containers by:

linking the downloaded payloads with the one or more particular containers;

instantiating the payloads in the context of the at least one service; and

testing the links between the downloaded payloads and the one or more particular containers.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

execute computer-readable program code to implement one or more particular containers by setting entitlements for each of the one or more particular containers that enable a user of the apparatus to modify at least one of the one or more particular containers; and

set a bit in the container specification of the at least one particular container from a default setting to a setting that indicates that a modification to that container compromised the supportability of that container within the service solution.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

each of the payloads comprises at least one of an application program interface, an application, a virtual appliance hosting an application, a cloud IT service, and an other automation script;

the processor is configured to execute computer-readable program code to implement a plurality of containers by:

downloading to a service provider system a plurality of containers from a software solution system;

reading the container specification of each of the plurality of containers;

invoking the automation scripts to download from the software solution system the payloads that are required to implement the at least one service provided by the plurality of containers;

placing the downloaded payloads in a pool of payloads at the service provider system that is shared by the plurality of containers; and

invoking the automation scripts to link the plurality of containers to the payloads in the pool of payloads.

8. A method for automatically configuring payloads in a service solution comprising executing computer-readable program code with a processor to download and implement one or more containers that comprise computer-readable program code configured to provide at least one service, wherein downloading and implementing the one or more containers comprises:

downloading each of the one or more containers, the downloaded computer-readable program code of each of the one or more containers comprising one or more processes configured to provide the at least one service, a container specification that specifies the payloads that are required to implement the at least one service, and automation scripts for downloading and configuring those payloads;

reading the container specification of each of the one or more containers;

invoking the automation scripts to download the payloads that are required to implement the at least one service;

invoking the automation scripts to connect the downloaded payloads to the one or more containers; and

configuring the connected and downloaded payloads to support the one or more containers in providing the at least one service.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the processor executes the computer-readable program code to implement the one or more containers by:

downloading the one or more containers from a solution provider system; and

downloading the payloads that are required to implement the at least one service provided by the one or more containers from the solution provider system.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein downloading the one or more containers from a solution provider system initiates an autonomic process in which the processor executes the computer-readable program code to implement one or more containers by:

reading the container specification of each of the one or more containers,

invoking the automation scripts to download the payloads that are required to implement the at least one service, and

invoking the automation scripts to link the downloaded payloads to the one or more containers.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

as downloaded, each of the one or more containers comprises two or more processes that are configured to provide the at least one service; and

the processor executes the computer-readable program code to implement one or more containers by:

downloading the one or more containers;

writing one or more unique descriptors to the container specification of each of the one or more containers that identify each of the one or more containers in context of the service solution supported by the at least one service provided by that container;

placing a first process from among the two or more processes in an active state in which it provides the at least one service; and

placing a second process from among the two or more processes in a passive state in which it does not provide the at least one service.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the processor executes the computer-readable program code to implement one or more containers by:

linking the downloaded payloads with the one or more containers;

instantiating the payloads in the context of the at least one service; and

testing the links between the downloaded payloads and the one or more containers.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the processor executes the computer-readable program code to:

implement one or more containers by setting entitlements for each of the one or more containers that enable a user of the apparatus to modify at least one of the one or more containers; and

set a bit in the container specification of the at least one container from a default setting to a setting that indicates that a modification to that container compromised the supportability of that container within the service solution.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

each of the payloads comprises at least one of an application program interface, an application, a virtual appliance hosting an application, a cloud IT service, and an other automation script;

the processor executes the computer-readable program code to implement a plurality of containers by:

downloading to a service provider system a plurality of containers from a software solution system;

reading the container specification of each of the plurality of containers;

invoking the automation scripts to download from the software solution system the payloads that are required to implement the at least one service provided the plurality of containers;

placing the downloaded payloads in a pool of payloads at the service provider system that is shared by the plurality of containers; and

invoking the automation scripts to link the plurality of containers to the payloads in the pool of payloads.

15. A computer program product for automatically configuring payloads in a service solution comprising non-transitory computer-readable program code that is configured to provide at least one service, wherein the computer-readable program code:

one or more downloaded containers, the downloaded computer-readable program code of the one or more containers comprising:

one or more downloaded containers, the downloaded computer-readable program code of each of the one or more containers comprising one or more processes configured to provide the at least one service, a container specification that specifies the payloads that are required to implement the at least one service, and automation scripts for downloading and configuring those payloads; and

computer-readable program code configured to implement the one or more downloaded containers by:

reading the container specification of each of the one or more downloaded containers,

invoking the automation scripts to download the payloads that are required to implement the at least one service,

invoking the automation scripts to connect the downloaded payloads to the one or more downloaded containers; and

configuring the connected and downloaded payloads to support the plurality of containers in providing the at least one service.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the computer-readable program code is configured to implement the one or more downloaded containers by:

downloading the one or more containers from a solution provider system; and

downloading the payloads that are required to implement the at least one service provided by the one or more downloaded containers from the solution provider system.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein downloading the one or more downloaded containers from a solution provider system initiates an autonomic process in which the processor executes the computer-readable program code to implement one or more downloaded containers by:

reading the container specification of each of the one or more downloaded containers,

invoking the automation scripts to download the payloads that are required to implement the at least one service, and

invoking the automation scripts to link the downloaded payloads to the one or more downloaded containers.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein:

as downloaded, each of the one or more downloaded containers comprises two or more processes that are configured to provide the at least one service; and

the computer-readable program code is configured to implement the one or more downloaded containers by:

downloading the one or more downloaded containers;

writing one or more unique descriptors to the container specification of each of the one or more downloaded containers that identify each of the one or more downloaded containers in context of the service solution supported by the at least one service provided by that container;

placing a first process from among the two or more processes in an active state in which it provides the at least one service; and

placing a second process from among the two or more processes in a passive state in which it does not provide the at least one service.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the computer-readable program code is configured to implement the one or more downloaded containers by:

linking the downloaded payloads with the one or more downloaded containers;

instantiating the payloads in the context of the at least one service; and

testing the links between the downloaded payloads and the one or more downloaded containers.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the computer-readable program code is configured to:

implement the one or more downloaded containers by setting entitlements for each of the one or more downloaded containers that enable a user of the apparatus to modify at least one of the one or more downloaded containers; and

set a bit in the container specification of the at least one downloaded container from a default setting to a setting that indicates that a modification to that container compromised the supportability of that container within the service solution.

21. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein

each of the payloads comprises at least one of an application program interface, an application, a virtual appliance hosting an application, a cloud IT service, and an other automation script;

the computer-readable program code is configured to implement a plurality of containers by:

downloading to a service provider system a plurality of containers from a software solution system;

reading the container specification of each of the plurality of containers;

invoking the automation scripts to download from the software solution system the payloads that are required to implement the at least one service provided the plurality of containers;

placing the downloaded payloads in a pool of payloads at the service provider system that is shared by the plurality of containers; and

invoking the automation scripts to link the plurality of containers to the payloads in the pool of payloads.