Creating, provisioning and managing virtual data centers

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having tangibly embodied thereon and accessible therefrom instructions interpretable by at least one data processing device, the instructions are configured for causing the at least one data processing device to perform a method comprising:

creating a plurality of resource groups defined by respective resource group specification information; and

dependent upon display criteria, causing selective display of a cloud resource architectural layout for a virtual data center (VDC) containing one or more of the resource groups, wherein the cloud resource architectural layout includes a visual depiction of each one of the resource groups contained thereby;

wherein the cloud resource architectural layout of the VDC includes a plurality of first level resource group categories and a plurality second level resource group categories;

wherein the cloud resource architectural layout includes a discrete instance of each one of the second level resource group categories being shown in association with each one of the first level resource group categories;

wherein each one of the resource groups is associated with a first resource parameter corresponding to a respective one of the first level resource group categories and with a second resource parameter corresponding to a respective one of the second level resource group categories;

wherein the visual depiction of each one of the resource groups includes each one of the resource groups being shown in association with the respective one of the first level resource group categories associated therewith;

wherein the visual depiction of each one of the resource groups includes a unique resource group identifier with respect to each other one of the resource groups;

wherein the visual depiction of each one of the resource groups indicates a number of provisioned instances of the resource group, a number of the provisioned instances of the resource group that are active, and a number of the provisioned instances of the resource group that are inactive; and

wherein when the current one of statuses of the VDC indicates the VDC is in a planning state, the visual depiction of each one of the resource groups indicates a number of instances of the resource group to be provisioned.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein creating each one of the resource groups includes instantiating functionality of each one of the resource groups using functionality of one or more cloud resources of a cloud resource provider specified in the resource group specification information associated therewith.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to selection of the visual depiction of a particular one of the resource groups displayed during such selective display of the cloud resource architectural layout, causing at least a portion of the respective resource group specification information thereof to displayed;

wherein the at least a portion of the respective resource group specification information thereof uniquely characterizes a location of the VDC providing the one or more cloud resources and uniquely characterizes the cloud resource provider.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 3 , wherein creating each one of the resource groups includes instantiating functionality of each one of the resource groups using functionality of one or more cloud resources of a cloud resource provider specified in the resource group specification information associated therewith.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 4 , further comprising:

in response to selection of the visual depiction of a particular one of the resource groups displayed during such selective display of the cloud resource architectural layout, causing at least a portion of the respective resource group specification information thereof to displayed;

wherein the at least a portion of the respective resource group specification information thereof uniquely characterizes a location of the VDC providing the one or more cloud resources and uniquely characterizes the cloud resource provider.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to selection of the visual depiction of a particular one of the resource groups displayed during such selective display of the cloud resource architectural layout, causing at least a portion of the respective resource group specification information thereof to be displayed.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , further comprising:

in combination with display of the cloud resource architectural layout, causing display of a plurality of resource view selections that each correspond to a respective one of the resource group specification parameters of a first subset of the resource group specification parameters that define a configuration of the cloud resource architectural layout and configuring the cloud resource architectural layout in accordance with a respective multi-level filter arrangement corresponding to a selected one of the resource view selections displayed in combination with the cloud resource architectural layout.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein creating each one of the resource groups includes instantiating functionality of each one of the resource groups using functionality of one or more cloud resources of a cloud resource provider specified in the resource group specification information associated therewith.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , further comprising

in response to selection of the visual depiction of a particular one of the cloud resource groups displayed during such selective display of the architectural layout, causing at least a portion of the respective resource group specification information thereof to displayed;

wherein the at least a portion of the respective resource group specification information thereof uniquely characterizes a location of the VDC providing the one or more cloud resources and uniquely characterizes the cloud resource provider.

10. A cloud services brokerage platform system, comprising:

at least one data processing device; and

a memory coupled to the at least one data processing device thereby allowing communication of information therebetween, wherein the memory has accessible therefrom instructions executable by the at least one data processing device instructions configured for causing the at least one data processing device to create an instantiation of a virtual data center (VDC) including a plurality of resource groups that each include one or more VDC resources having functionality thereof instantiated using functionality of one or more cloud resources of a selected one of a plurality of available cloud resource providers and to create an instantiation an architecture management interface for outputting information causing a visual depiction of each one of the resource groups to be displayed within an architectural layout that indicates a current one of a plurality of statuses of the VDC;

wherein the architectural layout includes a plurality of first level resource group categories and a plurality second level resource group categories;

wherein the architectural layout includes a discrete instance of each one of the second level resource group categories being shown in association with each one of the first level resource group categories;

wherein each one of the resource groups is associated with a first resource parameter corresponding to a respective one of the first level resource group categories and with a second resource parameter corresponding to a respective one of the second level resource group categories;

wherein the visual depiction of each one of the resource groups includes each one of the resource groups being shown in association with the respective one of the first level resource group categories associated therewith;

wherein the visual depiction of each one of the resource groups includes a unique resource group identifier with respect to each other one of the resource groups;

wherein when the current one of statuses of the VDC indicates the VDC is in an active state, the visual depiction of each one of the resource groups indicates a total number of provisioned instances of the resource group, a number of the provisioned instances of the resource group that are active, and a number of the provisioned instances of the resource group that are inactive; and

wherein when the current one of statuses of the VDC indicates the VDC is in a planning state, the visual depiction of each one of the resource groups indicates a total number of instances of the resource group to be provisioned.

11. The cloud services brokerage platform system of claim 10 , wherein:

wherein each one of the VDC resources is defined by respective resource group specification information characterizing a set of resource group specification parameters that is common to all of the resource groups;

in combination with display of the architectural layout, the architecture management interface outputs information causing display of a plurality of resource view selections that each correspond to a respective one of the resource group specification parameters; and

the architecture management interface configures the architectural layout in accordance with a respective multi-level filter arrangement corresponding to a selected one of the resource view selections displayed in combination with the architectural layout.

12. The cloud services brokerage platform system of claim 11 , further comprising:

in response to selection of the visual depiction of a particular one of the resource groups, causing at least a portion of the respective resource group specification information thereof to displayed;

wherein the at least a portion of the respective resource group specification information thereof uniquely characterizes a location of the VDC providing the one or more cloud resources and uniquely characterizes the selected one of the available cloud resource providers.

13. The cloud services brokerage platform system of claim 11 , further comprising:

enabling a cloud service consumer to select the selected one of the available cloud resource providers from a list thereof; and

receiving designation of the selected one of the available cloud resource providers from the cloud service consumer after selection thereof.

14. The cloud services brokerage platform system of claim 11 , further comprising:

in response to selection of the visual depiction of a particular one of the resource groups, causing at least a portion of the respective resource group specification information thereof to displayed;

wherein the at least a portion of the respective resource group specification information thereof uniquely characterizes a location of the VDC providing the one or more cloud resources and uniquely characterizes the selected one of the available cloud resource providers.

15. A data computing system, comprising:

a memory;

at least one data processing device coupled to the memory thereby allowing communication of information therebetween, wherein the at least one data processing device executes a set of instructions accessed from the memory by the at least one data processing device, wherein the set of instructions define a method comprising:

creating an instantiation of a virtual data center (VDC) including a plurality of resource groups that each include one or more VDC resources having functionality thereof instantiated using functionality of one or more data computing system resources of a selected one of a plurality of available data computing system resource providers; and

creating an instantiation an architecture management interface for outputting information causing a visual depiction of each one of the resource groups to be displayed within an architectural layout that indicates a current one of a plurality of statuses of the VDC;

wherein the architectural layout includes a plurality of first level resource group categories and a plurality second level resource group categories;

wherein the architectural layout includes a discrete instance of each one of the second level resource group categories being shown in association with each one of the first level resource group categories;

wherein each one of the resource groups is associated with a first resource parameter corresponding to a respective one of the first level resource group categories and with a second resource parameter corresponding to a respective one of the second level resource group categories;

wherein when the current one of statuses of the VDC indicates the VDC is in an active state, the visual depiction of each one of the resource groups indicates a total number of provisioned instances of the resource group, a number of the provisioned instances of the resource group that are active, and a number of the provisioned instances of the resource group that are inactive; and

wherein when the current one of statuses of the VDC indicates the VDC is in a planning state, the visual depiction of each one of the resource groups indicates a total number of instances of the resource group to be provisioned.

16. The data computing system of claim 15 , wherein:

wherein each one of the VDC resources is defined by respective resource group specification information characterizing a set of resource group specification parameters that is common to all of the resource groups; and

in combination with display of the architectural layout, the architecture management interface outputs information causing display of a plurality of resource view selections that each correspond to a respective one of the resource group specification parameters.

17. The data computing system of claim 16 , further comprising:

in response to selection of the visual depiction of a particular one of the resource groups, causing at least a portion of the respective resource group specification information thereof to displayed;

wherein the at least a portion of the respective resource group specification information thereof uniquely characterizes a location of the VDC providing the one or more data computing system resources and uniquely characterizes the selected one of the available data computing system resource providers.

18. The data computing system of claim 15 , further comprising:

enabling a data computing system service consumer to select the selected one of the available data computing system resource providers from a list thereof; and

receiving designation of the selected one of the available data computing system resource providers from the data computing system service consumer after selection thereof.

19. The data computing system of claim 15 , further comprising:

in response to selection of the visual depiction of a particular one of the resource groups, causing at least a portion of respective resource group specification information thereof to displayed;

wherein each one of the VDC resources is defined by the respective resource group specification information characterizing a set of resource group specification parameters that is common to all of the resource groups; and

wherein the at least a portion of the respective resource group specification information thereof uniquely characterizes a location of the VDC providing the one or more data computing system resources and uniquely characterizes the selected one of the available data computing system resource providers.

20. The data computing system of claim 15 , wherein:

wherein the visual depiction of each one of the resource groups includes each one of the resource groups being shown in association with the respective one of the first level resource group categories associated therewith; and

wherein the visual depiction of each one of the resource groups includes a unique resource group identifier with respect to each other one of the resource groups.