Program, method, and apparatus for managing applications

A method of managing applications in a system where a plurality of applications installed on different server computers work together to provide services, the method comprising:

• with a target platform determining means responsive to a request for establishing an environment for a service, identifying server computers belonging to server groups corresponding to a plurality of functions necessary to provide the requested service, by consulting group management data that defines a plurality of server groups classified by functions thereof, and thus choosing the identified server computers as target platforms on which necessary applications will be deployed to implement the functions;
• and
• with an application deploying means, successively selecting deployment data of each application required to implement the functions for the requested service, sending the selected deployment data to the server computers chosen as target platforms of each application, and setting up an operation environment for each application.

An apparatus for managing applications in a system where a plurality of applications installed on different server computers work together to provide services, the apparatus comprising:

• target platform determining means, responsive to a request for establishing an environment for a service, for identifying server computers belonging to server groups corresponding to a plurality of functions necessary to provide the requested service, by consulting group management data that defines a plurality of server groups classified by functions thereof, and thus choosing the identified server computers as target platforms on which necessary applications will be deployed to implement the functions;
• and
• application deploying means for successively selecting deployment data of each application required to implement the functions for the requested service, sending the selected deployment data to the server computers chosen as target platforms of each application, and setting up an operation environment for each application.