Negotiating agreements within a cloud computing environment

A system for providing automated contract negotiations within a Cloud computing environment, comprising:

• a memory medium comprising instructions;
• a bus coupled to the memory medium;
• and
• a processor coupled to the bus that when executing the instructions causes the system to:
• establish a master agreement between a first Cloud partner and a second Cloud partner before a shortfall exists, the master agreement specifying at least a minimum service requirement and a maximum price payable at which available resources will be provided;
• wherein each of the first Cloud partner and the second Cloud partner comprises:
• a processor, and
• a system memory in communication with the processor;
• wherein the first Cloud partner is associated with:
• a scheduler the performs a process comprising:
• assess a resource requirement for performing a task, issued by a client, for the respective Cloud partner,
• determine whether the shortfall exists between available resources of the first Cloud partner and the resource requirement, and
• access a master agreement database to identify the master agreement with the second Cloud partner to address the shortfall;
• a contract agent the performs a process compring:
• generate, with a contract agent associated with the second Cloud partner, a digitally signed contract between the first Cloud partner and the second Cloud partner;
• and[H]
• the master agreement database comprising master agreements;
• establish a service level agreement between the first Cloud partner and the client;
• assess the resource requirement for performing the task, issued by the client, for the first Cloud partner within the Cloud computing environment;
• determine whether the shortfall exists between available resources of the first Cloud partner and the resource requirement;
• search, based on the resource requirement and an identity of the first Cloud provider, the master agreement for a Cloud partner to provide resources to address the shortfall;
• identify, from the master agreement, the second Cloud partner to address the shortfall;
• submit the task via transmissions that are transparent to the client, to the second Cloud partner;
• and
• revert to the first Cloud partner in response to the shortfall no longer existing.

A non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program product for providing automated contract negotiations within a Cloud computing environment, the computer readable medium comprising program code for causing a computer to:

• establish a master agreement between a first Cloud partner and a second Cloud partner before a shortfall exists, the master agreement specifying at least a minimum service requirement and a maximum price payable at which available resources will be provided;
• wherein each of the first Cloud partner and the second Cloud partner comprises:
• a processor, and
• a system memory in communication with the processor;
• wherein the first Cloud partner is associated with:
• a scheduler the performs a process comprising:
• assess a resource requirement for performing a task, issued by a client, for the respective Cloud partner,
• determine whether the shortfall exists between available resources of the first Cloud partner and the resource requirement, and
• access a master agreement database to identify the master agreement with the second Cloud partner to address the shortfall;
• a contract agent that performs a process comprising:
• generate, with a contract agent associated with the second Cloud partner, a digitally signed contract between the first Cloud partner and the second Cloud partner;
• and
• the master agreement database comprising master agreements;
• establish a service level agreement between the first Cloud partner and the client;
• assess the resource requirement for performing the task for the first Cloud partner within the Cloud computing environment;
• determine whether the shortfall exists between available resources of the first Cloud partner and the resource requirement;
• search, based on the resource requirement and an identity of the first Cloud provider, a master agreement for Cloud partner to provide resources to address the shortfall;
• identify, from the master agreement, the second Cloud partner to address the shortfall;
• submit the task via transmissions that are transparent to the client, to the second Cloud partner;
• and revert to the first Cloud partner in response to the shortfall no longer existing.

A method for providing automated contract negotiations within a Cloud computing environment, comprising:

• providing a computer infrastructure being operable to:
• establish a master agreement between a first Cloud partner and a second Cloud partner before a shortfall exists, the master agreement specifying at least a minimum service requirement and a maximum price payable at which available resources will be provided;
• wherein each of the first Cloud partner and the second Cloud partner comprises:
• a processor, and
• a system memory in communication with the processor;
• wherein the first Cloud partner is associated with:
• a scheduler that performs a process comprising:
• assess a resource requirement for performing a task, issued by a client, for the first Cloud partner,
• determine whether the shortfall exists between available resources of the first Cloud partner and the resource requirement, and
• access a master agreement database to identify the master agreement with the second Cloud partner to address the shortfall;
• a contract agent that performs a process comprising:
• generate, with a contract agent associated with the second Cloud partner, a digitally signed contract between the first Cloud partner and the second Cloud partner;
• and
• the master agreement database comprising master agreements;
• establish a service level agreement between the first Cloud partner and the client;
• assess the resource requirement for performing the task, issued by the client, for the first Cloud partner within the Cloud computing environment;
• determine whether the shortfall exists between available resources of the first Cloud partner and the resource requirement;
• search, based on the resource requirement and an identity of the first Cloud provider, the master agreement for the a Cloud partner to provide resources to address the shortfall;
• identify, from the master agreement, the second Cloud partner to address the shortfall;
• submit the task via transmissions that are transparent to the client, to the second Cloud partner;
• and
• revert to the first Cloud partner in response to the shortfall no longer existing.