Server management systems

A method of managing one or more services during the provision of an application to a user, the method comprising:

• defining one or more service categories;
• assigning a plurality of partner servers to one or more of the service categories, wherein each partner server provides a particular service;
• for each assigned partner server, defining communication parameters that enable communication with the partner server over a network to provide the particular service;
• selecting a partner server for each service category to provide a specified application to a user;
• using one or more selected partner servers and the appropriate communication parameters to access one or more respective services as part of the provision of the specified application;
• before implementation of the specified application, receiving a selection of a partner server for each service category from the plurality of partner servers and processing the selection to generate configuration data;
• configuring one or more of the plurality of partner servers, based on the configuration data, to supply one or more respective services within the one or more service categories, each partner server in a service category being chosen from the partner servers assigned to the service category;
• and
• during the provision of the application to the user, using the configuration data to access the one or more respective services provided by the selected partner server.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having sets of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

• define one or more service categories;
• assign a plurality of partner servers to the one or more of the service categories, wherein each partner server provides a particular service;
• for each assigned partner server, define communication parameters that enable communication with the partner server over a network to provide the particular service;
• select a partner server for each service category to provide a specified application to a user;
• use one or more selected partner servers and the appropriate communication parameters to access one or more respective services as part of the provision of the specified application;
• before implementation of the specified application, receiving a selection of a partner server for each service category from the plurality of partner servers and processing the selection to generate configuration data;
• configuring one or more of the plurality of partner servers, based on the configuration data, to supply one or more respective services within the one or more service categories, each partner server in a service category being chosen from the partner servers assigned to the service category;
• and
• during the provision of the application to the user, using the configuration data to access the one or more respective services provided by the selected partner server.