IBM's tree of autonomic computing tools is bearing new fruit. A beta of Big Blue's WebSphere Extended Deployment software is designed to monitor and self-manage the performance of software and hardware in response to extreme variances in network conditions. As a result, IBM claims that IT resources can be adjusted on the fly and reallocated to critical business applications with greater speed and accuracy than with human intervention.

Spikes in network volume can be hard to predict and it is often difficult for network administrators to keep pace. WebSphere Extended Deployment, in combination with IBM Tivoli Intelligent Orchestrator (available separately) monitors the efficiency of networks and distributes unexpected workloads in a grid-like fashion to under-utilized hardware and software applications. Specifically, large jobs are partitioned among processors, databases, application software and application servers.

IBM obtained Orchestrator when it purchased Think Dynamics in May 2003. Orchestrator is the component of the WebSphere Extended Deployment solution that increases computing resources for high demand jobs, and then reduces computing power when demand dies down.

The software does not signal the end of the network administrator. Administrators have the option to manually confirm suggested operations using their own judgment and expertise to decide what option is best. In addition, IBM has designed WebSphere Extended Deployment to be used in combination with or managed in much the same way as an application server.

IBM claims that due to this facet of the software's design customers will be able to re-use their existing skill set while simultaneously accelerating deployment within their organization.

IBM sees the full spectrum of autonomic systems as self-configuring, healing, optimizing and protecting. According to IBM, more than 415 features in 50 IBM products have such computing capabilities.

WebSphere Extended Deployment is currently in beta and will be available to customers later this year.