Companies applying utility computing concept MetiLinx and Digital Evolution are embarking on an effort to bring the benefits of utility computing to Web services.The companies are defining utility computing as the ability to manage and allocate network resources according to specific guidelines, according to a MetiLinx representative.The MetiLinx/Digital Evolution Adaptive Web Services management product provides for services-oriented architecture management and real-time management and provisioning of Web services, the companies said. The solution combines MetiLinx iSystem Enterprise 3.1 and Digital Evolution’s Management Server 2.1.5. Digital Evolution is providing the ability to secure and simplify Web services management while MetiLinx provides real-time intelligence and analysis and infrastructure management. The combined offering from the two companies enables service-level agreement compliance and management that dynamically adjusts to meet service thresholds. It also offers Web services capacity on demand and load balancing.Additionally, “consumptive” billing for use of network resources can be provided based on correlation of services-level data and underlying assets. The product integrates into HP OpenView, enabling OpenView users to utilize it through a familiar interface.A MetiLinx executive gave an example of the combined offering’s abilities. “If you’ve got Web services A and you need three instances of a Web service because of performance and high availability and there are two separate machines, we take Digital Evolution’s performance information and use our real-time correlation to determine how those three Web services A’s are performing as a single entity, said Larry Ketchersid, executive director of services and support at MetiLinx, which is based in San Mateo, Calif. “We can measure how well those are performing under an SLA.”The integration Adaptive Web Services Management product is to be available next week, with prices starting at $150,000. Software Development