Autonomic Computing (CHOP)

What is autonomic computing anyway?

Autonomic computing is a phrase IBM uses to describe the set of concepts, technologies, and tools that enable applications, systems, and entire networks to become more self-managing. Self-management involves four qualities which are often referred to as Self-CHOP characteristics -- self-configure, self-heal, self-optimize, and self-protect. (Brent Miller explains CHOP in The autonomic computing edge: Can you CHOP up autonomic computing?.) The word autonomic is borrowed from physiology; as a human body knows when it needs to breathe, software is being developed to enable a computer system to know when it needs to repair itself, configure itself, and so on.

http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/autonomic/newto/