Method and apparatus for providing dynamic workload transition during workload simulation on e-business application server

• US 20030028583A1
• Filed: 07/31/2001
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hand, Leonard S., Reed, Philip E., Flores, Romelia
• Application Number:
  US09/919,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20030028583A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/508 Monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5083 Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for providing dynamic workload transition. A servlet can be configured as a core (main) workload driver that dynamically monitors certain system parameters to determine the current state of the system. A servlet is a Java program that can extend the functionality of a Web server, generating dynamic content and interacting with web clients using a request-response paradigm. Here, the web clients can include external applications each of which can issue hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) requests for workload processing. Based on the monitored system parameters, the servlet can dynamically determine whether a particular workload should be processed or whether a lighter workload should be processed in order to prevent further system overload. Upon determining that the current workload being processed is causing an overload condition, the servlet can reallocate system resources, for example by diminishing processing of the current workload and transition to a lighter workload that will lighten the load on the system. This transition to a lightened load will not add additional load to the overload condition, thereby causing the system performance to return to optimal operation.

Claims

1. A method for providing dynamic workload transition in an application server for an e-business system, comprising:

detecting an overload condition in the e-business system;

reducing system resources allocated to a first set of workload tasks in the e-business system;

allocating at least part of said reduced system resources to a second set of lighter workload tasks in the e-business system; and

if adequate resources in the e-business system become available and if said first set of workload tasks require processing, allocating said adequate resources to said first set of workload tasks.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said detecting step further comprises

monitoring system parameters in the e-business system;

and

analyzing said monitored system parameters to determine when said overload condition occurs in the e-business system.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said monitored system parameters comprises CPU utilization, disk I/O and memory utilization.

4. A method for providing dynamic workload transition in an application server for an e-business system, comprising:

receiving a first work request;

determining the workload of said first work request;

comparing said determined workload of said first work request to available system resources to determine if the performance of said first work request is capable of causing a system overload condition; and

if said workload of said first work request is capable of causing a system overload condition, transitioning to a second lighter work request, said second lighter work request having a lighter workload requiring less system resources, thereby preventing said system overload condition.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising analyzing system parameters to determine whether said first workload causes said system overload condition.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said system parameters comprises CPU utilization, disk I/O and memory utilization.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising, reporting said system parameters to a workload driver.

8. A method for providing dynamic workload transition in an application server for an e-business system, comprising:

processing a workload assigned to a workload driver;

monitoring system resources to detect an overload condition while processing said workload;

allocating processing resources to a lighter workload when said workload driver detects a system overload condition caused by said processed workload during said monitoring step; and

if said processed workload still require processing, transitioning to said processed workload from said lighter workload upon availability of adequate processing resources.

9. A system for providing dynamic workload transition in an e-business system, comprising:

an application server for receiving work requests and for processing workloads identified by said work requests;

a workload driver for handling workload management of said application server, said handling comprising diminishing processing of a currently processed workload which causes an overload condition, and initiating the processing of a lighter workload, said lighter workload having a lighter load than said diminished workload; and

a status driver for reporting system data to said workload driver, said system data providing information regarding the existence of said overload condition.

10. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

detecting an overload condition in an e-business system, said detecting step for providing dynamic workload transition in an application server for the e-business system;

reducing system resources allocated to a first set of workload tasks in the e-business system;

allocating at least part of said reduced e-business system resources to a second set of lighter workload tasks in the system; and

if adequate resources in the e-business system become available and if said first set of workload tasks still require processing, allocating said adequate resources to said first set of workload tasks.

11. The machine readable storage according to claim 10, wherein said detecting step further comprises:

monitoring system parameters within the e-business system; and

analyzing said monitored system parameters to determine when said overload condition occurs in the e-business system.

12. The machine readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said monitored system parameters comprises CPU utilization, disk I/O and memory utilization.

13. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving a first work request, said receiving step for providing dynamic workload transition in an application server for an e-business system;

determining a workload of said first work request;

comparing said determined workload of said first work request to available system resources to determine if the performance of said first work request is capable of causing a system overload condition; and

if said workload of said first work request is capable of causing a system overload condition, transitioning to a second lighter work request, said second lighter work request having a lighter workload requiring less system resources, thereby preventing said system overload condition.

14. The machine readable storage according to claim 13, further comprising analyzing system parameters to determine whether said first workload causes said system overload condition.

15. The machine readable storage according to claim 14, wherein said system parameters comprises CPU utilization, disk I/O and memory utilization.

16. The machine readable storage according to claim 14, further comprising, reporting said system parameters to a workload driver.

17. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

processing a workload assigned to a workload driver, said processing for providing a dynamic workload transition in an e-business system;

monitoring system resources to detect an overload condition while processing said workload;

allocating processing resources to a lighter workload when said workload driver detects a system overload condition caused by said processed workload during said monitoring step; and

if said processed workload still require processing, transitioning to said processed workload from said lighter workload upon availability of adequate processing resources.