Method for avoiding unnecessary provisioning/deprovisioning of resources in a utility services environment

• US 20060036735A1
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gasca, Miguel E. Jr., Tittizer, Abigail A., Pagan, Elfred
• Granted Patent: US 8,645,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5061 Partitioning or combining of resources

Abstract

Provided is a method for the deployment of resources in a utility services environment, in which various resources are allocated and deallocated according to a calculated need for those resources. Provides is a “weighted” period of time, or “window,” corresponding to requests for a particular resource. A configuration file stores information on each resource in the utility services environment and a weighted period of time value corresponding to each resource. A list of provisioning/deprovisioning, or “resource.” actions corresponding to each resource is maintained. Provisioning/deprovisioning actions are correlated with times of execution. When a request for a provisioning/deprovisioning action is received, the list of actions and the configuration file are examined to determine whether or not the requested action has been executed with respect to the particular action within the weighted period of time. If so, the request is discarded without any action taken. If not, the action is executed.

Claims

1. A method of resource allocation in a utility services environment, the method comprising:

calculating a window corresponding to a length of time necessary to complete a resource action;

storing time information related to a prior request to execute the resource action;

receiving a request to execute the resource action;

comparing a time the request is received with the time information to determine a time difference;

executing the request if the time difference is exceeds the window; and

, otherwise,

ignoring the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating is based upon historical time information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource action is a request to provision a resource.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource action is a request to deprovision a resource.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

purging the time information of data related to a request to execute a resource action based upon a relationship among the window, the current time and a time associated with the request to execute the resource action stored in the time information.

6. The method of claim 1, the calculating comprising:

computing a length of time necessary to complete the resource action; and

setting the window based upon the length of time necessary to complete the resource action.

7. The method of claim 1, the calculating further comprising:

computing a length of time necessary for the utility services environment to stabilize with respect to an execution of the resource action; and

setting the window based upon the length of time necessary for the utility services environment to stabilize with respect to the execution of the resource action.

8. A utility services environment system, comprising:

a computing system configured as a utility services environment;

a window data element corresponding to a length of time necessary to complete a resource action in the utility services environment;

time information related to a prior request to execute the resource action;

logic for receiving a request to execute the resource action;

logic executed on the computing system for comparing a time the request is received with the time information;

logic for executing the request if the difference between the time the request is received and a time corresponding to the prior request stored in the time information is outside the window; and

, otherwise,

logic for ignoring the request.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the window data element is based upon the time information.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the resource action is a provisioning of a resource.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the resource action is a deprovisioning of a resource.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

logic for purging the time information associated with a resource action based upon a relationship among the window, the current time and a time associated with the prior request stored in the time information.

13. The system of claim 8, the calculating logic comprising:

logic for retrieving a length of time necessary to complete the resource action and a length of time necessary for the utility services environment to stabilize with respect to the resource action; and

logic for setting the window based upon the length of time necessary complete the resource action and the length of time necessary for the utility services environment to stabilize with respect to the resource action.

14. A computer programming product, comprising:

a memory;

a window data element, stored on the memory, corresponding to a length of time necessary to complete a resource action in the utility services environment;

time information, stored on the memory, related to a prior request to execute the resource action;

logic, stored on the memory, for receiving a request to execute the resource action;

logic, stored on the memory, for comparing the time the request is received with the time information related to prior requests to execute the resource action;

logic, stored on the memory, for executing the request if the difference between the time the request is received and a time of the resource action stored in the time information is outside the window; and

, otherwise,

logic, stored on the memory, for ignoring the request.

15. The computer programming product of claim 14, wherein the window data element is based upon the time information.

16. The computer programming product of claim 14, wherein the resource action is a provisioning of a resource.

17. The computer programming product of claim 14, wherein the resource action is a deprovisioning of a resource.

18. The computer programming product of claim 14, further comprising:

logic, stored on the memory, for purging the time information associated with the execution of a resource action based upon a relationship among the window, the current time and a time associated with the prior request to execute the resource action stored in the time information.

19. The computer programming product of claim 14, further comprising:

logic, stored on the memory, for calculating a length of time necessary to complete the resource action; and

logic, stored on the memory, for setting the window data element based upon the length of time necessary to complete the resource action.

20. The computer programming product of claim 14, further comprising:

logic, stored on the memory, for calculating a length of time necessary for the utility services environment to stabilize with respect to an execution of the resource action; and

logic, stored on the memory, for setting the window data element based upon the length of time necessary for the utility services environment to stabilize with respect to an execution of the resource action.