System, method and program to automatically adjust allocation of computer resources

• US 20060136761A1
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Resino, Robert George, Frasier, Lawrence Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,721,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5022 Workload threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load

Abstract

System and computer program product for automatically adjusting allocation of processing power in a server. The server includes means for monitoring utilization of the processing power in the server and reporting the utilization of the processing power to the system, or means for monitoring availability of the processing power in the server and reporting the availability of the processing power to the system. The system comprises means or program instructions, responsive to a report that the processor utilization is above a first predetermined upper threshold or the processor availability is below a first predetermined lower threshold, for determining if the server can accommodate allocation of additional processing power, and if so, generating a request to allocate additional processing power to the server. The system also comprises other means or program instructions, responsive to a report that the processor utilization is below a second predetermined lower threshold or the processor availability is above a second predetermined upper threshold, for determining if the server can accommodate a de allocation of processing power, and if so, generating a request to de allocate some of the currently allocated processing power from the server. The system and program product also automatically adjust allocation of memory in the server.

Claims

1. A system for automatically adjusting allocation of processing power in a server, said server including means for monitoring utilization of said processing power in said server and reporting said utilization of said processing power to said system, or means for monitoring availability of said processing power in said server and reporting said availability of said processing power to said system, said system comprising:

means, responsive to a report that said processor utilization is above a first predetermined upper threshold or said processor availability is below a first predetermined lower threshold, for determining if said server can accommodate allocation of additional processing power, and if so, generating a request to allocate additional processing power to said server; and

means, responsive to a report that said processor utilization is below a second predetermined lower threshold or said processor availability is above a second predetermined upper threshold, for determining if said server can accommodate a de allocation of processing power, and if so, generating a request to de allocate some of the currently allocated processing power from said server.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

means for determining if said server includes a program to automatically allocate additional processing power to said server or de allocate some of the currently allocated processing power from said server, and if so, sending the generated request to said program, and if not, sending said generated request to a local management console or remote management system for said server.

3. A system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising means, responsive to a determination that said server cannot accommodate allocation of additional processing power, for notifying an administrator to identify another server to execute one or more applications currently executing on the first said server.

4. A system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising means, responsive to a determination that said server cannot accommodate a de allocation of processing power, for notifying a remote management system or an administrator that said server has excess processing power.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said additional processing power is an additional, real processor.

6. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said some of the currently allocated processing power is a real processor.

7. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said report is that said processor utilization is above the first predetermined upper threshold or said processor availability is below the first predetermined lower threshold, said server can accommodate allocation of two or more additional processors, and said request is to allocate one additional processor to said server;

and there is a subsequent report that said processor utilization is above the first predetermined upper threshold or said processor availability is below the first predetermined lower threshold, said server can accommodate allocation of one or more additional processors, and said means for generating an allocation request generates another request to allocate one additional processor to said server.

8. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said report is that said processor utilization is below the second predetermined lower threshold or said processor availability is above the second predetermined upper threshold, said server can accommodate de allocation of two or more processors, and said request is to de allocate one processor from said server;

and there is a subsequent report that said processor utilization is below the second predetermined lower threshold or said processor availability is above the second predetermined upper threshold, said server can accommodate de allocation of one or more processors, and said means for generating a de allocation request generates another request to de allocate one processor from said server.

12. A system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

means for determining if said server includes a program to automatically allocate additional memory to said server or de allocate some of the currently allocated memory from said server, and if so, sending said request to said program, and if not, sending said request to a local management console or remote management system for said server.

9. A computer program product for automatically adjusting allocation of processing power in a server, said server including means for monitoring utilization of said processing power in said server and reporting said utilization of said processing power to said program product, or means for monitoring availability of said processing power in said server and reporting said availability of said processing power to said program product, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instructions, responsive to a report that said processor utilization is above a first predetermined upper threshold or said processor availability is below a first predetermined lower threshold, to determine if said server can accommodate allocation of additional processing power, and if so, generate a request to allocate additional processing power to said server; and

second program instructions, responsive to a report that said processor utilization is below a second predetermined lower threshold or said processor availability is above a second predetermined upper threshold, to determine if said server can accommodate a de allocation of processing power, and if so, generate a request to de allocate some of the currently allocated processing power from said server; and

wherein

said first and second program instructions are recorded on said medium.

10. A system for automatically adjusting allocation of memory in a server, said server including means for monitoring utilization of said memory in said server and reporting said utilization of said memory to said system, or means for monitoring availability of said memory in said server and reporting said availability of said memory to said system, said system comprising:

means, responsive to a report that said memory availability is below a first predetermined lower threshold or said memory utilization is above a first predetermined upper threshold, for determining if said server can accommodate allocation of additional memory;

means, responsive to a determination that said server can accommodate allocation of additional memory, for generating a request to allocate additional memory to said server; and

means, responsive to a determination that said server cannot accommodate allocation of additional memory, for notifying an administrator or another system to identify another server to execute one or more applications currently executing on said server.

11. A system as set forth in claim 10 further comprising means, responsive to said report, for determining if page swapping from said memory is above another predetermined threshold, and if so, notifying said request generating means to generate said request to allocate said additional memory to said server, and if not, notifying said request generating means not to generate said request to allocate said additional memory to said server.

13. A computer program product for automatically adjusting allocation of memory in a server, said server including means for monitoring utilization of said memory in said server and reporting said utilization of said memory to said program product, or means for monitoring availability of said memory in said server and reporting said availability of said memory to said program product, said program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instructions, responsive to a report that said memory availability is below a first predetermined lower threshold or said memory utilization is above a first predetermined upper threshold, to determine if said server can accommodate allocation of additional memory;

second program instructions, responsive to a determination that said server can accommodate allocation of additional memory, to generate a request to allocate additional memory to said server; and

third program instructions, responsive to a determination that said server cannot accommodate allocation of additional memory, to notify an administrator or another system to identify another server to execute one or more applications currently executing on said server; and

wherein

said first, second and third program instructions are recorded on said medium.

14. A computer program product as set forth in claim 13 further comprising fourth program instructions, responsive to said report, to determine if page swapping from said memory is above another predetermined threshold, and if so, to notify said second program instructions to generate said request to allocate said additional memory to said server, and if not, notify said second program instructions not to generate said request to allocate said additional memory to said server.

15. A method for automatically adjusting allocation of memory in a server, said server including means for monitoring utilization of said memory in said server and reporting said utilization of said memory to said system, or means for monitoring availability of said memory in said server and reporting said availability of said memory to said system said method comprising:

responsive to a report that said memory availability is below a first predetermined threshold or said memory utilization is above a second predetermined threshold and page swapping from said memory is above a third predetermined threshold, determining if said server can accommodate allocation of additional memory, and if so, generating a request to allocate additional memory to said server, and if not, notifying an administrator or another system to identify another server to execute one or more applications currently executing on said server.

16. A system for automatically adjusting allocation of processing power in a server, said server including means for monitoring utilization of said processing power in said server and reporting an amount of said utilization of said processing power to said system, or means for monitoring availability of said processing power in said server and reporting an amount of said availability of said processing power to said system, said system comprising:

means, responsive to a report of an amount of utilization or availability of said processing power in said server, for determining if said server should be allocated additional processing power; and

means, responsive to a determination that said server should be allocated additional processing power, for generating a request for said server to be allocated additional processing power.

17. A system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said server includes an unused, unallocated processor, and wherein said request is to allocate said unused processor to said server.

18. A system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said server includes means, responsive to said request, for automatically allocating said additional processing power for its own use.