States matrix for workload management simplification

• US 20080288946A1
• Filed: 05/14/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teradata US, Inc. (Teradata Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Richards, Anita, Brown, Douglas P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,042,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5083 Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, system and article of manufacture for managing workloads in a computer system, comprising monitoring system conditions and operating environment events that impact on the operation of the computer system, using an n-dimensional state matrix to identify at least one state resulting from the monitored system conditions and operating environment events, and initiating an action in response to the identified state.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing workloads in a computer system, comprising:

monitoring system conditions and operating environment events that impact on the operation of the computer system;

using an n-dimensional state matrix to identify at least one state resulting from the monitored system conditions and operating environment events; and

initiating an action in response to the identified state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the system condition is one of a system availability condition or a system performance condition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating environment event is one of a pre-determined event, a scheduled event, a user-defined event, or a necessary change in workload management.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each element of the state matrix is a system condition and operating environment event pair that references a workload management state, which in turn invokes one or more workload management rules of a set of workload management rules.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of elements of the state matrix reference a common one of the states and thus invoke the same action.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the state matrix facilitates or manages conflict resolution through the prioritization of each dimension thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein only one state is in effect at any given time, based on the state matrix element referenced by a highest severity system condition and a highest precedence operating environment event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the state persists until the state is changed or reset.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the system conditions or operating environment events have expiration times.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the system conditions or operating environment events have qualification times that require the state be sustained for some period of time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the system conditions and operating environment events have minimum or maximum duration times to regulate state changes.

12. A computer-implemented apparatus for managing workloads in a computer system, comprising:

means for monitoring system conditions and operating environment events that impact on the operation of the computer system;

means for using an n-dimensional state matrix to identify at least one state resulting from the monitored system conditions and operating environment events; and

means for initiating an action in response to the identified state.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the system condition is one of a system availability condition or a system performance condition.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the operating environment event is one of a pre-determined event, a scheduled event, a user-defined event, or a necessary change in workload management.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each element of the state matrix is a system condition and operating environment event pair that references a workload management state, which in turn invokes one or more workload management rules of a set of workload management rules.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a plurality of elements of the state matrix reference a common one of the states and thus invoke the same action.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the state matrix facilitates or manages conflict resolution through the prioritization of each dimension thereof.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein only one state is in effect at any given time, based on the state matrix element referenced by a highest severity system condition and a highest precedence operating environment event.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the state persists until the state is changed or reset.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the system conditions or operating environment events have expiration times.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the system conditions or operating environment events have qualification times that require the state be sustained for some period of time.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the system conditions and operating environment events have minimum or maximum duration times to regulate state changes.