System and Method for Efficient Machine Selection for Job Provisioning

• US 20100058349A1
• Filed: 09/02/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mathur, Sumeet, Diwakar, Kiran Prakash
• Granted Patent: US 8,370,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/508 Monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine

Abstract

A method for efficient machine selection for job provisioning includes receiving a job request to perform a job using an unspecified server machine and determining one or more job criteria needed to perform the job from the job request. The method further includes providing a list of one or more server machines potentially operable to perform the job. For each server machine on the list of one or more server machines, a utilization value, one or more job criteria satisfaction values, and an overall suitability value are determined. The overall suitability value for each server machine is determined from the one or more job criteria satisfaction values and the utilization value, and may include a numeric degree to which each server machine is suitable for performing the job. Furthermore, the overall suitability value for each server machine may be included on a list of one or more overall suitability values.

Claims

1. A method for efficient machine selection for job provisioning, comprising:

receiving a job request to perform a job using an unspecified server machine;

from the job request, determining one or more job criteria needed to perform the job;

providing a list of one or more server machines, the one or more server machines potentially operable to perform the job;

for each server machine on the list of one or more server machines;

determining a utilization value, the utilization value comprising a numeric level of activity for the each server machine;

determining one or more job criteria satisfaction values, each of the one or more job criteria satisfaction values comprising a numeric degree to which the each server machine satisfies one of the one or more job criteria;

determining an overall suitability value from the one or more job criteria satisfaction values and the utilization value, the overall suitability value comprising a numeric degree to which the each server machine is suitable for performing the job;

including the overall suitability value on a list of one or more overall suitability values; and

determining a most suitable server machine for performing the job from the list of one or more overall suitability values.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising forwarding the job to the most suitable server machine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a most suitable server machine for performing the job from the list of one or more overall suitability values comprises identifying a server machine having a highest suitability value on the list of suitability values.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an overall suitability value from the one or more job criteria satisfaction values and the utilization value comprises, for the each server machine, entering the one or more job criteria satisfaction values and the utilization value into a performance equation wherein the result of the performance equation comprises the overall suitability value for the each server machine.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more job criteria comprise:

a type of software needed to perform the job;

a threshold amount of system resources needed to perform the job; and

an amount of time for which the threshold amount of system resources are needed to perform the job.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining one or more job criteria satisfaction values comprises, for the each server machine:

determining a software compatibility value, the software compatibility value comprising a numeric degree of compatibility between a type software included on the each server machine and the type of software needed to perform the job;

determining a server machine availability value, the server machine availability value comprising a numeric degree to which the each server machine has the threshold amount of system resources available to perform the job for the amount of time needed to perform the job; and

determining a system resource compatibility value, the system resource compatibility value comprising a numeric degree of compatibility between available system resources on the each server machine and the threshold amount of system resources needed to perform the job.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the performance equation comprises one or more weighted arguments, each of the one or more weighted arguments corresponding to one of the one or more job criteria satisfaction values and the utilization value;

and further comprising;

enabling a user to specify a weighted value for each of the one or more weighted arguments, the weighted value determining a mathematical weight for the each of the one or more weighted arguments.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the performance equation is expressed as (overall suitability value)=w*(utilization value)+x*(software compatibility value)+y*(server machine availability value)+z*(system resource compatibility value) wherein w, x, y, and z comprise weighted values.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more of the job criteria are specified by a user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the utilization value comprises extrapolating the utilization value from historical usage data from the each server machine to determine an estimated level of activity at a future point in time.

11. A system for efficient machine selection for job provisioning, comprising a server including one or more processors coupled to a memory, the server comprising:

an interface operable to;

receive a job request to perform a job using an unspecified server machine;

a brokering engine operable to;

from the job request, determine one or more job criteria needed to perform the job;

provide a list of one or more server machines, the one or more server machines potentially operable to perform the job;

for each server machine on the list of one or more server machines;

determine a utilization value, the utilization value comprising a numeric level of activity for the each server machine;

determine one or more job criteria satisfaction values, each of the one or more job criteria satisfaction values comprising a numeric degree to which the each server machine satisfies one of the one or more job criteria;

determine an overall suitability value from the one or more job criteria satisfaction values and the utilization value, the overall suitability value comprising a numeric degree to which the each server machine is suitable for performing the job;

include the overall suitability value on a list of one or more overall suitability values; and

determine a most suitable server machine for performing the job from the list of one or more overall suitability values.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the brokering agent is operable to determine an overall suitability value from the one or more job criteria satisfaction values and the utilization value by, for the each server machine, entering the one or more job criteria satisfaction values and the utilization value into a performance equation wherein the result of the performance equation comprises the overall suitability value for the each server machine.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more job criteria comprise:

a type of software needed to perform the job;

a threshold amount of system resources needed to perform the job; and

an amount of time for which the threshold amount of system resources are needed to perform the job.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the brokering agent is operable to determine one or more job criteria satisfaction values by, for the each server machine:

determining a software compatibility value, the software compatibility value comprising a numeric degree of compatibility between a type software included on the each server machine and the type of software needed to perform the job;

determining a server machine availability value, the server machine availability value comprising a numeric degree to which the each server machine has the threshold amount of system resources available to perform the job for the amount of time needed to perform the job; and

determining a system resource compatibility value, the system resource compatibility value comprising a numeric degree of compatibility between available system resources on the each server machine and the threshold amount of system resources needed to perform the job.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the performance equation comprises one or more weighted arguments, each of the one or more weighted arguments corresponding to one of the one or more job criteria satisfaction values and the utilization value;

and the brokering engine is further operable to;

enable a user to specify a weighted value for each of the one or more weighted arguments, the weighted value determining a mathematical weight for the each of the one or more weighted arguments.

16. Logic for efficient machine selection for job provisioning encoded in a tangible computer readable media, a computer including one or more processors and a memory operable when executed the logic to perform steps comprising:

receiving a job request to perform a job using an unspecified server machine;

from the job request, determining one or more job criteria needed to perform the job;

providing a list of one or more server machines, the one or more server machines potentially operable to perform the job;

for each server machine on the list of one or more server machines;

determining a utilization value, the utilization value comprising a numeric level of activity for the each server machine;

determining one or more job criteria satisfaction values, each of the one or more job criteria satisfaction values comprising a numeric degree to which the each server machine satisfies one of the one or more job criteria;

determining an overall suitability value from the one or more job criteria satisfaction values and the utilization value, the overall suitability value comprising a numeric degree to which the each server machine is suitable for performing the job;

including the overall suitability value on a list of one or more overall suitability values; and

determining a most suitable server machine for performing the job from the list of one or more overall suitability values.

17. The logic of claim 16, wherein determining an overall suitability value from the one or more job criteria satisfaction values and the utilization value comprises, for the each server machine, entering the one or more job criteria satisfaction values and the utilization value into a performance equation wherein the result of the performance equation comprises the overall suitability value for the each server machine.

18. The logic of claim 17, wherein the one or more job criteria comprise:

a type of software needed to perform the job;

a threshold amount of system resources needed to perform the job; and

an amount of time for which the threshold amount of system resources are needed to perform the job.

19. The logic of claim 18, wherein determining one or more job criteria satisfaction values comprises, for the each server machine:

determining a software compatibility value, the software compatibility value comprising a numeric degree of compatibility between a type software included on the each server machine and the type of software needed to perform the job;

determining a server machine availability value, the server machine availability value comprising a numeric degree to which the each server machine has the threshold amount of system resources available to perform the job for the amount of time needed to perform the job; and

determining a system resource compatibility value, the system resource compatibility value comprising a numeric degree of compatibility between available system resources on the each server machine and the threshold amount of system resources needed to perform the job.

20. The logic of claim 16, wherein the performance equation comprises one or more weighted arguments, each of the one or more weighted arguments corresponding to one of the one or more job criteria satisfaction values and the utilization value;

and further comprising;

enabling a user to specify a weighted value for each of the one or more weighted arguments, the weighted value determining a mathematical weight for the each of the one or more weighted arguments.