Qualitative Assignment of Resources to a Logical Partition In a Multipartitioned Computer System

• US 20110185062A1
• Filed: 01/22/2010
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tomko, Annita, Foege, Stephanie A., Gonzalez, Andres JR., Lo, Meryl, Kethireddy, Shantan
• Granted Patent: US 9,047,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455

Abstract

A qualitative resource assignment wizard receives qualitative information for a logical partition (LPAR) and calculates computer resource assignments for the LPAR based on the qualitative information and a set of conversion functions. For example, the qualitative resource assignment wizard may calculate a processing unit assignment, a memory assignment, and an I/O slot assignment for the LPAR. The qualitative information may be input by a user, for example, utilizing a graphical user interface (GUI). In one embodiment, the conversion functions are calculated during a training phase, in which a user periodically provides qualitative information while resource usage data is gathered. The wizard may reside in a hardware management console (HMC) or other administrative console and/or may be a component of a hypervisor or other partition management code. Software code associated with the wizard may be provided by a network server application to a client system for enabling a user to remotely input the qualitative information.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

a qualitative resource assignment wizard executed by one or more of the at least one processor, the qualitative resource assignment wizard receiving qualitative information for a given logical partition and calculating a computer resource assignment for the given logical partition based on the qualitative information and a conversion function.

2. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the qualitative information is provided by a user utilizing an interface.

3. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the calculating step includes the step of calculating at least one of a processing unit assignment, a memory assignment, an I/O slot assignment for the given logical partition, and energy.

4. The computer system as recited in claim 3, wherein the qualitative resource assignment wizard includes a validation/feedback mechanism that at least one of validates the executability of the calculated assignment, validates the advisability of the calculated assignment, and provides feedback to the user regarding the calculated assignment.

5. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the qualitative resource assignment wizard calculates the conversion function in a training phase, and wherein the training phase comprises receiving qualitative information for the given logical partition and gathering computer resource usage data for the given logical partition.

6. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the qualitative resource assignment wizard is a component of or operates in conjunction with partition management code executed by one or more of the at least one processor.

7. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer system comprises an administrative console coupled to at least one multipartitioned server over a service network, the multipartitioned server containing one or more processors, memory, and one or more I/O slots assigned to a plurality of logical partitions.

8. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer system comprises a server system connected to at least one client system over a network, wherein a network server application in the server system provides software code associated with the qualitative resource assignment wizard to the client system for enabling a user to remotely input the qualitative information, and wherein a browser application in the client system transfers the remotely input qualitative information to the server system.

9. A computer-implemented method for assigning a computer resource to a logical partition in a multipartitioned computer system, comprising the steps of:

receiving qualitative information for a given logical partition; and

calculating a computer resource assignment for the given logical partition based on the qualitative information and a conversion function.

10. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 9, further comprising the step of:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) to a user by which the user inputs the qualitative information.

11. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 9, wherein the calculating step includes the step of calculating at least one of a processing unit assignment, a memory assignment, an I/O slot assignment for the given logical partition, and energy.

12. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 11, further comprising at least one of the steps of:

validating the executability of the calculated assignment;

validating the advisability of the calculated assignment; and

providing feedback to the user regarding the calculated assignment.

13. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 9, wherein the qualitative resource assignment wizard calculates the conversion function in a training phase, wherein the training phase comprises the steps of:

receiving qualitative information for the given logical partition; and

gathering computer resource usage data for the given logical partition.

14. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 9, wherein the qualitative resource assignment wizard is a component of or operates in conjunction with partition management code executed by one or more of the at least one processor.

15. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 9, wherein the receiving step and the calculating step are performed in an administrative console coupled to at least one multipartitioned server over a service network, the multipartitioned server containing one or more processors, memory, and one or more I/O slots assigned to a plurality of logical partitions.

16. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 9, wherein the calculating step is performed in server system connected to at least one client system over a network, wherein a network server application in the server system provides software code associated with the qualitative resource assignment wizard to the client system for enabling a user to remotely input the qualitative information, and wherein a browser application in the client system transfers the remotely input qualitative information to the server system.

17. A computer program product for assigning a computer resource to a logical partition in a multipartitioned computer system, comprising:

a plurality of executable instructions provided on a computer readable recordable media, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by at least one processor in a digital computing device, cause the digital computing device to perform the steps of;

receiving qualitative information for a given logical partition; and

calculating a computer resource assignment for the given logical partition based on the qualitative information and a conversion function.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor in the digital computing device, cause the digital computing device to further perform the step of:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) to a user by which the user inputs the qualitative information.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the calculating step includes the step of calculating at least one of a processing unit assignment, a memory assignment, and an I/O slot assignment for the given logical partition, and energy.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor in the digital computing device, cause the digital computing device to further perform at least one of the steps of:

validating the executability of the calculated assignment;

validating the advisability of the calculated assignment; and

providing feedback to the user regarding the calculated assignment.

21. The computer program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the qualitative resource assignment wizard calculates the conversion function in a training phase, wherein the training phase comprises the steps of:

receiving qualitative information for the given logical partition; and

gathering computer resource usage data for the given logical partition.

22. The computer program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the qualitative resource assignment wizard is a component of or operates in conjunction with partition management code executed by one or more of the at least one processor.

23. The computer program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the receiving step and the calculating step are performed in an administrative console coupled to at least one multipartitioned server over a service network, the multipartitioned server containing one or more processors, memory, and one or more I/O slots assigned to a plurality of logical partitions.

24. The computer program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the calculating step is performed in server system connected to at least one client system over a network, wherein a network server application in the server system provides software code associated with the qualitative resource assignment wizard to the client system for enabling a user to remotely input the qualitative information, and wherein a browser application in the client system transfers the remotely input qualitative information to the server system.