Method and apparatus for dynamic CPU resource management

• US 7,979,863 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Narayanan, Karthik, Chiaramonte, Michael R., Esfahany, Kouros H.
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Jennifer N
• Application Number:
  US11/114,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20050262504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,269 Days
• Field of Search: 718/1, 718100-103, 718/104
• US Class Current: 718/104
• 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

Methods and apparatuses for dynamic CPU resource management are provided. CPU related information is collected for one or more virtual machines. CPU shares and affinity of a virtual machine are dynamically changed, as needed, based on the CPU usage information for the virtual machine and based on a specified priority of the virtual machine.

Claims

1. A method for dynamic CPU resource management, comprising:

collecting CPU usage information for a virtual machine, the virtual machine having an allocated CPU share;

determining a dynamic priority for the virtual machine based on a specified priority for the virtual machine; and

dynamically changing the allocated CPU share of the virtual machine, as needed, based on the collected CPU usage information for the virtual machine and the determined dynamic priority for the virtual machine, wherein dynamically changing the CPU share of the virtual machine further comprises;

increasing the CPU share of the virtual machine when it is determined that the collected CPU usage information indicates CPU usage of the virtual machine relative to CPU usage of other virtual machines is equal to or higher than the allocated CPU share of the virtual machine;

or

decreasing the CPU share of the virtual machine when it is determined that the collected CPU usage information indicates CPU usage of the virtual machine relative to CPU usage of other virtual machines is substantially lower than the allocated CPU share of the virtual machine.

2. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a program storage device readable by the computer system, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to perform operations comprising;

collecting CPU usage information for a virtual machine, the virtual machine having an allocated CPU share;

determining a dynamic priority for the virtual machine based on a specified priority for the virtual machine; and

dynamically changing the allocated CPU share of the virtual machine, as needed, based on the collected CPU usage information for the virtual machine and the determined dynamic priority for the virtual machine, wherein dynamically changing the CPU share of the virtual machine further comprises;

increasing the CPU share of the virtual machine when it is determined that the collected CPU usage information indicates CPU usage of the virtual machine relative to CPU usage of other virtual machines is equal to or higher than the allocated CPU share of the virtual machine;

or

decreasing the CPU share of the virtual machine when it is determined that the collected CPU usage information indicates CPU usage of the virtual machine relative to CPU usage of other virtual machines is substantially lower than the allocated CPU share of the virtual machine.

3. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions operable when executed to:

collect CPU usage information for a virtual machine, the virtual machine having an allocated CPU share;

determine a dynamic priority for the virtual machine based on a specified priority for the virtual machine; and

dynamically change the allocated CPU share of the virtual machine, as needed, based on the collected CPU usage information for the virtual machine and the determined dynamic priority for the virtual machine, wherein dynamically changing the CPU share of the virtual machine further comprises;

increasing the CPU share of the virtual machine when it is determined that the collected CPU usage information indicates CPU usage of the virtual machine relative to CPU usage of other virtual machines is equal to or higher than the allocated CPU share of the virtual machine;

or

decreasing the CPU share of the virtual machine when it is determined that the collected CPU usage information indicates CPU usage of the virtual machine relative to CPU usage of other virtual machines is substantially lower than the allocated CPU share of the virtual machine.

4. An apparatus for dynamic CPU resource management, comprising:

means for collecting CPU usage information for a virtual machine, the virtual machine having an allocated CPU share;

means for determining a dynamic priority for the virtual machine based on a specified priority for the virtual machine; and

means for dynamically changing the allocated CPU share of the virtual machine, as needed, based on the collected CPU usage information for the virtual machine and the determined dynamic priority for the virtual machine, wherein dynamically changing the CPU share of the virtual machine further comprises;

increasing the CPU share of the virtual machine when it is determined that the collected CPU usage information indicates CPU usage of the virtual machine relative to CPU usage of other virtual machines is equal to or higher than the allocated CPU share of the virtual machine;

or

decreasing the CPU share of the virtual machine when it is determined that the collected CPU usage information indicates CPU usage of the virtual machine relative to CPU usage of other virtual machines is substantially lower than the allocated CPU share of the virtual machine.

5. A method for dynamic CPU resource management, comprising:

collecting CPU related information and user defined criteria for one or more virtual machines, each of the one or more virtual machines having an allocated CPU share;

determining, based on the collected CPU related information and user defined criteria, a CPU status of normal, underutilized, or critical for each of the one or more virtual machines;

determining, based on the user defined criteria, a dynamic priority for each of the one or more virtual machines; and

determining, based on the determined CPU status and the dynamic priority for each of the one or more virtual machines, whether to increase, decrease, or leave as is the allocated CPU share of each of the one or more virtual machines, wherein;

the allocated CPU share is increased if it is determined that the CPU status is critical;

or

the allocated CPU share is decreased if it is determined that the CPU status is underutilized.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user defined criteria comprises management criteria, a virtual machine priority, a virtual machine status upper limit, and a virtual machine status lower limit, for each of the virtual machines.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the management criteria comprises information indicating virtual machines to be managed, not managed or monitored.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the virtual machine status upper limit is a maximum threshold of the virtual machine for CPU usage.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the virtual machine status lower limit is a minimum threshold of the virtual machine for CPU usage.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the user defined criteria comprises an analysis interval and a poll interval, for each server.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the analysis interval is a period of time during which the CPU related information is collected.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the poll interval is a period of time between collections of the CPU related information.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising analyzing the CPU related information in real time.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more virtual machines are located in client-server system.

15. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a program storage device readable by the computer system, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to perform operations comprising;

collecting CPU related information and user defined criteria for one or more virtual machines, each of the one or more virtual machines having an allocated CPU share;

determining, based on the collected CPU related information and user defined criteria, a CPU status of normal, underutilized, or critical for each of the one or more virtual machines;

determining, based on the user defined criteria, a dynamic priority for each of the one or more virtual machines; and

determining, based on the determined CPU status and the dynamic priority for each of the one or more virtual machines, whether to increase, decrease, or leave as is the allocated CPU share of each of the one or more virtual machines, wherein;

the allocated CPU share is increased if it is determined that the CPU status is critical;

or

the allocated CPU share is decreased if it is determined that the CPU status is underutilized.

16. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions operable when executed to:

collect CPU related information and user defined criteria for one or more virtual machines, each of the one or more virtual machines having an allocated CPU share;

determine, based on the collected CPU related information and user defined criteria, a CPU status of normal, underutilized, or critical for each of the one or more virtual machines;

determine, based on the user defined criteria, a dynamic priority for each of the one or more virtual machines; and

determine, based on the determined CPU status and the dynamic priority for each of the one or more virtual machines, whether to increase, decrease, or leave as is the allocated CPU share of each of the one or more virtual machines, wherein;

the allocated CPU share is increased if it is determined that the CPU status is critical;

or

the allocated CPU share is decreased if it is determined that the CPU status is underutilized.

17. An apparatus for dynamic CPU resource management, comprising:

means for collecting CPU related information and user defined criteria for one or more virtual machines, each of the one or more virtual machines having an allocated CPU share;

means for determining, based on the collected CPU related information and user defined criteria, a CPU status of normal, underutilized, or critical for each of the one or more virtual machines;

means for determining, based on the user defined criteria, a dynamic priority for each of the one or more virtual machines; and

means for determining, based on the determined CPU status and the dynamic priority for each of the one or more virtual machines, whether to increase, decrease, or leave as is the allocated CPU share of each of the one or more virtual machines, wherein;

the allocated CPU share is increased if it is determined that the CPU status is critical;

or

the allocated CPU share is decreased if it is determined that the CPU status is underutilized.