Apparatus and method of dynamically repartitioning a computer system in response to partition workloads

• US 8,112,757 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Alford, Jack Allen Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, JENNIFER N
• Application Number:
  US11/747,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20080134192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 718/104
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5061 Partitioning or combining of resources

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for dynamically repartitioning a partitioned computer system in response to workload demands are provided. In one embodiment, a monitoring software is used to monitor workloads on all resources in all the partitions. If a workload on a resource in a partition is determined to exceed a maximum threshold, a similar resource is allocated to the partition. The similar resource is preferentially an unassigned or unallocated resource. However, resources from other partitions may also be used. In another embodiment, a workload schedule is stored in a workload profile. If a scheduled workload in any of the resources of a partition is to exceed a maximum threshold, additional similar resources will be allocated to the partition before the scheduled workload.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of dynamically re-partitioning a partitioned computer system in response to workloads, each partition of the partitioned computer system having a plurality of resources, the computer implemented method comprising:

creating a workload profile for each partition, the workload profile having a workload and a workload time schedule;

determining, for a partition before the workload of the workload profile is to occur on the partition, that the workload of the workload profile will cause a demand for a resource in the plurality of resources originally assigned to the partition to exceed a maximum threshold;

identifying a second partition including a second plurality of resources, the second plurality of resources including a second resource and a third resource, wherein the second resource and the third resource are similar to one another, and wherein the second resource is operating below a minimum capacity in the second partition;

determining whether the second partition can continue operating without the second resource by using the third resource;

selecting, responsive to determining that the second partition can continue operating without the second resource, the second resource as an additional resource; and

automatically allocating the additional resource to the partition before the workload of the workload profile is executed on the partition.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein one of the resources is a processor.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 wherein another one of the resources is memory space.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3 wherein a further of the resources is an I/O slot.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the additional resource is de-allocated from the partition after the workload has decreased to a minimum threshold.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the additional resource is de-allocated from the partition and re-assigned to the one or more partitions after the demand has decreased to a minimum threshold.

7. A computer program product on a computer readable storage medium for dynamically re-partitioning a partitioned computer system in response to workloads, each partition of the partitioned computer system having a plurality of resources, the computer program product comprising:

code for creating a workload profile for each partition, the workload profile having a workload and a workload time schedule;

code for determining, for a partition before the workload of the workload profile is to occur on the partition, that the workload of the workload profile will cause a demand for a resource in the plurality of resources originally assigned to the partition to exceed a maximum threshold;

code for identifying a second partition including a second plurality of resources, the second plurality of resources including a second resource and a third resource, wherein the second resource and the third resource are similar to one another, and wherein the second resource is operating below a minimum capacity in the second partition;

code for determining whether the second partition can continue operating without the second resource by using the third resource;

code for selecting, responsive to determining that the second partition can continue operating without the second resource, the second resource as an additional resource; and

code for automatically allocating the additional resource to the partition before the workload of the workload profile is executed on the partition.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein one of the resources is a processor.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein another one of the resources is memory space.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein a further of the resources is an I/O slot.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the additional resource is de-allocated from the partition after the workload has decreased to a minimum threshold.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the additional resource is de-allocated from the partition and re-assigned to the one or more partitions after the demand has decreased to a minimum threshold.

13. An apparatus for dynamically re-partitioning a partitioned computer system in response to workloads, each partition of the partitioned computer system having a plurality of resources, the apparatus comprising:

a storage device including a storage medium, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code, and wherein the computer usable program code comprises;

computer usable code for creating a workload profile for each partition, the workload profile having a workload and a workload time schedule;

computer usable code for determining, for a partition before the workload of the workload profile is to occur on the partition, that the workload of the workload profile will cause a demand for a resource in the plurality of resources originally assigned to the partition to exceed a maximum threshold;

computer usable code for identifying a second partition including a second plurality of resources, the second plurality of resources including a second resource and a third resource, wherein the second resource and the third resource are similar to one another, and wherein the second resource is operating below a minimum capacity in the second partition;

computer usable code for determining whether the second partition can continue operating without the second resource by using the third resource;

computer usable code for selecting, responsive to determining that the second partition can continue operating without the second resource, the second resource as an additional resource; and

computer usable code for automatically allocating the additional resource to the partition before the workload of the workload profile is executed on the partition.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein one of the resources is the processor.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein another one of the resources is memory space.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein a further of the resources is an I/O slot.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the additional resource is de-allocated from the partition after the workload has decreased to a minimum threshold.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the additional resource is de-allocated from the partition and re-assigned to the one or more partitions after the demand has decreased to a minimum threshold.

19. A computer system that is partitioned into a plurality of partitions, the computer system having code data for dynamically re-partitioning itself in response to workloads, each partition of the partitioned computer system having a plurality of resources, the computer system comprising:

at least one storage device for storing the code data; and

at least one processor for processing the code data to

create a workload profile for each partition, the workload profile having a workload and a workload time schedule

determine, for a partition before the workload of the workload profile is to occur on the partition, that the workload of the workload profile will cause a demand for a resource in the plurality of resources originally assigned to the partition to exceed a maximum threshold;

identify a second partition including a second plurality of resources, the second plurality of resources including a second resource and a third resource, wherein the second resource and the third resource are similar to one another, and wherein the second resource is operating below a minimum capacity in the second partition;

determine whether the second partition can continue operating without the second resource by using the third resource;

select, responsive to determining that the second partition can continue operating without the second resource, the second resource as an additional resource; and

automatically allocate the additional resource to the partition before the workload of the workload profile is executed on the partition.

20. The computer system of claim 19 wherein one of the resources is a processor.

21. The computer system of claim 20 wherein another one of the resources is memory space.

22. The computer system of claim 21 wherein a further of the resources is an I/O slot.

23. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the additional resource is de-allocated from the partition after the workload has decreased to a minimum threshold.

24. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the additional resource is de-allocated from the partition and re-assigned to the one or more partitions after the demand has decreased to a minimum threshold.