System and method for adaptive allocation of threads to user objects in a computer system

• US 8,127,010 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Sinha, Anand
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilles, Jude Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Means, Jaren M
• Application Number:
  US11/240,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20060075406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,342 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3452 Performance evaluation by statistical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5011 Pool
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5018 Thread allocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/508 Monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

A method for optimizing enterprise server resources in a computer system is described. The method comprises monitoring at least one metric of the computer system capable of indicating a performance level thereof; determining whether the performance level needs to be improved; and responsive to a determination that the performance level needs to be improved, implementing a best method to improve the performance level by adaptively manipulating one or more threads in a pool of threads in the computer system.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing enterprise server resources in a computer system, the method executing on a host computer of the computer system and comprising:

monitoring at least one metric of the computer system capable of indicating a performance level thereof;

determining whether the performance level needs to be improved; and

responsive to a determination that the performance level needs to be improved, selecting and implementing a best method to improve the performance level by adaptively manipulating one or more threads in a pool of threads in the computer system, wherein the best method comprises when a faulty network connection is increasing latency for a first set of users, creating a new thread pool and assigning the first set of users to that pool to isolate the first set of users from other users, when latency is increased for most users, increasing the number of threads and when poor system performance is due to fail over of a mail file and a resulting longer-than-expected access time to native databases, assigning threads to respective users, the assignment being permanent until the computer system is shut down or an error condition occurs.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring at least one metric includes checking CPU utilization of all threads of the computer system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring at least one metric includes checking a latency of mail processing.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring at least one metric comprises checking responsiveness of all threads.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining comprises:

generating at least one statistical parameter for each of the at least one metric; and

examining the generated at least one statistical parameter for each of the at least one metric.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one statistical parameter is selected from at least one of a statistical average, a mean, a highest use, and a standard deviation.

7. A system for optimizing enterprise server resources in a host computer, the system comprising:

a processor and memory;

means, operating on the host computer, for monitoring at least one metric of the computer capable of indicating a performance level thereof;

means, operating on the host computer, for determining whether the performance level needs to be improved; and

means, operating on the host computer, responsive to a determination that the performance level needs to be improved, for selecting and implementing a best method to improve the performance level by adaptively manipulating one or more threads in a pool of threads in the computer system, wherein the means for implementing the best method comprises means, operable when a faulty network connection is increasing latency for a first set of users, for creating a new thread pool and assigning the first set of users to that pool to isolate the first set of users from other users, means, operable when latency is increased for most users, for increasing the number of threads and means, operable when poor system performance is due to fail over of a mail file and results in longer-than-expected access time to native databases, for assigning threads to respective users, the assignment being permanent until the computer system is shut down or an error condition occurs.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the means for monitoring at least one metric includes checking CPU utilization of all threads of the computer.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the means for monitoring at least one metric includes checking a latency of mail processing.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the means for monitoring at least one metric comprises checking responsiveness of all threads.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the means for determining comprises:

means for generating at least one statistical parameter for each of the at least one metric; and

means for examining the generated at least one statistical parameter for each of the at least one metric.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one statistical parameter is selected from the at least one of a statistical average, a mean, a highest use, and a standard deviation.

13. A computer system comprising:

a host computer;

redirector software executable on the host computer, the redirector software for redirecting data items of a user to the user'"'"'s mobile data communications device (“

MDCD”

); and

a resource optimizing module executable on the host computer that is operable to monitor at least one metric of the computer system capable of indicating a performance level thereof, to determine whether the performance level needs to be improved, and responsive to a determination that the performance level needs to be improved, to implement a best method to improve the performance level by adaptively manipulating one or more threads in a pool of threads in the computer system, wherein when mail deliver latency is increased for a first set of users but not all users, the resource optimizing module is operable to create a new thread pool and assign the first set of users to that pool to isolate the first set of users from other users, when mail delivery latency is increased for most users, the resource optimizing module is operable to increase the number of threads and when poor system performance is due to fail over of a mail file and a resulting longer-than-expected access time to native databases, the resource optimizing module is operable to assign threads to respective users, the assignment being permanent until the computer system is shut down or an error condition occurs.

14. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the at least one metric is selected from at least one of CPU utilization of all threads of the computer system, mail processing latency, and responsiveness of all threads.

15. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the resource-optimizing module is implemented in hardware.

16. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the resource-optimizing module is implemented in software.

17. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the resource-optimizing module is implemented in a combination of hardware and software.