Scheduling jobs within a cloud computing environment

• US 8,429,659 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bartfai-Walcott, Katalin K., Boss, Gregory J., Dawson, Christopher J., Hamilton, Rick A. II
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VAN H
• Application Number:
  US12/907,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20120096470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 718/1, 718/100, 718/103
• US Class Current: 718/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach to prioritize jobs (e.g., within a cloud computing environment) so as to maximize positive financial impacts (or to minimize negative financial impacts) for cloud service providers, while not exceeding processing capacity or failing to meet terms of applicable Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Specifically, under the present invention a respective income (i.e., a cost to the customer), a processing need, and set of SLA terms (e.g., predetermined priorities, time constraints, etc.) will be determined for each of a plurality of jobs to be performed. The jobs will then be prioritized in a way that: maximizes cumulative/collective income; stays within the total processing capacity of the cloud computing environment; and meets the SLA terms.

Claims

1. A method for prioritizing jobs within a cloud computing environment, comprising:

determining, using at least one computing device, a processing capacity of the cloud computing environment;

determining, using the at least one computing device, an income, a processing need, a set of service level agreement (SLA) terms for each of a plurality of jobs;

prioritizing, using the at least one computing device, a set of jobs from the plurality of jobs based on their respective income, processing need, and SLA terms, wherein the prioritizing ensures that the set of SLA terms are met while maximizing the income and without exceeding the determined processing capacity;

scheduling, using the at least one computing device, the prioritized set of jobs from the plurality of jobs; and

scheduling, using the at least one computing device, at least one job having lowest expected processing needs of the plurality of jobs other than the prioritized set of jobs.

2. The method of claim 1, the set of SLA terms comprising a predetermined priority for at least one of the plurality of jobs.

3. The method of claim 1, the set of SLA terms comprising a time constraint for performing at least one of the plurality of jobs.

4. The method of claim 1, the prioritizing comprising positioning, using the at least one computing device, one of the plurality of jobs having a higher income in a higher position in a job queue than another one of the plurality of jobs having a lower income.

5. The method of claim 1, the prioritizing comprising determining, using the at least one computing device, a highest total income of a subset of the plurality of jobs that can be performed without exceeding the determined processing capacity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing, using the at least one computing device, the prioritized set of jobs from the plurality of jobs based on the prioritizing;

and performing, using the at least one computing device, the at least one job if actual processing capacity exists in an amount sufficient to process the at least one job.

7. A system for prioritizing jobs within a cloud computing environment, comprising:

a bus;

a processor coupled to the bus; and

a memory medium coupled to the bus, the memory medium comprising instructions to;

determine a processing capacity of the cloud computing environment;

determine an income, a processing need, a set of service level agreement (SLA) terms for each of a plurality of jobs;

prioritize the plurality of jobs based on their respective income, processing need, and SLA terms, wherein the prioritizing ensures that the set of SLA terms are met while maximizing the income and without exceeding the determined processing capacity;

schedule the prioritized set of jobs from the plurality of jobs; and

schedule at least one job presumed to fail based on the determined processing capacity, the at least one job being from the plurality of jobs other than the prioritized set of jobs.

8. The system of claim 7, the set of SLA terms comprising a predetermined priority for at least one of the plurality of jobs.

9. The system of claim 7, the set of SLA terms comprising a time constraint for performing at least one of the plurality of jobs.

10. The system of claim 7, the memory medium further comprising instructions to position one of the plurality of jobs having a higher income in a in a higher position in a job queue than another one of the plurality of jobs having a lower income.

11. The system of claim 7, the memory medium further comprising instructions to determine a highest total income of a subset of the plurality of jobs that can be performed without exceeding the determined processing capacity.

12. The system of claim 7, the memory medium further comprising instructions to perform the prioritized set of the plurality of jobs based on the prioritization;

and perform the at least one job presumed to fail if actual processing capacity exists to complete the at least one job.

13. A computer program product for prioritizing jobs within a cloud computing environment, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium, to:

determine a processing capacity of the cloud computing environment;

determine an income, a processing need, a set of service level agreement (SLA) terms for each of a plurality of jobs;

prioritize the plurality of jobs based on their respective income, processing need, and SLA terms, wherein the prioritizing ensures that the set of SLA terms are met while maximizing the income and without exceeding the determined processing capacity;

schedule the prioritized set of jobs from the plurality of jobs;

schedule at least one job having a highest income of the plurality of jobs other than the prioritized set of jobs.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, the set of SLA terms comprising a predetermined priority for at least one of the plurality of jobs.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, the set of SLA terms comprising a time constraint for performing at least one of the plurality of jobs.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium to position one of the plurality of jobs having a higher income in a higher position in a job queue than another one of the plurality of jobs having a lower income.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium to determine a highest total income of a subset of the plurality of jobs that can be performed without exceeding the determined processing capacity.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium to perform the prioritized set of jobs from the plurality of jobs based on the prioritization;

and perform at least a portion of the at least one job if enough actual processing capacity exists to complete the at least a portion of the at least one job.

19. A method for deploying a system for prioritizing jobs within a cloud computing environment, comprising:

determining, via a computer infrastructure, a processing capacity of the cloud computing environment;

determining, via the computer infrastructure, an income, a processing need, a set of service level agreement (SLA) terms for each of a plurality of jobs;

prioritizing, via the computer infrastructure, the plurality of jobs based on their respective income, processing need, and SLA terms, wherein the prioritizing ensures that the set of SLA terms are met while maximizing the income and without exceeding the processing capacity;

performing, via the computer infrastructure, the prioritized set of jobs from the plurality of jobs; and

performing, via the computer infrastructure, a portion of at least one job other than the prioritized set of jobs if enough actual processing capacity exists to complete the portion of the at least one job,

wherein the computer infrastructure comprises at least one computer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the performing, via the computer infrastructure, the prioritized set of jobs is based on the prioritizing.