Priority based scheduling system for server

• US 8,473,956 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kindel, Charles E., Gray, James Christopher, Fishman, Neil S., Lyon, James M., Dadiomov, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente, Emerson
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, DONG U
• Application Number:
  US12/014,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20090183162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,988 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3447 Performance evaluation by modeling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/482 Application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system

Abstract

A priority based scheduling system for a server prioritizes multiple tasks that are defined using various constraints, which may include relationships defined between different tasks, performance parameters for each task, and completion constraints. The system may track actual performance of a task and update the performance parameters over time. Some embodiments may include a status monitoring agent that may detect that a monitored network parameter has changed that may cause a scheduled task to be raised or lowered in priority. The system may be used to schedule and execute one time tasks as well as recurring tasks, and may execute those tasks during a rigid or flexible periodic time window. Many of the tasks may be pausable and resumable, and such tasks may be performed in increments over successive time windows.

Claims

1. At a computer system, a method for executing prioritized computer-related maintenance tasks, the method comprising:

accessing a plurality of tasks that can be executed at the computer system, the plurality of tasks including a first task and a second task, the first task having an expressly defined relationship with the second task;

for each task included in the plurality of tasks;

the task including;

a set of one or more performance parameters, the set of one or more performance parameters corresponding to computer-related components used by the task, the computer related components including a combination of hardware and software components optimized to perform the task; and

a set of one or more trigger parameters, each of the one or more trigger parameters used to determine if the task is more or less likely to be executed;

accessing the set of one or more trigger parameters for the task; and

assigning a priority to the task based on the accessed set of one or more trigger parameters, the assigned priority relative to the priority of other tasks included in the plurality of tasks;

identifying the first task for execution based on the assigned priorities;

executing the first task;

during execution of the first task;

monitoring the set of one or more trigger parameters for each of the plurality of tasks;

monitoring the set of one or more performance parameters for each of the plurality of tasks;

detecting a change in one or more of a trigger parameter included in the set of one or more trigger parameters monitored for each of the plurality of tasks and a performance parameter included in the set of one or more performance parameters monitored for each of the plurality of tasks, the trigger parameter and the performance parameter associated with one or more tasks from among the plurality of tasks;

updating one or more specified parameters in at least one of;

the set of one or more trigger parameters and the set of one or more performance parameters for each of the associated one or more tasks to reflect the detected change;

adjusting the priority of the one or more tasks relative to the priority of other tasks included in the plurality of tasks based on the updated one or more specified parameters, adjusting the priority of the one or more tasks comprising;

lowering the priority of or raising the priority of each of the one or more tasks;

analyzing the expressly defined relationship with the second task;

determining that the first task and the second task can be executed in parallel based on the expressly defined relationship;

executing the second task based on the determination;

re-evaluating execution of tasks from among the plurality of tasks based on the adjusted priorities for the one or more tasks; and

in response to the re-evaluation, permitting the first task to continue executing in parallel with one other task from among the plurality of tasks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of tasks is further defined by an expected completion time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to executing the identified task, determining that time a window for task execution is open.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein re-evaluating execution of tasks from among the plurality of tasks comprises determining that the time the window for task execution is closed.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising stopping execution of any of the plurality of tasks in response to the time window being closed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the plurality of tasks comprises accessing the plurality of tasks wherein at least one of the plurality of tasks is pausable and resumable based on the updated one or more specified parameters such that the at least one of the plurality of tasks can be completed by incremental partial execution over a plurality of time windows.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the set of one or more trigger parameters for each of the plurality of tasks comprises monitoring the elapsed time since a specified task in the associated one or more tasks was last executed;

and

wherein adjusting the priority of the one or more tasks relative to the priority of other tasks included in the plurality of tasks comprises raising the priority of the specified task based on the elapsed time since the specified task was last executed.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising in response to the re-evaluation, initiating execution of the one other task from among the plurality of tasks.

9. A system comprising:

a trigger database, the trigger database storing trigger parameters;

a performance database, the performance database storing performance parameters;

task definitions defining a plurality of tasks, the plurality of tasks including a first task and a second task, the first task having an expressly defined relationship with the second task, each task in the plurality of tasks including;

a set of one or more performance parameters from the performance database, each of one or more performance parameters corresponding to a computer-related component the task can use, the computer related components including a combination of hardware and software components optimized to perform the task; and

a set of one or more trigger parameters, each of the one or more trigger parameters used to determine if the task is more or less likely to be executed;

a prioritizer, the prioritizer configured to;

in response to a user command or a detected change in a trigger parameter or a computer-related component associated with a task and for each of the plurality of tasks;

access the set of one or more trigger parameters for the task and the set of one or more performance parameters for the task; and

adjust a priority for the task based on the set of one or more trigger parameters and the set of one or more performance parameters, the priority relative to the priority of other tasks included in the plurality of tasks, adjusting the priority for the task comprising;

lowering the priority of the task or raising the priority of the task;

a trigger monitoring agent, the trigger monitoring agent configured to;

monitor the set of trigger parameters for each of the plurality of tasks during execution of tasks from among the plurality of tasks;

detect changes in trigger parameters in the set of one or more trigger parameters during execution of tasks from among the plurality of tasks; and

update the detected changes in trigger parameters in the trigger parameter database;

a performance monitoring agent, the performance monitoring agent configured to;

monitor corresponding the set of performance parameters for each of the plurality of tasks during execution of tasks from among the plurality of task;

detect changes in performance parameters in the set of one or more performance parameters during execution of tasks from among the plurality of tasks; and

update the detected changes in performance parameters in the performance parameter database; and

a task executor, the task executor configured to;

execute the first task;

analyze the expressly defined relationship with the second task;

determine that the first task and the second task can be executed in parallel based on the expressly defined relationship;

execute the second task based on the determination;

re-evaluate execution of tasks from among the plurality of tasks based on the adjusted task priorities; and

in response to the re-evaluation of execution, permit the first task to continue executing in parallel with one other task from among the plurality of tasks.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

an execution monitor configured to define the time window based on at least one parameter.

11. The system of claim 10, the execution monitor further configured to define the time window based on a current time.

12. The system of claim 9, the time window being a predefined time window.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising a user interface configured to receive user commands defining the task definitions.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising the system being connected to one or more clients over a network;

and

wherein the task executor being configured to execute the first task comprises the task executor being configured to execute the first task offloaded from the one or more clients.

15. The system of claim 9, the performance parameters comprising at least one of a group composed of disk usage, network usage, and processor usage.

16. The system of claim 9, the plurality of tasks comprising at least one server maintenance task.

17. A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method for executing prioritized computer-related maintenance tasks, computer program product comprising one or more computer storage hardware devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to perform the method, including the following

access a plurality of tasks that can be executed at the computer system, the plurality of tasks including a first task and a second task, the first task having an expressly defined relationship with the second task;

for each of the plurality of tasks;

the task including;

a set of one or more performance parameters, each of one or more performance parameters corresponding to a computer-related components used by the task, the computer-related components including a combination of hardware and software components optimized to perform the task; and

a set of one or more trigger parameters, each of the one or more trigger parameters used to determine if the task is more or less likely to be executed;

access the set of one or more trigger parameters for the task; and

assign a priority to the task based on the accessed set of one or more trigger parameters, the assigned priority relative to the priority of other tasks included in the plurality of tasks;

identify the first task for execution based on the assigned priorities;

execute the first task;

during execution of the first task;

monitor the set of one or more trigger parameters for each of the plurality of tasks;

monitor the set of one or more performance parameters for each of the plurality of tasks;

detect a change in one or more of a trigger parameter included in the set of one or more trigger parameters monitored for each of the plurality of tasks and a performance parameter included in the set of one or more performance parameters monitored for each of the plurality of tasks, the trigger parameter and the performance parameter associated with one or more tasks from among the plurality of tasks;

update one or more specified parameters in at least one of;

the set of one or more trigger parameters and the set of one or more performance parameters for each of the associated one or more tasks to reflect the detected change;

adjust the priority of the one or more tasks relative to the priority of other tasks included in the plurality of tasks based on the updated one or more specified parameters, adjusting the priority of the one or more tasks comprising;

lowering the priority of or raising the priority of each of the one or more tasks;

analyze the expressly defined relationship with the second task;

determine that the first task and the second task can be executed in parallel based on the expressly defined relationship;

execute the second task based on the determination;

re-evaluate execution of tasks from among the plurality of tasks based on the adjusted priorities for the one or more tasks; and

in response to the re-evaluation, permit the first task to continue executing in parallel with one other task from among the plurality of tasks.