Method and system for autonomic application program spawning in a computing environment

• US 8,479,202 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hogan, Natalie S., Menadue, Andrew J. E., van der Veen, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente, Emerson
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, DONG U
• Application Number:
  US12/367,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/504 Resource capping
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method and system for self-managing an application program in a computing environment, is provided. One implementation involves spawning a primary application for execution in the computing environment; the primary application monitoring status of the primary application and the computing environment resources while executing; and upon detecting a first status threshold, the primary application spawning a secondary application in the computing environment, wherein the secondary application comprises a lower functionality version of the primary application, and the primary application terminating.

Claims

1. A method of self-managing an application program in a computing environment, comprising:

spawning a primary application for execution in the computing environment, the primary application providing one or more core application features;

the primary application monitoring status of the primary application and a computing environment resources while executing; and

upon detecting a first status threshold based on response time, the primary application spawning a secondary application in the computing environment, wherein the secondary application comprises a lower functionality version of the primary application while providing the one or more core application features of the primary application, and the primary application terminating, wherein the first status threshold represents first computing environment conditions under which the primary application may spawn the secondary application and a second status threshold represents second computing environment conditions under which the secondary application may re-spawn the primary application, wherein the second status threshold is based on availability of computing environment processing resources required by the primary application.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the secondary application monitoring status of computing environment processing resources while executing; and

upon detecting the second threshold status of computing environment processing resources, the secondary application re-spawning the primary application in the computing environment after a predetermined delay period after the secondary application is terminated.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the computing environment processing resources comprise one or more of:

available processor resources, available memory resources, available storage resources, and available communication resources.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the secondary application requires less number of resources than the primary application and/or consume less of each resource compared to the primary application.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the application program includes said primary application and said secondary application.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the secondary application includes core functions of the primary application.

7. A computer program product for self-managing an application program in a computing environment, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium including a computer readable program including program instructions, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer system causes the computer system to:

spawn a primary application for execution in the computing environment, the primary application providing one or more core application features;

execute the primary application while the primary application monitors status of the primary application and a computing environment resources while executing; and

upon detecting a first status threshold based on response time, the primary application spawns a secondary application in the computing environment, wherein the secondary application comprises a lower functionality version of the primary application while providing the one or more core application features of the primary application, and the primary application terminating, wherein the first status threshold represents first computing environment conditions under which the primary application may spawn the secondary application and a second status threshold represents second computing environment conditions under which the secondary application may re-spawn the primary application, wherein the second status threshold is based on availability of computing environment processing resources required by the primary application.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising program instructions wherein the:

the secondary application monitors status of computing environment processing resources while executing; and

upon detecting the second threshold status of computing environment processing resources, the secondary application re-spawns the primary application in the computing environment after a predetermined delay period after the secondary application is terminated.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the computing environment processing resources comprise one or more of:

available processor resources, available memory resources, available storage resources, and available communication resources.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the secondary application requires less number of resources than the primary application and/or consume less of each resource compared to the primary application.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the application program includes said primary application and said secondary application.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the secondary application includes core functions of the primary application.

13. A system for self-managing an application program in a computing environment, comprising:

a processor coupled to memory;

a primary application including a monitoring processor function configured for monitoring status of the primary application and a computing environment resources while executing, the primary application providing one or more core application features; and

the primary application further including a spawning processor function configured such that upon detecting a first status threshold based on response time, the primary application spawns a secondary application in the computing environment, wherein the secondary application comprises a lower functionality version of the primary application while providing the one or more core application features of the primary application, and the primary application terminating, wherein the first status threshold represents first computing environment conditions under which the primary application may spawn the secondary application and a second status threshold represents second computing environment conditions under which the secondary application may re-spawn the primary application, wherein the second status threshold is based on availability of computing environment processing resources required by the primary application.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the secondary application includes a monitoring processor function configured for monitoring status of computing environment processing resources while executing, and a re-spawning processor function configured such that upon detecting the second threshold status of computing environment processing resources, the secondary application re-spawns the primary application in the computing environment after a predetermined delay period after the secondary application is terminated.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the secondary application requires less number of resources than the primary application and/or consume less of each resource compared to the primary application.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the application program includes said primary application and said secondary application.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the secondary application includes core functions of the primary application.