Resource management tool

• US 8,606,919 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2009
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Akiyama, Kazuhito, Iwano, Kazuo, Kobayashi, Seiji, Suzuki, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/626,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/225, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5014 Reservation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5061 Partitioning or combining of resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions

Abstract

A device, computer program product, and method for managing resources for performing operations in a computer system are presented. The device may include a resource reservation unit to reserve resources for performing an operation specified by a user. A query unit may query the user whether to reserve additional resources in the event the operation cannot be completed within a reserved time in the reserved resources. A resumption instruction unit may cause the resource reservation unit to reserve the additional resources and cause a continuation of the operation in the additional resources upon receiving a resumption instruction in response to the query.

Claims

1. A device to manage resources for performing operations in a computer system, the device comprising:

a resource reservation unit to reserve resources for performing an operation specified by a user;

a query unit to query the user regarding reserving additional resources in the event the operation cannot be completed within a reserved time using the reserved resources;

a resumption instruction unit to cause the resource reservation unit to reserve the additional resources and continue the operation at an agreed-upon resumption fee upon receiving a resumption instruction from the user in response to the query; and

the resumption instruction unit further configured to, prior to receiving the resumption instruction from the user, cause the resource reservation unit to reserve free resources and resume the operation, wherein the resumption instruction unit charges a modified resumption fee in the event the operation is resumed prior to receiving the resumption instruction.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the query unit further queries the user regarding payment of a resumption fee needed to reserve the additional resources and continue the operation, and wherein the resumption instruction unit reserves the additional resources and continues the operation upon receiving an instruction to pay the resumption fee in response to the query.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising:

an execution management unit to cause execution of the operation for a reserved time in the reserved resources; and

an execution state storage unit to store an execution state corresponding to the operation in the event a completion estimation unit estimates that the operation is unlikely to be completed within the reserved time, wherein the resumption instruction unit further recalls the execution state to reserve the additional resources and cause continuation of the operation.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the execution management unit recalls the execution state in the event the additional resources are different from the reserved resources.

5. The device of claim 3, further comprising a request accepting unit to receive from the user an execution service level request for reserved resources corresponding to an identified execution service level, wherein the resource reservation unit ensures that at least one of the reserved resources and the additional resources satisfy the execution service level request.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the query unit further queries the user regarding changing the identified execution service level to a resumption service level for the additional resources, and wherein the resource reservation unit reserves additional resources satisfying the resumption service level in response to a change instruction from the user.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the resumption instruction unit charges a reduced resumption fee in the event the operation is resumed prior to receiving the resumption instruction.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the resumption instruction unit selects the operation from a plurality of suspended operations and resumes the operation based on at least one of a priority assigned to the user, an amount of the resumption fee, and an estimated time necessary to perform the operation.

9. The device of claim 3, wherein the execution management unit suspends the operation within a suspension time necessary to save the execution state prior to an ending time associated with the reserved resources in the event the completion estimation unit estimates that the operation is unlikely to be completed within the reserved time.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising an execution history storage unit to store an operation duration history comprising operation duration times corresponding to past operations, wherein the completion estimation unit estimates whether the operation is likely to be completed within a reserved time based on the operation duration history.

11. A computer program product to manage resources for performing operations in a computer system, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer usable program code stored therein, the computer-usable program code comprising;

computer-usable program code to reserve resources for performing an operation specified by a user;

computer-usable program code to query the user regarding whether to reserve additional resources in the event the operation cannot be completed within a reserved time using the reserved resources;

computer-usable program code to reserve the additional resources and cause a continuation of the operation at an agreed-upon resumption fee upon receiving a resumption instruction from the user to reserve the additional resources; and

computer-usable program code to, prior to receiving the resumption instruction from the user, reserve free resources and resume the operation at a modified resumption fee.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

computer-usable program code to query the user regarding payment of a resumption fee needed to reserve the additional resources and continue the operation; and

computer-usable program code to reserve the additional resources and continue the operation upon receiving an instruction to pay the resumption fee in response to the query.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

computer-usable program code to cause execution of the operation for a reserved time in the reserved resources;

computer-usable program code to store an execution state of the operation in the event the operation cannot be completed within the reserved time in the reserved resources; and

computer-usable program code to recall the execution state to reserve the additional resources and cause continuation of the operation in the additional resources.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

computer-usable program code to receive from the user an execution service level request for reserved resources to correspond to an identified execution service level; and

computer-usable program code to satisfy the execution service level request.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer-usable program code to estimate whether the operation is likely to be completed within the reserved time associated with the reserved resources; and

computer-usable program code to suspend the operation within a suspension time necessary to save the execution state prior to an ending time associated with the reserved resources in the event the estimation indicates that the operation is unlikely to be completed within the reserved time.

16. A method for managing resources performing operations in a computer system, the method comprising:

reserving resources for performing an operation specified by a user;

querying the user to determine whether to reserve additional resources in the event the operation cannot be completed within a reserved time using the reserved resources;

upon receiving a resumption instruction from the user, reserving the additional resources and causing a continuation of the operation at an agreed-upon resumption fee; and

prior to receiving the resumption instruction from the user, reserving free resources and resuming the operation at a modified resumption fee.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein reserving the additional resources further comprises:

querying the user regarding payment of a resumption fee needed to reserve the additional resources and continue the operation; and

reserving the additional resources and continuing the operation upon receiving an instruction to pay the resumption fee in response to the query.