Managing bandwidth for shared resources

• US 8,612,330 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2010
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Certain, Tate Andrew, Jain, Sachin, Marshall, Bradley E., Maniscalco, Nicholas J., Sivasubramanian, Swaminathan, Garman, Matthew S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaikh, Mohammad Z
• Application Number:
  US12/882,075
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 45
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

Usage of shared resources can be managed by enabling users to obtain different types of guarantees at different times for various types and/or levels of resource capacity. A user can select to have an amount or rate of capacity dedicated to that user. A user can also select reserved capacity for at least a portion of the requests, tasks, or program execution for that user, where the user has priority to that capacity but other users can utilize the excess capacity during other periods. Users can alternatively specify to use the excess capacity or other variable, non-guaranteed capacity. The capacity can be for any appropriate functional aspect of a resource, such as computational capacity, throughput, latency, bandwidth, and storage. Users can submit bids for various types and combinations of excess capacity, and winning bids can receive dedicated use of the excess capacity for at least a period of time.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of enabling a user to subscribe to shared resources, comprising:

receiving, by one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions, a reservation request from a user to utilize resource capacity to fulfill one or more subsequent virtual machine requests, the reservation request specifying an amount of bandwidth to be used in fulfilling the one or more virtual machine requests;

fulfilling, by the one or more computer systems, the one or more virtual machine requests by enabling the user to purchase dedicated capacity during at least one time window if dedicated capacity is available with the specified amount of bandwidth during the at least one time window, the dedicated capacity being available during each time window for use by the user;

fulfilling the one or more virtual machine requests by enabling the user to purchase reserved capacity during at least one time window if reserved capacity is available with the specified amount of bandwidth during the at least one time window, the user being given priority to use the reserved capacity over other users during each time window; and

if a user is unable to purchase dedicated or reserved capacity, in response to a subsequent instance request;

fulfilling the one or more virtual machine requests by enabling the user to bid on excess capacity if excess capacity is available with the specified amount of bandwidth at substantially a time of fulfillment, the excess capacity being available when a bid price for the user at least meets a market price for the excess capacity, the user being able to utilize the excess capacity for at least a period of time when the bid price meets at least one selection criterion; and

fulfilling the one or more virtual machine requests by enabling the user to utilize available variable on-demand capacity if available variable on-demand capacity is available.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to dynamically adjust the bid price for the excess capacity in order to continue fulfilling the one or more virtual machine requests using the excess capacity.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to submit a plurality of bids for excess capacity, each bid having a bid price based on a combination of levels of capacity for multiple categories of capacity.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the reservation request further specifies a type of resource capacity to be used in fulfilling a virtual machine request of the one or more virtual machine requests, and further comprising:

if the type of capacity is a dedicated capacity type and a timing of the virtual machine request corresponds to a time period allocated to the user for dedicated capacity with the specified amount of bandwidth, fulfilling the virtual machine request using the dedicated capacity;

if the type of capacity is a reserved capacity type and a timing of the virtual machine request corresponds to a time period allocated to the user for reserved capacity with the specified amount of bandwidth, fulfilling the virtual machine request using the reserved capacity;

if the type of capacity is an excess capacity type;

determining whether a bid price is a winning bid price, the winning bid price being greater than other pending bids for the same excess capacity and being at least equal to a current market price; and

if the bid price is the winning bid price and excess capacity for the user with at least the specified amount of bandwidth is available, fulfilling the instance virtual machine request using the excess capacity for at least a minimum period of time;

if the type of capacity is a variable capacity type and variable capacity is available, fulfilling the virtual machine request using the variable capacity, the variable capacity capable of having less than the amount of bandwidth specified for the virtual machine request;

if the dedicated capacity with the amount of bandwidth is not available for the virtual machine request specifying the dedicated capacity type, changing the type of capacity specified by the instance request to one of an excess capacity type or a variable capacity type;

if the reserved capacity with the amount of bandwidth is not available for the virtual machine request specifying the reserved capacity type, changing the type of capacity specified by the virtual machine request to one of an excess capacity type or a variable capacity type;

if the excess capacity with the amount of bandwidth is not available for the virtual machine request specifying the excess capacity type, changing the type of capacity specified by the virtual machine request to a variable capacity type;

if the variable capacity is not available for the virtual machine request specifying the variable capacity type, denying the virtual machine request; and

if the virtual machine request is being fulfilled using the excess capacity and the excess capacity becomes no longer available, moving fulfillment of the instance virtual machine request to variable capacity if available.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the time period corresponds to at least one of a fixed time window and a sliding time window associated with the user.

6. A system, comprising:

a memory that stores executable instructions; and

a processor configured to access the memory and to execute the computer-executable instructions to collectively at least;

receive a reservation request from a user to utilize resource capacity to fulfill one or more subsequent virtual machine requests, the reservation request specifying an amount of bandwidth to be used in fulfilling the one or more virtual machine requests;

fulfill the one or more virtual machine requests by enabling the user to purchase dedicated capacity during at least one time window if dedicated capacity is available with the specified amount of bandwidth during the at least one time window, the dedicated capacity being available during each time window for use by the user;

fulfill the one or more virtual machine requests by enabling the user to purchase reserved capacity during at least one time window if reserved capacity is available with the specified amount of bandwidth during the at least one time window, the user being given priority to use the reserved capacity over other users during each time window; and

if a user is unable to purchase dedicated or reserved capacity, in response to a subsequent instance request;

fulfill the one or more virtual machine requests by enabling the user to bid on excess capacity if excess capacity is available with the specified amount of bandwidth at substantially a time of fulfillment, the excess capacity being available when a bid price for the user at least meets a market price for the excess capacity, the user being able to utilize the excess capacity for at least a period of time when the bid price meets at least one selection criterion; and

fulfill the one or more virtual machine requests by enabling the user to utilize available variable on-demand capacity if available variable on-demand capacity is available.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to at least enable the user to dynamically adjust the bid price for the excess capacity in order to continue fulfilling the one or more virtual machine requests using the excess capacity.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to at least enable the user to submit a plurality of bids for excess capacity, each bid having a bid price based on a combination of levels of capacity for multiple categories of capacity.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the reservation request further specifies a type of resource capacity to be used in fulfilling a virtual machine request of the one or more virtual machine requests, and wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to at least:

if the type of capacity is a dedicated capacity type and a timing of the virtual machine request corresponds to a time period allocated to the user for dedicated capacity with the specified amount of bandwidth, fulfill the virtual machine request using the dedicated capacity;

if the type of capacity is a reserved capacity type and a timing of the virtual machine request corresponds to a time period allocated to the user for reserved capacity with the specified amount of bandwidth, fulfill the virtual machine request using the reserved capacity;

if the type of capacity is an excess capacity type;

determining whether a bid price is a winning bid price, the winning bid price being greater than other pending bids for the same excess capacity and being at least equal to a current market price; and

if the bid price is the winning bid price and excess capacity for the user with at least the specified amount of bandwidth is available, fulfill the instance virtual machine request using the excess capacity for at least a minimum period of time;

if the type of capacity is a variable capacity type and variable capacity is available, fulfill the virtual machine request using the variable capacity, the variable capacity capable of having less than the amount of bandwidth specified for the virtual machine request;

if the dedicated capacity with the amount of bandwidth is not available for the virtual machine request specifying the dedicated capacity type, change the type of capacity specified by the instance request to one of an excess capacity type or a variable capacity type;

if the reserved capacity with the amount of bandwidth is not available for the virtual machine request specifying the reserved capacity type, change the type of capacity specified by the virtual machine request to one of an excess capacity type or a variable capacity type;

if the excess capacity with the amount of bandwidth is not available for the virtual machine request specifying the excess capacity type, changing the type of capacity specified by the virtual machine request to a variable capacity type;

if the variable capacity is not available for the virtual machine request specifying the variable capacity type, deny the virtual machine request; and

if the virtual machine request is being fulfilled using the excess capacity and the excess capacity becomes no longer available, move fulfillment of the instance virtual machine request to variable capacity if available.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the time period corresponds to at least one of a fixed time window and a sliding time window associated with the user.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more computer systems, configure the one or more computer systems to perform operations comprising:

receiving a reservation request from a user to utilize resource capacity to fulfill one or more subsequent virtual machine requests, the reservation request specifying an amount of bandwidth to be used in fulfilling the one or more virtual machine requests;

fulfilling, by the one or more computer systems, the one or more virtual machine requests by enabling the user to purchase dedicated capacity during at least one time window if dedicated capacity is available with the specified amount of bandwidth during the at least one time window, the dedicated capacity being available during each time window for use by the user;

fulfilling the one or more virtual machine requests by enabling the user to purchase reserved capacity during at least one time window if reserved capacity is available with the specified amount of bandwidth during the at least one time window, the user being given priority to use the reserved capacity over other users during each time window; and

if a user is unable to purchase dedicated or reserved capacity, in response to a subsequent instance request;

fulfilling the one or more virtual machine requests by enabling the user to bid on excess capacity if excess capacity is available with the specified amount of bandwidth at substantially a time of fulfillment, the excess capacity being available when a bid price for the user at least meets a market price for the excess capacity, the user being able to utilize the excess capacity for at least a period of time when the bid price meets at least one selection criterion; and

fulfilling the one or more virtual machine requests by enabling the user to utilize available variable on-demand capacity if available variable on-demand capacity is available.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

enabling the user to dynamically adjust the bid price for the excess capacity in order to continue fulfilling the one or more virtual machine requests using the excess capacity.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

enabling the user to submit a plurality of bids for excess capacity, each bid having a bid price based on a combination of levels of capacity for multiple categories of capacity.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the reservation request further specifies a type of resource capacity to be used in fulfilling a virtual machine request of the one or more virtual machine requests, and further comprising:

if the type of capacity is a dedicated capacity type and a timing of the virtual machine request corresponds to a time period allocated to the user for dedicated capacity with the specified amount of bandwidth, fulfilling the virtual machine request using the dedicated capacity;

if the type of capacity is a reserved capacity type and a timing of the virtual machine request corresponds to a time period allocated to the user for reserved capacity with the specified amount of bandwidth, fulfilling the virtual machine request using the reserved capacity;

if the type of capacity is an excess capacity type;

determining whether a bid price is a winning bid price, the winning bid price being greater than other pending bids for the same excess capacity and being at least equal to a current market price; and

if the bid price is the winning bid price and excess capacity for the user with at least the specified amount of bandwidth is available, fulfilling the instance virtual machine request using the excess capacity for at least a minimum period of time;

if the type of capacity is a variable capacity type and variable capacity is available, fulfilling the virtual machine request using the variable capacity, the variable capacity capable of having less than the amount of bandwidth specified for the virtual machine request;

if the dedicated capacity with the amount of bandwidth is not available for the virtual machine request specifying the dedicated capacity type, changing the type of capacity specified by the instance request to one of an excess capacity type or a variable capacity type;

if the reserved capacity with the amount of bandwidth is not available for the virtual machine request specifying the reserved capacity type, changing the type of capacity specified by the virtual machine request to one of an excess capacity type or a variable capacity type;

if the excess capacity with the amount of bandwidth is not available for the virtual machine request specifying the excess capacity type, changing the type of capacity specified by the virtual machine request to a variable capacity type;

if the variable capacity is not available for the virtual machine request specifying the variable capacity type, denying the virtual machine request; and

if the virtual machine request is being fulfilled using the excess capacity and the excess capacity becomes no longer available, moving fulfillment of the instance virtual machine request to variable capacity if available.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the time period corresponds to at least one of a fixed time window and a sliding time window associated with the user.