Resource management for cloud computing platforms

• US 9,595,054 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Jain, Navendu, Menache, Ishai
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haider, Fawaad
• Application Number:
  US13/169,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20120330711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,087 Days
• Field of Search: 705/34
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A system for managing allocation of resources based on service level agreements between application owners and cloud operators. Under some service level agreements, the cloud operator may have responsibility for managing allocation of resources to the software application and may manage the allocation such that the software application executes within an agreed performance level. Operating a cloud computing platform according to such a service level agreement may alleviate for the application owners the complexities of managing allocation of resources and may provide greater flexibility to cloud operators in managing their cloud computing platforms.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a specification of at least one performance level for execution of a software application by a cloud computing platform;

executing the software application via resources of the cloud computing platform;

checking whether the at least one performance level is met;

based at least in part on the checking, determining whether failure to meet the at least one performance level is attributable to the cloud computing platform or the software application;

when the failure is attributable to the cloud computing platform, allocating additional resources to the software application; and

when the failure is attributable to the software application, refraining from allocating additional resources to the software application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

billing an application owner of the software application for the execution of the software application an amount determined based at least in part on whether the failure to meet the at least one performance level is attributable to the cloud computing platform or the software application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the billing further comprises:

billing the application owner for the execution of the software application at a first billing rate when the failure to meet the at least one performance level is attributable to the cloud computing platform; and

billing the application owner for the execution of the software application at a second billing rate that is less than the first billing rate when the failure to meet the at least one performance level is attributable to the software application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing functionality of the software application to identify a first logical part and a second logical part, the first logical part comprising a first portion of the functionality of the software application and the second logical part comprising a second portion of the functionality of the software application, the first portion being different from the second portion and being independently executable from the second portion,

wherein the failure to meet the at least one performance level is determined via analysis of a first expected execution time of the first logical part and a second expected execution time of the second logical part.

5. A system comprising:

a computing device; and

a storage device storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to;

receive a service-level agreement (SLA) specified performance level relating to execution by a cloud computing platform of a software application provided by an application owner,

execute the software application provided by the application owner via resources of the cloud computing platform,

perform a comparison between a first actual operational characteristic of the software application and an expected operational characteristic for the software application,

based at least in part on the comparison, determine whether failure to meet the SLA specified performance level is attributable to the software application or to the cloud computing platform,

when the failure is attributable to the cloud computing platform, allocate additional resources to the software application, and

when the failure is attributable to the software application, refrain from allocating the additional resources to the software application.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the first actual operational characteristic is an actual execution time for operation of at least one logical part of the software application, and

the expected operational characteristic is an expected execution time for the operation of the at least one logical part.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computing device to:

determine the actual execution time by logging a start and an end of the execution of the at least one logical part in one or more logs.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computing device to:

determine an amount to bill the application owner for the execution of the software application based at least in part on the failure being attributable to the software application or the cloud computing platform.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computing device to:

determine that the failure to meet the SLA specified performance level is attributable to the software application by determining that the first actual operational characteristic does not meet the expected operational characteristic.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computing device to:

receive the expected operational characteristic from the application owner.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computing device to:

identify the expected operational characteristic.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computing device to:

send a report to the application owner when the software application is not executing within the expected operational characteristic for at least one logical part of the software application for at least a threshold amount of time, the report including a notification that the cloud computing platform is not allocating additional resources to the execution of the software application.

13. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device or storage device storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

receive a specification of at least one performance level of a service-level agreement (SLA) between an application owner and a cloud operator of a cloud computing platform, the at least one performance level relating to execution by the cloud computing platform of a software application provided by the application owner,

execute the software application provided by the application owner via resources of the cloud computing platform,

check whether the at least one performance level is met,

based at least in part on the checking, determine whether failure to meet the at least one performance level is attributable to the software application or the cloud computing platform, and

when the failure is attributable to the software application, refrain from allocating additional resources to the software application.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one performance level comprises an execution time for operation of the software application provided by the application owner.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one performance level comprises an upper limit on acceptable execution times.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

when an actual execution time exceeds the upper limit on the acceptable execution times, determine whether an actual operational characteristic of a logical part of the software application deviates from an expected operational characteristic for the logical part,

when the actual operational characteristic deviates from the expected operational characteristic, select a first billing rate to bill the application owner for the execution of the software application, and

when the actual operational characteristic does not deviate from the expected operational characteristic, select a second billing rate lower than the first billing rate to bill the application owner for the execution of the software application.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

determine whether failure to meet the at least one performance level is attributable to the software application or the cloud computing platform by determining whether the failure is attributable to;

an insufficient allocation of resources by the cloud operator, or

the software application not meeting an expected operational characteristic.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

when the failure is attributable to the insufficient allocation of resources by the cloud operator and not attributable to the software application, allocate additional resources to the software application and select a discounted rate to bill the application owner.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

when the failure is attributable to the insufficient allocation of resources by the cloud operator and not attributable to the software application, select a penalty for the cloud operator.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

determine whether failure to meet the at least one performance level is attributable to factors other than the software application or the cloud computing platform.