States matrix for workload management simplification

• US 8,042,119 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2007
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teradata US, Inc. (Teradata Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Teradata US, Inc. (Teradata Corporation)
• Inventors: Brown, Douglas P., Richards, Anita
• Primary Examiner(s): AN, MENG AI T
• Application Number:
  US11/803,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20080288946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 718/102, 718/103, 718/105, 709/224, 709/223, 709/225, 719/310, 719/318
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5083 Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, system and article of manufacture for managing workloads in a computer system, comprising monitoring system conditions and operating environment events that impact on the operation of the computer system, using an n-dimensional state matrix to identify at least one state resulting from the monitored system conditions and operating environment events, and initiating an action in response to the identified state.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing workloads in a computer system, comprising:

monitoring, in a processor, system conditions and operating environment events that impact on the operation of the computer system, wherein each of the system conditions represents a condition of the computer system and each of the operating environment events represents a workload performed by the computer system;

using, in a processor, an n-dimensional state matrix to identify at least one state resulting from the monitored system conditions and operating environment events, wherein each element of the state matrix is a system condition and operating environment event pair that references a workload management state; and

initiating, in a processor, an action in response to the identified state, wherein the action invokes one or more workload management rules of a set of workload management rules that define how the computer system operates on the workloads.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the system condition is one of a system availability condition or a system performance condition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating environment event is one of a pre-determined event, a scheduled event, a user-defined event, or a necessary change in workload management.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of elements of the state matrix reference a common one of the states and thus invoke the same action.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the state matrix facilitates or manages conflict resolution through the prioritization of each dimension thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein only one state is in effect at any given time, based on the state matrix element referenced by a highest severity system condition and a highest precedence operating environment event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the state persists until the state is changed or reset.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the system conditions or operating environment events have expiration times.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the system conditions or operating environment events have qualification times that require the state be sustained for some period of time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the system conditions and operating environment events have minimum or maximum duration times to regulate state changes.

11. A computer-implemented apparatus for managing workloads in a computer system, comprising:

one or more processors for;

monitoring system conditions and operating environment events that impact on the operation of the computer system, wherein each of the system conditions represents a condition of the computer system and each of the operating environment events represents a workload performed by the computer system;

using an n-dimensional state matrix to identify at least one state resulting from the monitored system conditions and operating environment events, wherein each element of the state matrix is a system condition and operating environment event pair that references a workload management state; and

initiating an action in response to the identified state, wherein the action invokes one or more workload management rules of a set of workload management rules that define how the computer system operates on the workloads.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the system condition is one of a system availability condition or a system performance condition.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operating environment event is one of a pre-determined event, a scheduled event, a user-defined event, or a necessary change in workload management.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a plurality of elements of the state matrix reference a common one of the states and thus invoke the same action.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the state matrix facilitates or manages conflict resolution through the prioritization of each dimension thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein only one state is in effect at any given time, based on the state matrix element referenced by a highest severity system condition and a highest precedence operating environment event.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the state persists until the state is changed or reset.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the system conditions or operating environment events have expiration times.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the system conditions or operating environment events have qualification times that require the state be sustained for some period of time.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the system conditions and operating environment events have minimum or maximum duration times to regulate state changes.