Method and system for allocating computing resources

• US 8,429,049 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2011
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Galactic Computing Corporation BVI/IBC
• Inventors: Smith, Philip S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US13/192,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20120137004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 705 10- 44
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation

Abstract

A method for operating a commissioned e-commerce service provider provides services to businesses on a computerized network such as the Internet in exchange for a small commission on the commercial transactions generated using those services. Unlike most ISPs that provide services to individuals and businesses, the commissioned e-commerce service provider preferably provides Internet services for businesses operating web sites or other application that generate e-commerce transactions for the business. Instead of paying a monthly fee for the Internet services required to host a web site or operate and e-commerce site, the business contracts with the commissioned e-commerce service provider to provide these services based on receiving a percentage commission of the commercial transactions generated using these services. Preferably, the commission percentage is tiered in accordance with the amount of traffic at the site to provide a nominal level of service at a lower commission rate, yet allow for an exceptional volume of traffic to be accommodated by the site at a higher commission rate without having the site fail or the service become overwhelmed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically allocating computing resources of a rack-and-blade computer assembly comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, server performance information from an application server pool disposed in a rack of said rack-and-blade computer assembly;

said application server pool comprising a blade server including an associated server agent for measuring performance of an application running on the blade server;

determining, by the computer system, at least one quality of service attribute for the application server pool;

determining, by the computer system, that the QoS attribute is below a standard;

allocating, by the computer system, a free blade server from a free server pool for use by the application server pool based on the determining by the computer system; and

if the free server pool does not have an available blade server for allocation to the application server pool and based upon a request priority value of a resource request from the application, then allocating, by the computer system, a different blade server from a second application server pool in the rack to and for use by the application server pool if the application server pool has a first application server pool priority that is higher than a second application server pool priority that is associated with the second application server pool, so that the application runs on resources of the application server pool and of the different blade server allocated to the application server pool, wherein the first application server pool, the second application server pool, and the free server pool are each disposed in said rack of said rack-and-blade computer assembly.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 additionally comprising selecting, by the computer system, prior to allocating for use, a blade server from a free server pool to obtain a selected blade server.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 additionally comprising preparing, by the computer system, prior to allocating for use, the selected blade server for operation with the application server pool.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 additionally comprising reconfiguring, by the computer system, a traffic management device associated with the application server pool.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 additionally comprising provisioning, by the computer system, images onto at least one blade server of the application server pool.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 additionally comprising monitoring, by the computer system, the performance of at least one blade server of the application server pool from information received by a server agent associated with the blade server.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 additionally comprising removing, b the computer system, the use of at least one blade server from the application server pool.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 additionally comprising disposing, by the computer system, the removed blade server in the free server pool.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 additionally comprising determining, by the computer system, a relative performance of another application server pool.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 additionally comprising identifying, by the computer system, at least one blade server from said another application server pool that would impact performance the least if reallocated to the application server pool.

11. A computer-implemented method for automatically allocating computing resources of a rack-and-blade computer assembly comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, server performance information from an application server pool disposed in a rack of said rack-and-blade computer assembly;

said application server pool comprising a blade server including an associated server agent for measuring performance of an application running on the blade server;

determining, by the computer system, at least one level of service for the application server pool;

determining, by the computer system, that the level of service is above a standard;

based upon a request priority value of a resource request from the application, removing, by the computer system, the use of the blade server from the application server pool and allocating the blade server for use by a second application server pool in the rack if the application server pool has a first application server pool priority that is lower than a second application server pool priority that is associated with the second application server pool, so that the application runs on resources of the second application server pool and of the blade server allocated to the second application server pool, wherein the application server pool and the second application server pool are each disposed in said rack of said rack-and-blade computer assembly.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 additionally comprising allocating, by the computer system, the use of the removed blade server for use by a free server pool.

13. A computer-implemented method for automatically allocating computing resources of a rack-and-blade computer assembly comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, server performance information from an application server pool disposed in a rack of said rack-and-blade computer assembly;

said application server pool comprising a blade server including an associated server agent for measuring performance of an application running on the blade server;

determining, by the computer system, at least one level of service for the application server pool;

determining that the level of service is below a standard;

determining, by the computer system, that no blade server in a free server pool is available for use; and

based upon a request priority value of a resource request from the application, selecting, by the computer system, a lower priority blade server in a second application server pool in the rack for use by the application server pool if the application server pool has a first application server pool priority that is higher than a second application server pool priority that is associated with the second application server pool, so that the application runs on resources of the application server pool and of the lower priority blade server allocated to the application server pool, wherein the application server pool, the second application server pool, and the free server pool are each disposed in said rack of said rack-and-blade computer assembly.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 wherein said selecting, by the computer system, a lower priority blade server comprises selecting a lower priority blade server from the application server pool to obtain a selected blade server.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 additionally comprising preparing, by the computer system, the selected blade server for operation with the application server pool.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 additionally comprising flushing, by the computer system, the selected blade server.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 additionally comprising reconfiguring, by the computer system, a traffic management device associated with the application server pool.

18. A computer-implemented method for automatically allocating servers and resources of a scalable computer engine comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, server performance measurements from an administrative group of servers disposed in a rack of said scalable computer engine;

said administrative group of servers comprising a blade server including an associated server manager for measuring performance of a service hosted on the blade server;

determining, by the computer system, at least one level of service for the administrative group of servers;

determining, by the computer system, that the level of service is below a standard;

allocating, by the computer system, a free blade server from a free pool of servers for use by the administrative group of servers based on the determining by the computer system; and

if the free server pool does not have an available blade server for allocation to the application server pool and based upon a request priority value of a resource request from the application, then allocating, by the computer system a different blade server from a second application server pool in the rack to and for use by the administrative group of servers if the administrative group of servers has a first pool priority that is higher than a second pool priority that is associated with the second administrative group of servers, so that the service is hosted on resources of the administrative group of servers and of the different blade server allocated to the administrative group of servers, wherein the first administrative group of servers, the second administrative group of servers, and the free pool of servers are each disposed in said rack of said scalable computer engine.

19. A computer-implemented method for automatically allocating computing resources of a rack-and-blade computer assembly comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, server performance information from an application server pool disposed in a rack of said rack-and-blade computer assembly;

said application server pool comprising a blade server including an associated server agent for measuring performance of an application running on the blade server;

determining, by the computer system, at least one level of service for the application server pool;

determining that the level of service is below a standard;

determining, b the computer system, that a free server pool has a free blade server available for use;

selecting, by the computer system, from the free server pool the available free blade server for use by the application server pool; and

if the free server pool does not have the available free blade server and based upon a request priority value of a resource request from the application, then selecting, by the computer system, a different blade server from a second application server pool in the rack for use by the application server pool if the application server pool has a first application server pool priority that is higher than a second application server pool priority that is associated with the second application server pool, so that the application runs on resources of the application server pool and of the different blade server allocated to the application server pool, wherein the application server pool, the second application server pool, and the free server pool are each disposed in said rack of said rack-and-blade computer assembly.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 additionally comprising installing, by the computer system, software on the selected available blade server.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20 additionally comprising configuring, by the computer system, the selected available blade server.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 additionally comprising readying, by the computer system, the selected available blade server for operation.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 additionally comprising reconfiguring, by the computer system, a traffic management device associated with the application server pool.

24. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-readable, non-transitory medium having stored thereon instructions for;

receiving server performance information from an application server pool disposed in a rack of a rack-and-blade computer assembly;

said application server pool comprising a blade server including an associated server agent for measuring performance of an application running on the blade server;

determining at least one level of service for the application server pool;

determining that the level of service is above a standard;

based upon a request priority value of a resource request from the application, removing the use of the blade server from the application server pool and allocating the blade server for use by a second application server pool in the rack if the application server pool has a first application server pool priority that is lower than a second application server pool priority that is associated with the second application server pool, so that the application runs on resources of the second application server pool and of the blade server allocated to the second application server pool, wherein the application server pool and the second application server pool are each disposed in said rack of said rack-and-blade computer assembly.