Method and systems for sub-allocating computational resources

• US 9,507,642 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2012
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kibler, Wendell L, Austin, Paul R, Lorenzo, Arturo M, Jung, Gueyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Hai
• Application Number:
  US13/693,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/40
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1432 Metric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments relate to systems and methods for method and systems for sub-allocating computational resources. A first computing device receives information associated with a first set of computational resources from a cloud infrastructure. The first set of computational resources has been allocated to the first computing device by the cloud infrastructure. A first set of parameters associated with a workflow received by the first computing device is determined. The first set of parameters is indicative of a need of the first set of computational resources by the first computing device. One or more computational resources from the first set of computational resources are sub-allocated based on the determined first set of parameters.

Claims

1. A method implementable on a first computing device for allocating one or more computational resources, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, information associated with a first set of computational resources from a cloud infrastructure, wherein the first set of computational resources have been allocated to the first computing device by the cloud infrastructure;

determining, by the one or more processors, one or more computational resources from the first set of computational resources based on a comparison between a first set of parameters associated with a workflow received by the first computing device and a second set of parameters associated with a peak workflow, wherein the first set of parameters and the second set of parameters are indicative of computational resources for processing the workflow and the peak workflow, respectively;

allocating, by a marketplace server, the identified one or more computational resources to a second computing device;

monitoring, by the one or more processors, the first computing device such that the first set of parameters is monitored; and

instructing, by the one or more processors, the market place server to preempt the allocated one or more computational resources based on the monitoring, wherein the preempting comprises withdrawing the allocation of the identified one or more computational resources from the second computing device; and

allocating, by the marketplace server, the preempted computational resources to the first computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of computational resources are received based on a service level agreement (SLA) between the cloud service provider and the first computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of computational resources comprises RAM, processors, and storage space.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of parameters comprises network bandwidth required by the workflow, processor instances required by the workflow, memory space required by the workflow, and storage space required by the workflow.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising billing, by the one or more processors, the one or more second computing devices based on a usage of the one or more computational resources.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein information associated with the first set of computational resources comprises at least one of an IP address associated with the first set of computational resources, RAM address, or Storage Space address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more computational resources are preempted when the monitoring indicates that the first computing device is experiencing a peak workload.

8. A method implementable on an online marketplace server for allocating one or more computational resources, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, information pertaining to the one or more computational resources from one or more first computing devices;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a first request for the one or more computational resources from one or more second computing devices;

allocating, by the one or more processors, the one or more computational resources to the one or more second computing devices;

monitoring, by the one or more processors, usage of the one or more computational resources;

receiving, by the one or more processors, from at least one first computing device, a second request to preempt the one or more allocated computational resources associated with the at least one first computing device, wherein the at least one first computing device transmits the second request when the at least one computing device receives a peak workload;

preempting, by the one or more processors, the one or more allocated computational resources, wherein the preempting comprises withdrawing the allocation of the identified one or more computational resources from the second computing device;

allocating, by the marketplace server, the preempted computational resources to the first computing device; and

billing, by the one or more processors, the one or more second computing devices based on the usage.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising publishing an availability of the one or more computational resources on an online marketplace.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising transmitting a usage log of the one or more computational resources to the one or more first computing devices, wherein the usage log is created based on the monitoring.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more first computing devices receives information associated with a first set of computational resources from a cloud service provider, wherein the one or more first computing devices sends the information associated with the one or more computational resources from the first set of computational resources to the online marketplace server.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more computational resources are preempted when the first computing device is experiencing a peak workload.

13. A first computing device for allocating one or more computational resources, the first computing device comprising:

a processor and memory;

a first computational resource manager configured to receive information associated with a first set of computational resources from a cloud service provider, wherein the first set of computational resources have been allocated to the first computing device by the cloud infrastructure;

a load manager configured to determine one or more computational resources from the first set of computational resources based on a comparison between a first set of parameters associated with a workflow received by the first computing device and a second set of parameters associated with a peak workflow, wherein the first set of parameters and the second set of parameters are indicative of computational resources for processing the workflow and the peak workflow, respectively; and

a marketplace server configured to allocate the one or more computational resources to a second computing device that comprises a processor and memory;

wherein the load manager is further configured to monitor the first computing device such that the first set of parameters is monitored,

wherein the first computational resource manager is further configured to instruct the market place server to preempt the allocated one or more computational resources based on the monitoring, the preempting comprising withdrawing the allocation of the identified one or more computational resources from the second computing device, and

wherein the marketplace server is further configured to allocate the preempted computational resources to the first computing device.

14. The first computing device of claim 13 further comprising a billing module configured to bill the one or more second computing devices based on a usage of the one or more computational resources, wherein the one or more computational resources are allocated to the one or more second computing devices.

15. The first computing device of claim 13, wherein the one or more computational resources are preempted when the monitoring indicates that the first computing device is experiencing a peak workload.

16. An online marketplace server for allocating one or more computational resources, the online marketplace server comprising:

a processor and memory;

a communication manager configured to receive information pertaining to the one or more computational resources from one or more first computing devices;

the communication manager configured to receive a first request from one or more second computing devices for the one or more computational resources;

a second computational resource manager configured to;

allocate the one or more computational resources to the one or more second computing devices that comprise processors and memory; and

monitor usage of the one or more computational resources;

receive, from at least one first computing device, a second request to preempt the one or more allocated computational resources associated with the at least one first computing device, wherein the at least one first computing device transmits the second request when the at least one computing device receives a peak workload;

preempt the one or more allocated computational resources, wherein the preempting comprises withdrawing the allocation of the identified one or more computational resources from the second computing device; and

allocate the preempted computational resources to the first computing device; and

a billing module configured to bill the one or more second computing devices based on the usage.

17. The online marketplace server of claim 16 further comprising a publication manager configured to publish the availability of the one or more computational resources on an online marketplace.

18. The online marketplace server of claim 16, wherein the online marketplace correspond to a portal, a website, an application programming interface (API) and a blog.

19. The online marketplace server of claim 16, wherein the one or more computational resources are preempted when the monitoring indicates that the first computing device is experiencing a peak workload.