Abstract: Various embodiments select at least one service provider from a plurality of service providers in a computing environment. In one embodiment, a service request is received from a user. The service request comprises at least a set of service requirements to be satisfied by at least one service provider. A satisfaction level is predicted for each of a plurality of service providers with respect to each of the set of service requirements. The prediction is based on a prediction satisfaction model associated with each of the plurality of service providers. A probability of an actual observed satisfaction level being higher than at least a user defined threshold is calculated for each of the predicted satisfaction levels. At least one service provider is selected from the plurality of service providers for satisfying the service request based on the probability that has been calculated for each satisfaction level predicted.

Abstract: Techniques for globally managing systems are provided. One or more measurable effects of at least one hypothetical action to achieve a management goal are determined at a first system manager. The one or more measurable effects are sent from the first system manager to a second system manager. At the second system manager, one or more procedural actions to achieve the management goal are determined in response to the one or more received measurable effects. The one or more procedural actions are executed to achieve the management goal.

Abstract: An optimization problem models the dynamic placement of applications on servers under two types of simultaneous resource requirements, those that are dependent on the loads placed on the applications and those that are independent. The demand (load) for applications changes over time and the goal is to satisfy all the demand while changing the solution (assignment of applications to servers) as little as possible.

Abstract: A method of dynamic performance balancing in a distributed computer system including collecting average service time statistics for application requests distributed from multiple application servers and collecting application server CPU utilization statistics from multiple hosts where each host is associated with at least one of the application servers. In addition, the method includes periodically calculating scaled routing weights from the average service time and CPU utilization statistics and distributing server requests to the application servers in accordance with the scaled routing weights. Also disclosed is a distributed computer system configured to accomplish dynamic performance balancing as described above, and an article of manufacture for use in programming a distributed computer system containing instructions to accomplish dynamic performance balancing of server requests as described above.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for on-demand application resource allocation. In accordance with the method of the invention, an anticipated workload can be compared to a measured capacity for an application cluster in one or more server computing nodes in a server farm. If the measured capacity warrants a re-configuration of the application clusters, a new placement can be computed for application server instances in individual ones of the server computing nodes. Subsequently, the new placement can be applied to the server computing nodes in the server farm. In this regard, the applying step can include starting and stopping selected ones of the application server instances in different ones of the server computing nodes to effectuate the new placement.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for supporting a large number of intermittently used application clusters without consuming all the resources needed to run server processes for all the application clusters all the time. A method in accordance with the present invention comprises: holding an application request for a dormant application cluster in a holding zone; changing a status of the dormant application cluster to active; changing a status of an unused active application cluster to dormant; stopping server processes for the newly dormant application cluster; starting server processes for the newly active application cluster; and directing the application request held in the holding zone to the server processes for the newly active application cluster.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for service and/or business for coordinating tasks of performance management and application placement management in a dynamic fashion. An example process is dynamic in the face of fluctuations in the request load to the distributed computer system and the periodic adjustments to the placement of applications onto servers in said distributed computer system. There are two opposite functional flows in said process: a demand estimation function and a capacity adjustment function. The coordination system involves two subsystems: a demand estimator and a capacity adjuster, along with appropriate interfaces to of the performance manager and the application placement manager.