Abstract: Some embodiments provide a system for allocating resources in a compute farm. During operation, the system can receive resource-requirement information for a project. Next, the system can receive a request to execute a new job in the compute farm. In response to determining that no job slots are available for executing the new job, and that the project associated with the new job has not used up its allocated job slots, the system may execute the new job by suspending or re-queuing a job that is currently executing, and allocating the freed-up job slot to the new job. If the system receives a resource-intensive job, the system may create dummy jobs, and schedule the dummy jobs on the same computer system as the resource-intensive job to prevent the queuing system from scheduling multiple resource-intensive jobs on the same computer system.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a system for allocating resources in a compute farm. During operation, the system can receive resource-requirement information for a project. Next, the system can receive a request to execute a new job in the compute farm. In response to determining that no job slots are available for executing the new job, and that the project associated with the new job has not used up its allocated job slots, the system may execute the new job by suspending or re-queuing a job that is currently executing, and allocating the freed-up job slot to the new job. If the system receives a resource-intensive job, the system may create dummy jobs, and schedule the dummy jobs on the same computer system as the resource-intensive job to prevent the queuing system from scheduling multiple resource-intensive jobs on the same computer system.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system for delivering software. During operation, the system receives selections from a user, wherein the selections specify items of software to be delivered from a master site to a user site. The system also receives priority information from the user, wherein the priority information specifies a priority for delivery for the selected items of software. Next, the system determines an order of delivery for the selected items of software based on the priority information. Finally, the system delivers the selected items of software from the master site to the user site in accordance with the determined order of delivery.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that enforces a resource-usage policy in a compute farm. During operation, the system can receive etiquette rules which include resource-usage rules and corrective-action rules. Resource-usage rules can specify situations in which the resource-usage policy is violated, and corrective-action rules can specify situations in which a corrective action needs to be performed. Next, the system can receive resource-usage information which includes job monitoring data and process monitoring data. The system can then determine a resource-usage violation by applying the resource-usage rules to the resource-usage information. Next, the system can store the resource-usage violation in a violation database. The system can then determine a corrective action by applying corrective-action rules to a series of violations stored in the violation database. Next, the system can perform the corrective action, thereby enforcing the resource-usage policy in the compute farm.