Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for load balancing in networks such as those networks handling telephony applications. By way of example, such techniques direct requests associated with calls to servers in a system comprised of a network routing calls between a plurality of callers and at least one receiver wherein a load balancer sends requests associated with calls to a plurality of servers as follows. A request associated with a call, a caller, or a receiver is received, depending on the particular load balancing technique. A server is selected to receive the request. A subsequent request is received. A determination is made whether or not the subsequent request is associated with the call, the caller, or the receiver, depending on the particular load balancing technique. The subsequent request is sent to the server based on determining that the subsequent request is associated with the call, the caller, or the receiver, again depending on the particular load balancing technique.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for load balancing in networks such as those networks handling telephony applications. By way of example, such techniques direct requests associated with calls to servers in a system comprised of a network routing calls between a plurality of callers and at least one receiver wherein a load balancer sends requests associated with calls to a plurality of servers as follows. A request associated with a call, a caller, or a receiver is received, depending on the particular load balancing technique. A server is selected to receive the request. A subsequent request is received. A determination is made whether or not the subsequent request is associated with the call, the caller, or the receiver, depending on the particular load balancing technique. The subsequent request is sent to the server based on determining that the subsequent request is associated with the call, the caller, or the receiver, again depending on the particular load balancing technique.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for load balancing in networks such as those networks handling telephony applications. By way of example, such techniques direct requests associated with calls to servers in a system comprised of a network routing calls between a plurality of callers and at least one receiver wherein a load balancer sends requests associated with calls to a plurality of servers as follows. A request associated with a call, a caller, or a receiver is received, depending on the particular load balancing technique. A server is selected to receive the request. A subsequent request is received. A determination is made whether or not the subsequent request is associated with the call, the caller, or the receiver, depending on the particular load balancing technique. The subsequent request is sent to the server based on determining that the subsequent request is associated with the call, the caller, or the receiver, again depending on the particular load balancing technique.

Abstract: A technique is provided for creating virtual units in a computing environment. A virtual system definition is received by a processor that is utilized to create the virtual units for a virtual system. Relationship constraints between the virtual units in the virtual system are received by the processor. The relationship constraints between the virtual units include a communication link requirement between the virtual units and/or a location requirement between the virtual units. The virtual units in the virtual system are deployed by the processor according to the relationship constraints between virtual units.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for dynamically building a set of compute nodes to host a user's workload. An administrative server receives workload definitions that include the types of workloads that are to be run in a cloud group as well as a number of instances of each workload the cloud group should support. These workload definitions are used to determine the virtual machine demands that the cloud group will place on the cloud environment. The administrative server further receives the demand constraints, placement constraints and license enforcement policies. The administrative server identifies a set of compute nodes to host the user's workload based on the virtual machines demands, the demand constraints, the placement constraints and the license enforcement policies. In this manner, a set of compute nodes is dynamically built for consideration in forming a cloud group without the user requiring knowledge of the cloud's composition.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for dynamically building a set of compute nodes to host a user's workload. An administrative server receives workload definitions that include the types of workloads that are to be run in a cloud group as well as a number of instances of each workload the cloud group should support. These workload definitions are used to determine the virtual machine demands that the cloud group will place on the cloud environment. The administrative server further receives the demand constraints, placement constraints and license enforcement policies. The administrative server identifies a set of compute nodes to host the user's workload based on the virtual machines demands, the demand constraints, the placement constraints and the license enforcement policies. In this manner, a set of compute nodes is dynamically built for consideration in forming a cloud group without the user requiring knowledge of the cloud's composition.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for load balancing in networks such as those networks handling telephony applications. By way of example, a method for directing requests associated with calls to servers in a system comprised of a network routing calls between a plurality of nodes wherein a node participates in a call as a caller or a receiver and wherein a load balancer sends requests associated with calls to a plurality of servers comprises the following steps. A request associated with a node belonging to a group including a plurality of nodes is received. A server is selected to receive the request. A subsequent request is received. A determination is made whether or not the subsequent request is associated with a node belonging to the group. The subsequent request is sent to the server based on determining that the subsequent request is associated with a node belonging to the group.

Abstract: In a computer system comprising a plurality of computing devices wherein the plurality of computing devices processes a plurality of tasks and each task has a task type, a method for determining overheads associated with task types comprises the following steps. Overheads are estimated for a plurality of task types. One of the plurality of computing devices is selected to execute one of the plurality of tasks, wherein the selection comprises estimating load on at least a portion of the plurality of computing devices from tasks assigned to at least a portion of the plurality of computing devices and the estimates of overheads of the plurality of task types. One or more of the estimates of overheads of the plurality of task types are varied.

Abstract: A technique is provided for creating virtual units in a computing environment. A virtual system definition is received by a processor that is utilized to create the virtual units for a virtual system. Relationship constraints between the virtual units in the virtual system are received by the processor. The relationship constraints between the virtual units include a communication link requirement between the virtual units and/or a location requirement between the virtual units. The virtual units in the virtual system are deployed by the processor according to the relationship constraints between virtual units.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for dynamically building a set of compute nodes to host a user's workload. An administrative server receives workload definitions that include the types of workloads that are to be run in a cloud group as well as a number of instances of each workload the cloud group should support. These workload definitions are used to determine the virtual machine demands that the cloud group will place on the cloud environment. The administrative server further receives the demand constraints, placement constraints and license enforcement policies. The administrative server identifies a set of compute nodes to host the user's workload based on the virtual machines demands, the demand constraints, the placement constraints and the license enforcement policies. In this manner, a set of compute nodes is dynamically built for consideration in forming a cloud group without the user requiring knowledge of the cloud's composition.

Abstract: Provides control of the workload, flow control, and concurrency control of a computer system through the use of only external performance monitors. Data collected by external performance monitors are used to build a simple, black box model of the computer system, comprising two resources: a virtual bottleneck resource and a delay resource representing all non-bottleneck resources combined. The service times of the two resource types are two parameters of the black box model. The two parameters are evaluated based on historical data collected by the external performance monitors. The workload capacity that avoids saturation of the bottleneck resource is then determined and used as a control variable by a flow controller to limit the workload on the computer system. The workload may include a mix of traffic classes. In such a case, data is collected, parameters are evaluated and control variables are determined for each of the traffic classes.

Abstract: A management system and method for a virtualized environment includes a computer entity having a usage limitation based on an entitlement. A resource manager, using a processor and programmed on and executed from a memory storage device, is configured to manage resources in a virtualized environment. An entitlement-usage module is coupled to the resource manager and is configured to track entitlement-related constraints in accordance with changes in the virtualized environment to permit the resource manager to make allocation decisions which include the entitlement-related constraints to ensure that the usage limitation is met for the computer entity.

Abstract: A method and system for distributing requests to multiple back-end servers in client-server environments. A front-end load balancer is used to send requests to multiple back-end servers. In appropriate cases, the load balancer will send requests to the servers based on affinity requirements, while maintaining load balance among servers.

Abstract: In a computer system comprising a plurality of computing devices wherein the plurality of computing devices processes a plurality of tasks and each task has a task type, a method for determining overheads associated with task types comprises the following steps. Overheads are estimated for a plurality of task types. One of the plurality of computing devices is selected to execute one of the plurality of tasks, wherein the selection comprises estimating load on at least a portion of the plurality of computing devices from tasks assigned to at least a portion of the plurality of computing devices and the estimates of overheads of the plurality of task types. One or more of the estimates of overheads of the plurality of task types are varied.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for load balancing based on call length in networks such as those networks handling telephony applications. By way of example, one method for directing requests associated with calls to servers in a system comprised of a network routing calls between at least one caller and at least one receiver wherein the network comprises a load balancer sending requests to a plurality of servers comprises the following steps. A first request of a call is received. A server s1 is selected to receive the request based on an estimated duration of the call. Another method for directing requests associated with calls to servers in a system comprised of a network routing calls between at least one caller and at least one receiver wherein the network comprises a load balancer sending requests to a plurality of servers comprises the following steps. Information is maintained regarding load assigned to a plurality of servers. A first request of a call is received.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for load balancing in networks such as those networks handling telephony applications. By way of example, a method for directing requests associated with calls to servers in a system comprised of a network routing calls between a plurality of nodes wherein a node participates in a call as a caller or a receiver and wherein a load balancer sends requests associated with calls to a plurality of servers comprises the following steps. A request associated with a node belonging to a group including a plurality of nodes is received. A server is selected to receive the request. A subsequent request is received. A determination is made whether or not the subsequent request is associated with a node belonging to the group. The subsequent request is sent to the server based on determining that the subsequent request is associated with a node belonging to the group.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for load balancing in networks such as those networks handling telephony applications. By way of example, such techniques direct requests associated with calls to servers in a system comprised of a network routing calls between a plurality of callers and at least one receiver wherein a load balancer sends requests associated with calls to a plurality of servers as follows. A request associated with a call, a caller, or a receiver is received, depending on the particular load balancing technique. A server is selected to receive the request. A subsequent request is received. A determination is made whether or not the subsequent request is associated with the call, the caller, or the receiver, depending on the particular load balancing technique. The subsequent request is sent to the server based on determining that the subsequent request is associated with the call, the caller, or the receiver, again depending on the particular load balancing technique.

Abstract: Provides control of the workload, flow control, and concurrency control of a computer system through the use of only external performance monitors. Data collected by external performance monitors are used to build a simple, black box model of the computer system, comprising two resources: a virtual bottleneck resource and a delay resource representing all non-bottleneck resources combined. The service times of the two resource types are two parameters of the black box model. The two parameters are evaluated based on historical data collected by the external performance monitors. The workload capacity that avoids saturation of the bottleneck resource is then determined and used as a control variable by a flow controller to limit the workload on the computer system. The workload may include a mix of traffic classes. In such a case, data is collected, parameters are evaluated and control variables are determined for each of the traffic classes.

Abstract: Provides control of the workload, flow control, and concurrency control of a computer system through the use of only external performance monitors. Data collected by external performance monitors are used to build a simple, black box model of the computer system, comprising two resources: a virtual bottleneck resource and a delay resource representing all non-bottleneck resources combined. The service times of the two resource types are two parameters of the black box model. The two parameters are evaluated based on historical data collected by the external performance monitors. The workload capacity that avoids saturation of the bottleneck resource is then determined and used as a control variable by a flow controller to limit the workload on the computer system. The workload may include a mix of traffic classes. In such a case, data is collected, parameters are evaluated and control variables are determined for each of the traffic classes.

Abstract: Improved discovery techniques are provided. For example, in one aspect of the invention, a technique for making providers of a particular kind of data available to an application program includes the following steps/operations. The technique discovers whether one or more data providers are capable of providing the particular kind of data, wherein a discovered data provider is either a connected data provider or a virtual data provider. When a data provider capable of providing the particular kind of data is discovered and the discovered data provider is a virtual data provider, the technique instantiates the virtual data provider. When a data provider capable of providing the particular kind of data is discovered, the technique makes a data-provider handle for the discovered data provider available to the application program, with a common interface.