Method and apparatus for monitoring and automatically reserving computer resources for operating an application within a computer environment

An apparatus comprising:

• a decision maker for
• monitoring a computing environment to detect one or more events within the computing environment, wherein
• the one or more events are associated with characteristics of computer resources provided by one or more physical machines within the computing environment,
• a plurality of units are assigned to the computer resources, and
• the plurality of units specify a combination of a plurality of load values, a plurality of capacity values, and a plurality of priority values, and
• monitoring a schedule to detect when an application is to start running,
• wherein
• the schedule defines a workload for the application within the computing environment;
• a resize module for allocating portions of the computer resources within the computing environment before the application is started, the allocating portions comprising:
• determining whether one or more virtual machines are configured to optimize the computer resources within the computing environment;
• and
• based on the determining,
• releasing one or more units of the plurality of units assigned to the computer resources, and
• reserving and allocating one or more load values of the plurality of load values, one or more capacity values of the plurality of capacity values, or one or more priority values of the plurality of priority values supported by the one or more units of the plurality of units assigned to the computer resources and released to a virtual machine of the one or more virtual machines for operating the application;
• and
• a release module for
• determining whether the virtual machine is continuing to operate within the computing environment and whether a physical machine of the one or more physical machines comprises processing capacity to execute the application,
• designating the application to be placed in a queue if the physical machine does not comprise the processing capacity to execute the application, and
• in response to a determination that the virtual machine is not continuing to operate and that the physical machine comprises the processing capacity to execute the application, removing the application from the queue and releasing a corresponding portion of the one or more load values, the one or more capacity values, or the one or more priority values allocated to the virtual machine to the physical machine for allocation to another virtual machine of the one or more virtual machines for operating the application.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions executable to:

• monitor a computing environment to detect one or more events within the computing environment, wherein
• the one or more events are associated with characteristics of computer resources provided by one or more physical machines within the computing environment, and
• a plurality of units are assigned to the computer resources provided by the one or more physical machines;
• access a schedule to determine a start time for starting an application within the computing environment;
• before the start time, configure one or more virtual machines, comprising:
• releasing one or more units of the plurality of units assigned to the computer resources, and
• allocating the one or more units to a virtual machine of the one or more virtual machines for operating the application;
• and
• after the start time has elapsed,
• determining whether the virtual machine is continuing to operate within the computing environment and whether a physical machine of the one or more physical machines comprises processing capacity to execute the application,
• designating the application to be placed in a queue if the physical machine does not comprise the processing capacity to execute the application, and
• in response to a determination that the virtual machine is not continuing to operate and that the physical machine comprises the processing capacity to execute the application, removing the application from the queue and releasing a corresponding portion of the one or more load values, the one or more capacity values, or the one or more priority values allocated to the virtual machine to the physical machine for allocation to another virtual machine of the one or more virtual machines for operating the application.