Status hub used by autonomic application servers

A system for serving applications, the system comprising:

• one or more computer systems having:
• means for receiving from a centralized location at least one component status publication generated based upon activity information specified in at least one component usage messages generated by at least one application component, each said component status publication specifying a usage level for the application component, wherein each said component usage message is generated after a predetermined period of time and is automatically delivered to the centralized location, wherein said component message specifies the activity information for the application component, and wherein the activity information specifies at least among a number of users accessing the corresponding application component, a number of requests received by the corresponding application component within the predetermined time interval, and a rate at which resources of the corresponding application component are used;
• means for acquiring a client request to execute one or more computing tasks, wherein said computing tasks include at least one among a data processing task and a data management task;
• means for selecting a server response for said client request from among a plurality of possible server responses to execute said computing tasks based at least in part upon said component status publications, wherein each possible server response differentially utilizes application components to execute said computing tasks, wherein means for selecting further comprise:
• means for determining that a server response to execute said computing tasks can be provided using either one of said external components or one of said local components;
• means for comparing an usage level of said external component specified in said component status publication with a predetermined usage threshold value;
• and
• if said usage threshold value is exceeded, using said local component to provide said server response for executing said computing tasks, otherwise using said external component to provide said server response for executing said computing tasks;
• and
• means for responding to said client request with said selected server response;
• wherein said component status publication specifies a state of said at least one application component, wherein said centralized location determines the state based upon at least one of said component usage messages, wherein responsive to an overload condition, said centralized location adjusts the specified state of said application component in said component status publication from a steady-state to an overload-state, and wherein responsive to an end of said overload condition, said centralized location adjusts the specified state from the overload-state to the steady-state.

A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

• receiving from a centralized location at least one component status publication generated based upon activity information specified in at least one component usage messages generated by at least one application component, each said component status publication specifying a usage level for the application component, wherein each said component usage message is generated after a predetermined period of time and is automatically delivered to the centralized location, wherein said component message specifies the activity information for the application component, and wherein the activity information specifies at least one among a number of users accessing the corresponding application component, a number of requests received by the corresponding application component within the predetermined time interval, and a rate at which resources of the corresponding application component are used, wherein said component status publication specifies a state of said at least one application component, wherein said centralized location determines the state based upon at least one of said component usage messages, wherein responsive to an overload condition, said centralized location adjusts the specified state of said application component in said component status publication from a steady-state to an overload-state, and wherein responsive to an end of said overload condition, said centralized location adjusts the specified state from the overload-state to the steady-state;
• acquiring a client request to execute one or more computing tasks, wherein said computing tasks include at least one among a data processing task and a data management task;
• selecting a server response for said client request from among a plurality of possible server responses to execute said computing tasks based at least in part upon said component status publications, wherein each possible server response differentially utilizes application components to execute said computing tasks, and wherein said selecting further comprises:
• determining that a server response to execute said computing tasks can be provided using either one of said external components or one of said local components;
• comparing an usage level of said external component specified in said component status publication with a predetermined usage threshold value;
• and
• if said usage threshold value is exceeded, using said local component to provide said server response for executing said computing tasks, otherwise using said external component to provide said server response for executing said computing tasks;
• and
• responding to said client request with said selected server response.