Server consolidation using virtual machine resource tradeoffs

A computer program product for consolidating a plurality of virtual machines and physical servers, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

• assigning a virtual machine to a target physical server based on a plurality of virtualization parameters for maximizing utility of the plurality of virtual machines and physical servers, wherein assigning performs resource allocation for the virtual machine based on capabilities of the target physical server and a plurality of virtual machine resource requirements.

A system for consolidating a plurality of virtual machines and physical servers, the system comprising:

• a consolidation module comprising an assignment module configured for assigning a virtual machine to a target physical server based on a plurality of virtualization parameters for maximizing utility of a plurality of virtual machines and physical servers, and an allocation module configured for resource allocation for the virtual machine based on capabilities of the target physical server and a plurality of virtual machine resource requirements, by performing a tradeoff between minimizing number of physical servers utilized, minimizing power consumption, to maximize at least one of system utilization and performance.