Virtual machine stage detection

A computer implemented method for categorizing a virtual machine stage, the method comprising:

• determining for each virtual machine metric and a virtual machine stage combination, that at least one criterion is met or unmet, wherein the virtual machine metric measures performance of a virtual machine;
• determining a count of criteria met for each virtual machine stage of the virtual machine;
• selecting a selected virtual machine stage from among virtual machine stages, based on the selected virtual machine stage having a most criteria met among each count of criteria met corresponding to each virtual machine stage;
• and
• responsive to selecting the selected virtual machine stage, changing an allocation of data processing system resources in response to selecting the selected virtual machine stage.

A computer program product to categorize a virtual machine stage, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:
• computer readable program code configured to start a virtual machine;
• computer readable program code configured to set factor-stage ranges, wherein for each combination factor and stage, a corresponding range is present, and wherein each range is at least as broad as a reset range;
• computer readable program code configured to set a frequency for sampling virtual machine metrics;
• computer readable program code configured to sample virtual machine metrics, consistent at a frequency, to form a plurality of virtual machine metrics for each factor;
• computer readable program code configured to apply a value to each range satisfied by each virtual machine metric, to form a plurality of stage-qualifying values corresponding to a range;
• computer readable program code configured to sum all stage-qualifying values corresponding to each stage, to form a stage likelihood for each of the stages;
• computer readable program code configured to select a stage corresponding to a highest stage likelihood, among the plurality of stage likelihoods, as the current stage;
• computer readable program code configured to determine if the current range is different than a former range;
• and
• computer readable program code configured to expand each range corresponding to the current stage, responsive to a determination that the current range is different.

A data processing system for categorizing a virtual machine stage, the data processing system comprising:

• a processor, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage medium;
• the computer readable program code comprising:
• computer readable program code configured to start a virtual machine;
• computer readable program code configured to set factor-stage ranges, wherein for each combination factor and stage, a corresponding range is present, and wherein each range is at least as broad as a reset range;
• computer readable program code configured to set a frequency for sampling virtual machine metrics;
• computer readable program code configured to sample virtual machine metrics, consistent at a frequency, to form a plurality of virtual machine metrics for each factor;
• computer readable program code configured to apply a value to each range satisfied by each virtual machine metric, to form a plurality of stage-qualifying values corresponding to a range;
• computer readable program code configured to sum all stage-qualifying values corresponding to each stage, to form a stage likelihood for each of the stages;
• computer readable program code configured to select a stage corresponding to a highest stage likelihood, among the plurality of stage likelihoods, as the current stage;
• computer readable program code configured to determine if the current range is different than a former range;
• and
• computer readable program code configured to expand each range corresponding to the current stage, responsive to a determination that the current range is different.