# US 2013/0159693 A1 · Automatic Configuration Sampling for Managing Configuration Parameters of a Computer System > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0159693 A1 - Document ID: US20130159693A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/767,022 - Filed: 2013-02-14 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-11-29 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Christopher Francois; Mark R. Funk; Allan E. Johnson; Todd J. Rosedahl; Philip L. Vitale - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130159693A1 ## CPC - G06F 9/44505: {Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files} - G06F 11/3409: {for performance assessment} - G06F 11/3428: {Benchmarking} - G06F 2201/88: Monitoring involving counting - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A computer configuration utility automatically alters system configuration parameters to sample multiple different configurations. At least one workrate metric is measured at each sampled configuration. The workrate measurements for the multiple different configurations are compared to determine the effect of different configurations with respect to at least one optimization criterion. System configuration is automatically adjusted to the optimum configuration. Preferably, the workrate metric is (non-idle) instructions executed per unit of time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer program product for managing configuration parameters of a computer system, comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code being configured to: automatically alter at least one configuration parameter of said computer system to generate a plurality of different configurations of said computer system at respective corresponding measurement intervals; automatically measure at least one workrate metric at each said measurement interval to determine a respective workrate corresponding to each configuration of said plurality of different configurations, each said workrate being an instantaneous value representing an amount of work per unit time being processed by at least a portion of said computer system at a respective particular point in time, each said workrate metric being an actual measurement representing said workrate; automatically compare the workrates determined by said automatically measuring at least one workrate metric to determine a respective optimum value of each of said at least one configuration parameter according to at least one optimization criterion; and responsive to automatically comparing the workrates determined by said automatically measuring at least one workrate metric to determine a respective optimum value of each of at least one said configuration parameter according to at least one optimization criterion, automatically set said at least one configuration parameter of said computer system to the respective optimum value of each of said at least one configuration parameter according to said at least one optimization criterion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said at least one configuration parameter comprises at least one parameter defining at least one resource allocated to a logical partition of said computer system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said at least one configuration parameter comprises at least one parameter defining a respective workload assigned to each of a plurality of logical partitions of said computer system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said computer usable program code is further configured to: receive user input specifying said at least one optimization criterion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said at least one workrate metric comprises a measurement of non-idle instructions executed per unit of time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said measurement interval is one millisecond or less. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said computer usable program code is configured to iteratively automatically alter said at least one configuration parameter of said computer system to generate a respective configuration of said computer system, iteratively automatically measure said at least one workrate metric at a corresponding measurement interval to determine a workrate corresponding to the respective configuration of said computer system, and repeat iteratively automatically altering said at least one configuration parameter and iteratively automatically measuring said at least one workrate metric until a respective optimum value of each of said at least one configuration parameter according to said at least one optimization criterion is reached. ### Claim 8 A computer system, comprising: a memory; at least one processor, said at least one processor executing instructions storable in said memory; a configuration manager capable of automatically altering at least one configuration parameter of said computer system, said configuration manager generating a plurality of different configurations of said computer system at respective corresponding measurement intervals by altering at least one said configuration parameter and, at each said measurement interval, measuring at least one workrate metric to determine a respective workrate corresponding to the configuration of said plurality of different configurations of said computer system at the corresponding measurement interval, each said workrate being an instantaneous value representing an amount of work per unit time being processed by at least a portion of said computer system at a respective particular point in time, each said workrate metric being an actual measurement representing said workrate; wherein said configuration manager determines a respective optimum value of each of said at least one configuration parameter according to at least one optimization criterion by comparing each said respective workrate corresponding to at least some of said configurations of said computer system; and wherein said configuration manager automatically sets each of said at least one configuration parameter to its respective optimum value according to said at least one optimization criterion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The computer system method of claim 8, further comprising: a partition manager which partitions said computer system into a plurality of logical partitions; wherein said at least one configuration parameter comprises at least one parameter defining at least one resource allocated to a logical partition of said computer system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The computer system of claim 8, further comprising: a partition manager which partitions said computer system into a plurality of logical partitions; wherein said at least one configuration parameter comprises at least one parameter defining a respective workload assigned to each of a plurality of logical partitions of said computer system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The computer system claim 8, wherein said at least one workrate metric comprises a measurement of non-idle instructions executed per unit of time. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The computer system of claim 8, wherein said measurement interval is one millisecond or less. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The computer system of claim 8, wherein said configuration manager iteratively alters said at least one configuration parameter of said computer system to generate a respective configuration of said computer system, iteratively measures said at least one workrate metric at a corresponding measurement interval to determine a workrate corresponding to the respective configuration of said computer system, and repeats iteratively altering said at least one configuration parameter and iteratively measuring said at least one workrate metric until a respective optimum value of each of said at least one configuration parameter according to said at least one optimization criterion is reached.