Systems and methods for dynamically provisioning cloud computing resources

A cloud computing system comprising a computer system, wherein the computer system comprises a processor and a memory, the memory having executable code stored thereon that when executed by the processor performs a method, the method comprising:

• specifying configuration information for creating one or more first software application servers, wherein the configuration information are stored as images on the cloud computing system;
• specifying a first processing load threshold;
• specifying a second processing load threshold;
• continuously monitoring a processing load on one or more second software application servers, the second software application servers including a central application server;
• generating a request to the cloud computing system to instantiate an instance of one of said images if the monitored load exceeds the first processing load threshold, wherein the request to the cloud computing system comprises an identification of the central application server;
• creating a first application server instance on the cloud computing system in response to the request, wherein said identification is used to establish a connection between the first application server instance and the central application server;
• registering the first application server instance with the central application server;
• distributing the processing load across the one or more second software application servers and the first software application server instance;
• and
• monitoring the processing load on the one or more second software application servers and the first software application server instance, wherein the processing load is monitored separately on each server, and wherein distributing the processing load across the one or more second servers and the first software application server instance is based on the monitored load of the one or more second servers and the first software application server instance;
• generating a second request to the cloud computing system to de-instantiate the first software application server instance or one of the second software application servers, but not the central application server, if the monitored processing load is below the second processing load threshold;
• and
• suspending said first software application server instance or said one of the second software application servers on the cloud computing system in response to the request.