US 9,003,416 B2Granted

Predicting resource requirements for a computer application

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsRosario Gangemi, Vincenzo Sciacca, Massimo Villani

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Abstract

A resource consumption model is created for a software application, making it possible to predict the resource requirements of the application in different states. The model has a structure corresponding to that of the application itself, and is interpreted to some degree in parallel with the application, but each part of the model is interpreted in less time than it takes to complete the corresponding part of the application, so that resource requirement predictions are available in advance. The model may be interpreted in a look-ahead mode, wherein different possible branches of the model are interpreted so as to obtain resource requirement predictions for the application after completion of the present step. The model may be derived automatically from the application at design or compilation, and populated by measuring the requirements of the application in response to test scenarios in a controlled environment.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

a processor;
a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
provide a resource consumption model of an application, the resource consumption model being adapted to provide resource requirements of the application as a function of a current functional state of the application;
execute the application;
and
in parallel with the execution of the application:
interpret the resource consumption model in conjunction with the current functional state of the application to generate resource requirement data for the application,
interpret a series of successive units of the resource consumption model in less time than that required for the completion of the current functional state of the application corresponding to a first of the series of successive units and a plurality of alternative series of successive units of the resource consumption model, each alternative series of the plurality of alternative series starting with the same unit corresponding to the current functional state of the application, all of the plurality of alternative series being interpreted in less time than that required for the completion of the current functional state of the application corresponding to the first of the series of successive units, so that resource requirement data of the series of successive units and each of the plurality of alternative series of successive units for future possible application states are available before the application changes state, wherein different alternative series of the plurality of alternative series are weighted according to the likelihood that the functional state of the application will develop in the manner represented by the series of units forming that series, and
adjust system resource settings affecting the application as a function of the resource requirement data of the series of successive units and each of the plurality of alternative series of successive units before the application changes state based on a worst case of the future possible application states.

6 more elements

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

provide a resource consumption model of an application, the resource consumption model being adapted to provide resource requirements of the application as a function of a current functional state of the application;
execute the application;
and
in parallel with the execution of the application:
interpret the resource consumption model in conjunction with the current functional state of the application to generate resource requirement data for the application,
interpret a series of successive units of the resource consumption model in less time than that required for the completion of the current functional state of the application corresponding to a first of the series of successive units and a plurality of alternative series of successive units of the resource consumption model, each alternative series of the plurality of alternative series starting with the same unit corresponding to the current functional state of the application, all of the plurality of alternative series being interpreted in less time than that required for the completion of the current functional state of the application corresponding to the first of the series of successive units, so that resource requirement data of the series of successive units and each of the plurality of alternative series of successive units for future possible application states are available before the application changes state, wherein different alternative series of the plurality of alternative series are weighted according to the likelihood that the functional state of the application will develop in the manner represented by the series of units forming that series, and
adjust system resource settings affecting the application as a function of the resource requirement data of the series of successive units and each of the plurality of alternative series of successive units before the application changes state based on a worst case of the future possible application states.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.