Automatic tuning of virtual data center resource utilization policies

A method comprising:

• using resource administrator logic executed using a digital electronic computing device, receiving one or more requests to utilize one or more virtual data center (VDC) resources, wherein the VDC resources comprise other digital electronic computing devices and storage devices and the VDC is remote with respect to the computing device;
• using the resource administrator logic executed using the computing device, receiving, for each of the one or more requests, a requested service level indicating an acceptable level of performance for the request;
• determining, using the resource administrator logic executed using the computing device, resource utilization performance information for each of the one or more requests;
• determining, using the resource administrator logic executed using the computing device, for each of the one or more requests, based in part on the resource utilization performance information of the request, that the resource utilization performance for the request is incompatible with the requested service level for the request;
• selecting, using the resource administrator logic executed using the computing device, for each of the one or more requests, based in part on the resource utilization performance information, a new resource utilization policy, wherein the new resource utilization policy specifies a new class of VDC resources that is different than class of VDC resources of a prior resource utilization policy associated with the request;
• wherein the new class of VDC resources is different than the class of VDC resources of the prior utilization policy by at least one of:
• the class of VDC resources of the prior utilization policy comprises a disk storage unit, and the new class of VDC resources comprises an in-memory storage unit, the class of VDC resources of the prior utilization policy comprises a redundant array of independent disk storage with block level striping, and the new class of VDC resources comprises a redundant array of independent disk storage with byte level striping, or the class of VDC resources of the prior utilization policy comprises a redundant array of independent disk storage with block level striping, and the new class of VDC resources comprises a redundant array of independent disk storage with bit level striping;
• causing data, distributed according to the prior resource utilization policy, to be distributed according to the new resource utilization policy using the new class of VDC resources at a virtual data center;
• wherein the method is performed by executing resource administrator logic whose execution is controlled by a management entity different than a host of the virtual data center.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions which when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform:

• using resource administrator logic executed using a digital electronic computing device, receiving a request to utilize one or more virtual data center (VDC) resources;
• in response to receiving the request, using the resource administrator logic executed using the computing device, determining a particular service level applicable to the request;
• determining, using the resource administrator logic executed using the computing device, based on the particular service level and mapping information that indicates associations between VDC resource utilization policies and service levels, a particular VDC resource utilization policy corresponding to the request, wherein the particular VDC resource utilization policy specifies a first class of VDC resources to be utilized in completing the request;
• determining, using the resource administrator logic executed using the computing device, based on an analysis of a performance of a set of VDC resources, that the particular VDC resource utilization policy associated with the particular service level is no longer compatible with a performance expectation associated with the particular service level for the first class of VDC resources;
• modifying, using the resource administrator logic executed using the computing device, the mapping information to replace an identification of an association between the particular VDC resource utilization policy and the particular service level with an identification of an association between a new VDC resource utilization policy and the particular service level, wherein the new VDC resource utilization policy specifies a second class of VDC resources that is different than the first class of VDC resources to be utilized in completing the request;
• wherein the second class of VDC resources is different than the first class of VDC resources by at least one of:
• the first class of VDC resources comprises a disk storage unit, and the second class of VDC resources comprises an in-memory storage unit, the first class of VDC resources comprises a redundant array of independent disk storage with block level striping, and the second class of VDC resources comprises a redundant array of independent disk storage with byte level striping, or the first class of VDC resources comprises a redundant array of independent disk storage with block level striping, and the second class of VDC resources comprises a redundant array of independent disk storage with bit level striping;
• causing completion of the request according to the new VDC resource utilization policy;
• wherein execution of the resource administrator logic is controlled by a management entity different than a host of the virtual data center.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions which when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform:

• using resource administrator logic executed using a digital electronic computing device, receiving one or more requests to utilize one or more virtual data center (VDC) resources, wherein the VDC resources comprise other digital electronic computing devices and storage devices and the VDC is remote with respect to the computing device;
• using the resource administrator logic executed using the computing device, receiving, for each of the one or more requests, a requested service level indicating an acceptable level of performance for the request;
• determining, using the resource administrator logic executed using the computing device, resource utilization performance information for each of the one or more requests;
• determining, using the resource administrator logic executed using the computing device, for each of the one or more requests, based in part on the resource utilization performance information of the request, that the resource utilization performance for the request is incompatible with the requested service level for the request;
• selecting, using the resource administrator logic executed using the computing device, for each of the one or more requests, based in part on the resource utilization performance information, a new resource utilization policy, wherein the new resource utilization policy specifies a new class of VDC resources that is different than class of VDC resources of a prior resource utilization policy associated with the request;
• wherein the new class of VDC resources is different than the class of VDC resources of the prior utilization policy by at least one of:
• the class of VDC resources of the prior utilization policy comprises a disk storage unit, and the new class of VDC resources comprises an in-memory storage unit, the class of VDC resources of the prior utilization policy comprises a redundant array of independent disk storage with block level striping, and the new class of VDC resources comprises a redundant array of independent disk storage with byte level striping, or the class of VDC resources of the prior utilization policy comprises a redundant array of independent disk storage with block level striping, and the new class of VDC resources comprises a redundant array of independent disk storage with bit level striping;
• causing data, distributed according to the prior resource utilization policy, to be distributed according to the new resource utilization policy using the new class of VDC resources at a virtual data center;
• wherein execution of the resource administrator logic is controlled by a management entity different than a host of the virtual data center.