Shared Processor Pool VM Provisioning for License Cost Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cloud computing methods fail to optimize application licensing costs by not considering the dynamic utilization of virtual machines, leading to overprovisioning and high licensing expenses due to peak utilization-based licensing models.
Innovation Solution
Establishing shared processor pools on servers to manage virtual machines, where licensing costs are based on actual processing units used, allowing for intelligent provisioning and dynamic resizing of processing units to match workload demands, thereby controlling licensing costs across multiple tenants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If virtual machines are provisioned based on peak utilization to ensure application performance, then service reliability is improved, but licensing costs increase due to overprovisioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple virtual machines from different tenants into shared processor pools, allowing them to share physical processing units. This merging enables the system to meet peak utilization requirements for each individual VM while using a smaller total number of physical licenses, as the peak demands of different tenants do not occur simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic provisioning where virtual machines can be allocated and de-allocated from shared processor pools based on actual utilization patterns. The system monitors usage and dynamically adjusts the number of active VM instances, ensuring adequate capacity during peak times while reducing license usage during low-utilization periods.
2Ease of operation
If dedicated processing units are assigned to each virtual machine to simplify licensing management, then ease of operation is improved, but resource utilization efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates shared processor pools that serve multiple tenants and multiple applications simultaneously. A single pool of physical processing units can dynamically serve different virtual machines based on demand, making the infrastructure universally applicable to various workloads while maintaining simplified licensing management at the pool level.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of processing units is increased to handle maximum demand, then adaptability is improved, but infrastructure cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent ensures continuous useful action by maintaining a shared processor pool that is actively utilized across multiple tenants. Rather than having dedicated idle capacity for each tenant, the same physical resources continuously serve different virtual machines as demand shifts, maximizing utilization while maintaining adaptability to peak demands.
Data Source
AI summary
Provisioning and management of virtual machines and shared processor pools to process the virtual machines is provided. Shared processor pool(s) of processing units are established on server(s) of a cluster. The shared processor pool(s) are to process virtual machines to execute an application for which licensing cost is determined based on a number of processing units used to process the virtual machines executing the application. Provision of the virtual machines into the shared processor pool(s) and assignment of the processing units to the shared processor pool(s) is managed, which controls the number of processing units dedicated to processing the virtual machines executing the application, to thereby control licensing costs of executing the application. The managing can provision at least two virtual machines for different tenants into a common shared processor pool of the one or more shared processor pools.