System and method for describing and automatically managing resources

Abstract

A system and method for automatically allocating resources is provided. The system includes one or more components for automatically allocating one or more resources, based at least in part on data associated with the one or more resources, the data including at least one of, type data, instance data, characteristic data, and dynamically modifiable metadata. An alternative aspect of the system provides one or more components for automatically allocating one or more resources distributed on a plurality of resource allocation servers. The one or more components for automatically allocating the one or more resources can improve utilization of the capacity of the one or more resources. In an alternative embodiment the system includes an Application Programming Interface (API) operable to configure and/or control the one or more components for automatically allocating one or more resources.

1 - 46 . (canceled)  
   
   
       47 . A computer readable medium having stored thereon data structures to facilitate automatic and dynamic resource allocation comprising: 
 an instance table that describes resource availability; and    a dependency tree that describes relationships amongst resources, wherein the data structures define the availability of a specified resource for one of automatic allocation, deallocation and reallocation.    
   
   
       48 . The computer readable medium of  claim 47 , further comprising a field that describes a resource type.  
   
   
       49 . The computer readable medium of  claim 47 , further comprising a field that describes resource characteristics.  
   
   
       50 . The computer readable medium of  claim 47 , further comprising a field that provides resource instance data.  
   
   
       51 . The computer readable medium of  claim 47 , further comprising a field that provides resource metadata.  
   
   
       52 . The computer readable medium of  claim 47 , further comprising a field including one or more resource allocation rules.  
   
   
       53 . The computer readable medium of  claim 47 , further comprising a field that provides feedback data concerning the real-time usage of a resource.  
   
   
       54 . A computer readable medium having stored thereon data structures to facilitate resource allocation comprising: 
 one or more fields containing resource information including at least one of type data, characteristic data, instance data, and metadata to facilitate automatic and dynamic resource allocation.    
   
   
       55 . The computer readable medium of  claim 54 , wherein the instance data includes status information.  
   
   
       56 . The computer readable medium of  claim 55 , wherein the status information includes one of allocation status, availability, and current allocation.  
   
   
       57 . The computer readable medium of  claim 54 , wherein metadata comprises data concerning how to define a resource.  
   
   
       58 . The computer readable medium of  claim 54 , further comprising information concerning relationships amongst other resources.  
   
   
       59 . The computer readable medium of  claim 58 , wherein the relationship is dependency.  
   
   
       60 . The computer readable medium of  claim 59 , wherein the relationship is defined by a dependency tree.  
   
   
       61 . A data packet adapted to be transmitted between two or more computer processes, the data packet comprising: 
 resource information; and    feedback information concerning resource usage, wherein the resource and feedback information are employed to automatically and dynamically allocate resources.    
   
   
       62 . The data packet of  claim 61 , wherein the resource information includes one or more of identifying data, characteristics data, instance data, and metadata.  
   
   
       63 . The data packet of  claim 61 , wherein the identifying data includes one or more of resource name and size.  
   
   
       64 . The data packet of  claim 61 , wherein the characteristic data includes one or more of resource capacity, speed, and bandwidth.  
   
   
       65 . The data packet of  claim 61 , wherein the instance data includes at least one of a instance identification, availability status, capacity, allocation statistics, grouping information, and dependencies on other resources.  
   
   
       66 . The data packet of  claim 61 , wherein the metadata includes at least one of data concerning instance data, identifying data, dependency relationships between resources and services, dependency relationships between resources, and affinity relationships.  
   
   
       67 . the data packet of  claim 61 , the feedback data further providing data concerning at least one of interactions between resources, allocation status of resources, maintenance status of resources, load balances between resources and predicted usage of resources.  
   
   
       68 . The data packet of  claim 61 , wherein the resource is one of memory, processor time, communication bandwidth, network devices, disk space and display space.  
   
   
       69 . A data packet adapted to be transmitted between two or more computer processes, the data packet comprising: 
 information concerning automatically allocating resources, the information including at least one of type data, characteristic data, instance data, and metadata.    
   
   
       70 . The data packet of  claim 69 , further including information concerning selecting a resource allocation algorithm.  
   
   
       71 . The data packet of  claim 70 , further including information concerning selecting one or more resources to allocate.  
   
   
       72 . The data packet of  claim 71 , further including feedback information concerning resource usage.  
   
   
       73 . The data packet of  claim 72 , further including information concerning the consumer for which the resource is to be allocated.  
   
   
       74 . The data packet of  claim 70 , wherein the information pertains to changes in the number, type, and characteristics of resources.  
   
   
       75 . The data packet of  claim 71 , wherein the information pertains to the availability of resources and dependent resources.  
   
   
       76 . The data packet of  claim 69 , wherein the resource is one of memory, processor time, communication bandwidth, network devices, disk space and display space.  
   
   
       77 . The data packet of  claim 69 , wherein the resource is an outcome.