Method of Managing Workloads and Associated Distributed Processing System

Abstract

Various embodiments enable a server system to consider a variety of priorities in determining how to organize, allocate, and manage client workloads in a distributed processing system. In at least one embodiment, a method may include generating a capability vector for one or more distributed devices, the capability vector defining a capability of the one or more distributed devices, determining a client priority for one or more client system, the client priority defining an order that a client system is granted access to submit one or more workloads to a distributed processing system for processing, assigning a workload priority to one or more workloads, the workload priority defining an order in which a workload is submitted to the distributed processing system for processing, and distributing one or more workloads form a client system to one or more distributed devices in response to the capability vector, the client priority, and the workload priority.

1 . A method, comprising:
 generating a capability vector for one or more distributed devices, the capability vector defining a capability of the one or more distributed devices to process workloads;   determining a client priority for one or more client systems, the client priority defining an order that a client system is granted access to submit one or more workloads to a distributed processing system for processing;   assigning a workload priority to one or more workloads, the workload priority defining an order in which a workload is submitted to the distributed processing system for processing; and   distributing one or more workloads from a client system to one or more distributed devices in response to the capability vector, the client priority, and the workload priority.   
     
     
         2 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the capability vector is associated with a distributed device's operating performance, data present on a distributed device for processing a workload, and/or application software present on a distributed device for processing a workload. 
     
     
         3 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the client priority is based in part on a payment paid by the one or more client systems to access the distributed processing system. 
     
     
         4 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the client priority is based in part on an association of one or more client systems with a group of distributed devices. 
     
     
         5 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing the capability vector, the client priority, and the workload priority in a capability database; and   modifying the capability database in response to receiving at least one status input from one or more distributed devices and/or one or more client systems.   
     
     
         6 . A method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein a status input is received responsive to a change in computing resources associated with the one or more distributed devices. 
     
     
         7 . A method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein a status input is received responsive to a change in workload priority associated with the one or more client systems. 
     
     
         8 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising grouping selected distributed devices from the one or more distributed devices to form one or more host groups, wherein a host group is formed based in part on one or more common capabilities. 
     
     
         9 . A method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein an incentive is provided to a distributed device to join a host group. 
     
     
         10 . A method as recited in  claim 8 , further comprising directing a distributed device to allocate a percentage of the distributed device's processing capability between a plurality of project types. 
     
     
         11 . A method as recited in  claim 8 , further comprising assigning a group value to the capability vector of each distributed device assigned to a host group. 
     
     
         12 . A method as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the group value is associated with shared resources. 
     
     
         13 . Computer readable storage media comprising computer executable instructions comprising:
 instructions to generate a capability vector for one or more distributed devices, the capability vector defining at least one capability of the one or more distributed devices to process workloads;   instructions to determine a client priority for one or more client systems, the client priority defining an order that the one or more client systems is granted access to submit one or more workloads to the distributed processing system for processing;   instructions to assign a workload priority to each workload, the workload priority defining an order in which the workload is submitted to the distributed processing system for processing;   instructions to distribute a workload to a distributed device in response to the capability vector, the client priority, and the workload's priority;   instructions to store the capability vector, the client priority, and the workload priority in a capability database; and   instructions to modify the capability database in response to receiving at least one status input from the one or more distributed devices and/or the one or more client systems.   
     
     
         14 . Computer readable storage media as recited in  claim 10 , wherein a status input is received responsive to a change in computing resources associated with the one or more distributed devices. 
     
     
         15 . Computer readable storage media as recited in  claim 10 , wherein a status input is received responsive to a change in resource availability associated with the one or more distributed devices. 
     
     
         16 . Computer readable storage media as recited in  claim 10 , wherein a status input is received responsive to a change in workload priority associated with the one or more client systems. 
     
     
         17 . Computer readable storage media to store computer executable instructions comprising:
 instructions to monitor a distributed device's resource utilization;   instructions to generate a status for a distributed device, the status describing types of resources, capacities of resources, and utilization of resources;   instructions to modify one or more statuses when resources are added, deleted, and/or availability of a resource changes; and   instructions to send one or more modified statuses to a server system.   
     
     
         18 . Computer readable storage media as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the one or more modified statuses is sent to the server system responsive to a status request from the server system and/or a status change associated with the distributed device. 
     
     
         19 . Computer readable storage media as recited in  claim 18 , wherein a status change occurs responsive to a change in computing resources associated with the distributed device. 
     
     
         20 . Computer readable storage media as recited in  claim 18 , wherein a status change occurs responsive to a change in computing resource availability associated with the distributed device.