Computational resource allocation

Abstract

Requesting computational resources for executing a program including a number of program portions includes computing sets of requests. Each set, except an initial set, is processed by a computational resource manager only if the previously submitted sets were granted. One or more additional sets are formed for processing by the manager after the initial set. A request of the additional sets includes a partial request for a program portion that is in a least-fulfilled set of program portions. Each program portion is associated with a respective fulfillment ratio of its quantity of previously requested resources divided by an associated target quantity. The partial request requests a quantity of resources that is small enough so that, after the partial request is granted, each program portion in the least-fulfilled set will have a fulfillment ratio that is greater than its fulfillment ratio had been, and is still smaller than one.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for requesting, from a computational-resource manager, computational resources for executing a program in a computing system, the program including interrelated program portions, the method including:
 for each interrelated program portion, storing information specifying a target quantity of computational resources associated with that portion and information indicative of previous requests for resources made by that portion,   for each portion, defining a fulfillment extent, the fulfillment extent being an extent to which the portion's previous requests for resources approach the portion's target quantity,   ranking the program portions by their respective fulfillment extents, wherein a first program portion is an unfulfilled program portion that has a lowest rank in the ranking,   forming sets of requests for processing by the computational resource manager,   wherein at least one of the sets of requests includes a partial request for the first program portion,   wherein the partial request is a request for enough of the computational resources such that, after grant of the partial request, the first program portion no longer has the lowest rank and small enough so that the first program portion remains unfulfilled.