Patent ID: 7996842

Claim:
A method for efficiently allocating compute resources, comprising: providing a workload manager in a computer system; installing a workload in the computer system, wherein the workload comprises an application to run on the compute resources, wherein during the installing a service level goal is provided to the workload manager for the workload, wherein the installing of the workload comprises the application interfacing with the workload manager to provide the service level goal, whereby the service level goal is an installation-specified goal, wherein along with the service level goal the application further declares a transaction start and end for use by the workload manager in monitoring progress of the application in the compute resources; assigning a first resource allocation for the compute resources to the workload with the workload manager, the first resource allocation being used in the computer system to allocate use of components of the compute resources shared with other workloads; determining a service level for the workload in the compute resources; comparing the determined service level with the service level goal with the workload manager; and based on results of the comparing, reallocating the compute resource with the workload manager including assigning, to the workload, a second resource allocation greater than the first resource allocation for the compute resources when the determined service level is not meeting the service level goal.