Patent ID: 7299469

Claim:
A method for automatically reallocating a resource in a plurality of computer systems, the plurality of computer systems having a most underutilized resource and a most burdened resource, comprising: defining a donor load threshold as a specific performance parameter below which a donor may provide a resource; defining a recipient load threshold as a specific performance parameter above which a recipient may receive a resource; compiling a plurality of resource data for a plurality of donor candidates and a plurality of recipient candidates; calculating a composite parameter by averaging the plurality of resource data over a sampling period; defining a donor candidate as a computer system having a composite parameter less than the donor load threshold; defining a recipient candidate as a computer system having a composite parameter greater than the recipient load threshold; calculating a recipient workload ratio for each of the plurality of recipient candidates by dividing the composite parameter by the recipient load threshold; calculating a donor workload ratio for each of the plurality of donor candidates by dividing the composite parameter by the donor load threshold; ranking a plurality of donors based on the donor workload ratio; ranking a plurality of recipients based on the recipient workload ratio; and reallocating a highest ranked donor to a highest ranked recipient; wherein when the recipient workload ratio is greater than one, a recipient candidate is designated a recipient; wherein when a donor workload ratio is less than one, a donor candidate is designated a donor; wherein the most underutilized resource is reallocated to assist the most burdened resource.