Patent ID: 7584275

Claim:
A method for managing at least one apparatus coupled to a management server, the method performed by the management server, the method comprising: distributing a first resource to said at least one apparatus pursuant to user data and apparatus data, wherein the user data describes at least one entity using the first resource, and wherein the apparatus data specifies said at least one apparatus that consumes the first resource; monitoring a respective operating condition associated with consumption of the distributed first resource by each apparatus of said at least one apparatus pursuant to a first resource policy for the first resource; and transmitting a respective control command to said each apparatus, wherein the respective control command adjusts the respective operating condition associated with said each apparatus, said monitoring comprising: obtaining a first resource use report from a first apparatus of said at least one apparatus, wherein the first resource use report describes how the first apparatus currently consumes the first resource, the first resource use report comprising a first date, a first entity, a first task status, a first apparatus management number, and a first received resource consumption mode, wherein the first date indicates when the first resource use report was sent from the first apparatus, wherein the first entity, comprising the first user and the first organization, indicates which entity uses the first apparatus, wherein the first task status indicates how the first apparatus uses the first resource, wherein the first task status is selected from the group consisting of “stop,” “idle,” and a utilization number, wherein “stop” indicates the first apparatus is not operating, wherein “idle” indicates the first apparatus is operating but does not consume the first resource, wherein the utilization number indicates a percentile ratio of the amount of the first resource that is currently consumed to the amount of the first resource that is allocated to the first apparatus, wherein the first apparatus management number identifies the first apparatus, and wherein the first received resource consumption mode indicates a mode by which the first apparatus is regulated with respect to the amount of the first resource that the first apparatus is permitted to consume; computing a first evaluated resource consumption mode from the obtained first resource use report pursuant to a first throttle value for the first resource and a first evaluation condition for the first resource associated with a first priority of the user, wherein the first evaluation condition specifies the amount of the first resource that can be consumed by all apparatuses, wherein the first throttle value specifies a range of amounts of the first resource consumption for the first received resource consumption mode; and determining that the evaluated first resource consumption mode does not satisfy the first evaluation condition.