Patent ID: 7823154

Claim:
A method comprising: assigning a first weight to a first consumer and a second weight to a second consumer; receiving at a first scheduler a request for service by a first resource to said first consumer; receiving at a second scheduler a request for service by a second resource to said first consumer, wherein the first scheduler manages services provided by the first resource, and the second scheduler manages services provided by the second resource; receiving at said first scheduler a request for service by said first resource to said second consumer; scheduling, by said first and second schedulers executing in a processor-based system, service by said first and second resources to said first and second consumers, wherein said scheduling maintains total service provided by the first and second resources to the first and second consumers in proportion to the respective weights of said first and second consumers without requiring said first and second schedulers to communicate with each other; receiving a consumer request for service from said first consumer at a first coordinator; in response to said consumer request for service from said first consumer, said first coordinator (a) sending to said first scheduler said request for service by said first resource to said first consumer and (b) sending to said second scheduler said request for service by said second resource to said first consumer; receiving a consumer request for service from said second consumer at a second coordinator; and in response to said consumer request for service from said second consumer, said second coordinator sending to said first scheduler said request for service by said first resource to said second consumer, requested for said first consumer in the request received at said second scheduler for service by said second resource to said first consumer.