Patent ID: 7720968

Claim:
A method for configuring elements of a distributed computing system, said elements including computer devices forming an environment for processing one or more executable applications, said method comprising the steps of: determining, while in-progress applications are being run in said computing environment, one or more system metrics that relate to currently configured elements of a configured distributed computing environment; receiving current data from resources local to and external to the computing environment, said data including external factors impacting operating costs of said currently configured elements; determining, while said in-progress applications are being run in said computing environment, a system value in response to one or more system metrics based on said current data from said local and external resources, said value determined according to one or more value criteria, and said value translatable to a financial value; and while in-progress applications are being run in said distributed computing environment, evaluating one or more potential changes to the distributed computing environment responsive to said current data aggregated from said local and external resources and determining associated alternate system values based on said changes, said alternate system values further based on said external factors impacting a value of re-configuring elements of said distributed computing environment according to a potential change, said one or more potential changes including one or a combination of: terminating in-progress applications executing on said elements, rescheduling an application, adding new applications or migrating existing in-progress applications to other elements, starting up one or more elements or shutting down one or more elements, said alternate system value reflecting a consequence translatable to increased revenue, or decreased cost resulting from a potential change; and re-configuring elements of said distributed computing environment according to said one or more potential changes dynamically, while said computing environment is operating, in accordance with a determined alternate system value.