Patent ID: 8301772

Claim:
A method for managing backup tasks in a computer network, comprising: establishing an estimated resource utilization for a backup task of the backup tasks based on a set of backup statistics, wherein the estimated resource utilization comprises an identification of an amount of storage space; allocating a resource reservation for the backup task based on the estimated resource utilization thereof; and dynamically reducing the resource reservation of the backup task during execution of the backup task in response to detecting consumption of resources allocated in the resource reservation by the backup task, wherein the reducing the resource reservation of the backup task comprises: tracking resource usage for the backup task as the backup task is being performed; periodically releasing portions of the resource reservation over time throughout performance of the backup task wherein periodicity of the releasing is calculated based upon a rate of consumption of the resources; de-allocating the resource reservation of the backup task in response to completion thereof; suspending the backup task in response to resource usage thereof exceeding the resource reservation; requesting an additional resource reservation for the backup task; detecting additional resources becoming available; detecting that the additional resource reservation is granted; clearing a flag, where the flag indicates whether the backup task is suspended; and resuming the backup task.