Patent ID: 7080378

Claim:
A computer implemented method for balancing workload among virtual servers configured in a virtual server cluster, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of: monitoring requests directed to the virtual server cluster and determining if an amount of work represented by the requests exceeds a specified limit; if the amount of work represented by the requests exceeds the specified limit, automatically deploying a new at least one additional virtual server to the virtual server cluster such that the at least one additional virtual server is added to and operates in tandem with the virtual server cluster, wherein the at least one additional virtual server performs similar functions as the virtual server cluster; and allocating subsequent requests between the virtual servers and the at least one additional server that is newly deployed such that the virtual servers and the at least one additional virtual server operate in tandem as the virtual server cluster, wherein the virtual servers are deployed on a mainframe computer as a plurality of model images executing in a memory of the mainframe computer, and the at least one additional virtual server is deployed by propagating one of the model images into a portion of the memory usable by the at least one additional virtual server to create a new model image, and updating the new model image with local identification parameters of the at least one additional virtual server.