Patent ID: 7937708

Claim:
A method for splitting and allocating total available computational power within a computer system having a plurality of virtual computer units, comprising the steps of: forming from at least some of the plurality of virtual computer units at least one group, with each group having a plurality of associated virtual computer units; prescribing at least one virtual computer allocation parameter for each of said plurality of virtual computer units; prescribing at least one group allocation parameter for said each group; and allocating the total available computational power by using prescribed roles so as to: (a) split the total available computational power and allocate the split total computational power to the at least one group and to any those of said plural virtual computer units which do not belong to any group taking into account the at least one group allocation parameter prescribed for said each group and the at least one virtual computer allocation parameter for each of said plurality of virtual computer units which do not belong to any groups, and (b) then, split the computational power allocated to the at least one group and allocate to said plural virtual computer units which are associated with the at least one group taking into account the at least one virtual computer allocation parameter prescribed for each of the virtual computer units associated with the at least one group; wherein a relative computational power share is prescribed as at least one of the at least one virtual computer allocation parameter for each of said plurality of virtual computer units and as the at least one group allocation parameter for said each group, with a ratio of computational powers allocated to said plurality of virtual computer units or groups being proportional to the relative computational power shares of said plurality of virtual computer units and said each group taken into account separately for each of the allocation sub-steps (a) and (b) if each of said plurality of virtual computer units or groups taken into account are utilizing their allocated computational powers.