Patent ID: 8255516

Claim:
A method for server consolidation, comprising: accessing, by a consolidation analysis module in a computer, performance data of a plurality of source servers in a desired environment that are selected for server consolidation; receiving multiple consolidation parameters for a desired target server platform including target servers; receiving selected configurations for a new target server that is potentially included in the desired target server platform; computing, by the consolidation analysis module in the computer, a minimum number of the target servers required to consolidate the plurality of source servers based at least on the performance data, the selected configurations for the desired target server platform, and the multiple consolidation parameters; marking each of the plurality of source servers with one of a first status, second status, and third status, wherein the first status indicates the marked source server is to be replaced in the server consolidation, the second status indicates the marked source server is to be reused in the server consolidation, and the third status indicates the marked source server is to be replaced or reused as necessary; deriving, by the consolidation analysis module in the computer, a bin-packing solution to the server consolidation based at least on the performance data, the selected configurations for the new target server, and the minimum number of the target servers, wherein the bin-packing solution includes assigning each of the source servers to one of the target servers; and reporting the bin-packing solution, including reporting the computed minimum number of the target servers and a consolidation assignment specifying the target servers that each of the source servers is assigned to.