Horizontal splitting of tasks within a homogenous pool of virtual machines

Abstract

Horizontal splitting of tasks within a homogenous pool of virtual machines. A primary virtual machine is provided to service requests from a request source during a session. The primary virtual machine services requests having a first priority received during the session. A secondary virtual machine is provided to service requests from the request source during the session. The secondary virtual machine services requests having a second priority received during the session. The first virtual machine and the second virtual machine run on a single physical computing platform.

1 . A method comprising:
 providing a primary virtual machine to service requests from a request source during a session, the primary virtual machine to service requests having a first priority received during the session; and   providing a secondary virtual machine to service requests from the request source during the session, the secondary virtual machine to service requests having a second priority received during the session, wherein the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine run on a single physical computing platform.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the requests having the first priority comprise real time requests. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the requests having the second priority comprise background requests. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first virtual machine is supported by a first group of one or more processing cores on the computing platform and the second virtual machine is supported by a second group of one or more processing cores on the computing platform. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the computing platform is part of a multitenant database environment, wherein the multitenant database environment stores data for multiple client entities each identified by a tenant identifier (ID) having one of one or more users associated with the tenant ID, wherein users of each of multiple client entities can only access data identified by a tenant ID associated with the respective client entity, and wherein the multitenant database is a hosted database provided by an entity separate from the client entities, and provides on-demand database service to the client entities. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first virtual machine automatically spawns the second virtual machine. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first virtual machine provides a first application server and the second virtual machine provides a second application server. 
     
     
         8 . An article comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processing cores, cause the one or more processing cores to:
 provide a primary virtual machine to service requests from a request source during a session, the primary virtual machine to service requests having a first priority received during the session; and   provide a secondary virtual machine to service requests from the request source during the session, the secondary virtual machine to service requests having a second priority received during the session, wherein the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine run on a single physical computing platform.   
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 8  wherein the requests having the first priority comprise real time requests. 
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 8  wherein the requests having the second priority comprise background requests. 
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 8  wherein the first virtual machine is supported by a first group of one or more processing cores on a computing platform and the second virtual machine is supported by a second group of one or more processing cores on the computing platform. 
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 8  wherein the computing platform is part of a multitenant database environment, wherein the multitenant database environment stores data for multiple client entities each identified by a tenant identifier (ID) having one of one or more users associated with the tenant ID, wherein users of each of multiple client entities can only access data identified by a tenant ID associated with the respective client entity, and wherein the multitenant database is a hosted database provided by an entity separate from the client entities, and provides on-demand database service to the client entities. 
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 8  wherein the first virtual machine automatically spawns the second virtual machine. 
     
     
         14 . The article of  claim 8  wherein the first virtual machine provides a first application server and the second virtual machine provides a second application server.