Regulating capacity and managing services of computing environments and systems that include a database

Abstract

Capacity of a database system and/or a computing system that includes a database can be effectively changed from a current computing capacity to another computing capacity. This can be achieved by causing usage capacity of at least one of resource to be changed when the database is active. By way of example, capacity of a database system can be regulated by delaying the execution of the database work based on a target capacity. As a result, database work can take relatively longer to complete when the capacity of a database is effectively regulated to be below its full capacity. In effect, a portion of available capacity (excess capacity) can be made inaccessible to the database. However, excess capacity can be used to manage various services of the database in accordance with one or more service criteria (e.g., Service Level Goals or Agreements).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for controlling capacity of a database system that includes one or more database nodes operable to process data stored in a database, wherein each one of the database nodes can use one or more resources in connection with the processing of the data stored in the database, the computer-implemented method comprising:
 changing capacity of the database system from a current computing capacity to another computing capacity that is different than the current capacity, by causing usage capacity of at least one of the resources to be changed from a current usage capacity to another usage capacity different than the current usage capacity, by performing at least performing the following:
 changing the actual processing rate of one or more physical processors of the at least one of the database nodes of the database system from a current processing rate to a different processing rate; and 
 effectively changing access capacity of at least one of the computing resources of the at least one of the database nodes of the database system from a current access capacity to a different access capacity. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the causing of the usage capacity of the least one resource to be changed comprises: causing the capacity of the at least one resource to be changed when the database system is operational. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the causing of the usage capacity of the least one resource to be changed comprises: causing the capacity of at least one resource to be changed dynamically at runtime. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the database system includes multiple database nodes operable to process data stored in the database and access at least one of the resources in parallel, and wherein the causing of the usage capacity of the least one resource to be changed comprises:   causing capacity of first and second resources that can be accessed respectively by first and second nodes of the multiple nodes to be changed.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the causing of capacity of first and second resources to be changed is performed when the database is processing data, dynamically, at runtime. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:
 obtaining a target computing capacity for the database system, wherein the target computing capacity is the less than the full computing capacity of the database system; and   wherein the causing of usage capacity of the least one resource to be changed cause the capacity of the at least one resource to be changed based on the target capacity.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the resources that can be accessed by one or more database nodes includes one or more of the following: one or more processors, one or more other computing resources, access to Input/Output (I/O) associated with the database, access to one or more operations, access to one or more database operations. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises: limiting usage of at least one of database nodes of the database system beyond a level at which usage can be provided when usage of the at least database is regulated at full capacity. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the limiting of the usage of the at least one database node comprises one or more of the following:
 effectively reducing the processing rate of the one more processors of the database below that full processing rate at full computing capacity; and   effectively limiting access to at least one of the other computing resources below than can be achieved at full computing capacity.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the limiting of the usage of least one the database nodes of the database system comprises;
 effectively delaying access to at least one of the computing resources, thereby delaying usage of the at least one computing resource.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein the effectively delaying access to at least one of the computing resources comprises:
 scheduling access to the at least one computing resource according to a determined delay period.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the changing of the capacity of the database system comprises: controlling the computing capacity of the database system based on a target computing capacity by one or more of the following:
 regulating the computing capacity of at least one of multiple database nodes of the database system by limiting at least one: (i) processing or execution capacity of one or more processors of one or more of the database nodes, and (ii) I/O usage of one or more processors of one or more of the database nodes.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:
 obtaining monitored computing usage data by monitoring computing usage of one or more database nodes of the database system; and   controlling the computing capacity of the database system based on the monitored computing usage data.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the limiting of the usage comprises:
 monitoring computing usage of at least a first activity that is not regulated with respect to its usage of at least one of the resources;   determining, at least partially based on the monitored computing usage data, whether to regulate or change regulation of the computing usage of a second activity; and   initiating regulation or changing the regulation of the computing usage of the second activity with respect to one or more of the resources when the determining determines to limit the computing usage of the second activity.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , where the computer-implemented method further comprises:
 obtaining a target computing capacity for the database system; and   regulating the computing usage of one or more database activities associated with the database system based on the target computing capacity.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer implemented method further comprises:
 monitoring the one or more database activities at least with respect to their usage of the one or more resources;   regulating the computing usage of one or more database activities based on the monitoring of the one or more database activities when the database is active.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:
 determining, based on one or more criteria, whether to change capacity of the database system from the current computing capacity to the other computing capacity.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more criteria comprises one or more of the following:
 managing a service of the database;   managing a service level associated with a service of the database; and   meeting a service level goal and/or service level agreement.   
     
     
         19 . A system that includes one or more processors operable to:
 control capacity of a database system that includes one or more database nodes operable to process data stored in a database, wherein each one of the one or more database nodes can use one or more resources in connection with the processing of the data stored in the database; and   change capacity of the database system from a current computing capacity to another computing capacity that is different than the current capacity, by causing usage capacity of at least one of the resources to be changed from a current usage capacity to another usage capacity different than the current usage capacity, by performing at least performing the following:
 changing the actual processing rate of one or more physical processors of the at least one of the database nodes of the database system from a current processing rate to a different processing rate; and 
 effectively changing access capacity of at least one of the computing resources of the at least one of the database nodes of the database system from a current access capacity to a different access capacity. 
   
     
     
         20 . A non-transient computer readable storage medium that stores at least executable computer code that when executed controls capacity of a database system that includes one or more database nodes operable to process data stored in a database, wherein each one of the one or more database nodes can use one or more resources in connection with the processing of the data stored in the database; and wherein the non-transient computer readable storage medium includes:
 executable computer code operable to change capacity of the database system from a current computing capacity to another computing capacity that is different than the current capacity, by causing usage capacity of at least one of the resources to be changed from a current usage capacity to another usage capacity different than the current usage capacity, by performing at least performing the following:
 changing the actual processing rate of one or more physical processors of the at least one of the database nodes of the database system from a current processing rate to a different processing rate; and 
 effectively changing access capacity of at least one of the computing resources of the at least one of the database nodes of the database system from a current access capacity to a different access capacity.