Dynamic capacity optimization for shared computing resources

Abstract

Systems, methods, devices, and other techniques for managing a computing resource shared by a set of online entities. A system can receive a request from a first online entity to reserve capacity of the computing resource. The system determines a relative priority of the first online entity and identifies a reservation zone that corresponds to the relative priority of the first online entity. The system determines whether to satisfy the request based on comparing (i) an amount of the requested capacity of the computing resource and (ii) an amount of the portion of unused capacity of the computing resource designated by the reservation zone that online entities having relative priorities at or below the relative priority of the first online entity are permitted to reserve.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method when executed on data processing hardware causes the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, from an online entity of a plurality of online entities, a requested amount of capacity of a computing resource shared by the plurality of online entities, the computing resource comprising a resource capacity limitation;   identifying a reservation zone from a plurality of reservation zones that corresponds to the online entity, each reservation zone of the plurality of reservation zones designating a maximum amount of unused capacity of the computing resource that may be reserved by corresponding online entities, wherein a sum of the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by each reservation zone of the plurality of reservation zones exceeds the resource capacity limitation of the computing resource;   determining whether the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource is less than the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone; and   in response to determining that the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource is less than the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone, allocating the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource to the online entity.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing resource shared between the plurality of online entities comprises at least one of:
 a shared network resource;   a shared server resource;   a shared storage resource;   a shared application resource; or   a shared service resource in a cloud-based platform.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise determining that the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource is more than the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining that the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource is more than the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone:
 increasing the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone; and   after increasing the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone, allocating the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource to the online entity.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the operations further comprise, after determining that the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource is more than the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone:
 receiving a bid from the online entity to increase the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone;   increasing the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone; and   after increasing the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone, allocating the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource to the online entity.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 assigning a priority score to each of the plurality of online entities, the priority score representing a measure of significance of the online entity; and   classifying the plurality of online entities into a plurality of groups of online entities based on the priority scores, wherein each group of online entities is attributed the priority that represents a measure of significance of the group of online entities.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein allocating the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource to the online entity comprises making an advance reservation for the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a self-imposed capacity limit from the online entity. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource is less than the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone and the self-imposed capacity limit of the online entity. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the resource capacity limitation of the computing resource is constrained by a physical size of the computing resource. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 data processing hardware; and   memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, from an online entity of a plurality of online entities, a requested amount of capacity of a computing resource shared by the plurality of online entities, the computing resource comprising a resource capacity limitation; 
 identifying a reservation zone from a plurality of reservation zones that corresponds to the online entity, each reservation zone of the plurality of reservation zones designating a maximum amount of unused capacity of the computing resource that may be reserved by corresponding online entities, wherein a sum of the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by each reservation zone of the plurality of reservation zones exceeds the resource capacity limitation of the computing resource; 
 determining whether the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource is less than the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone; and 
 in response to determining that the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource is less than the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone, allocating the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource to the online entity. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the computing resource shared between the plurality of online entities comprises at least one of:
 a shared network resource;   a shared server resource;   a shared storage resource;   a shared application resource; or   a shared service resource in a cloud-based platform.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise determining that the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource is more than the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining that the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource is more than the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone:
 increasing the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone; and   after increasing the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone, allocating the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource to the online entity.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise, after determining that the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource is more than the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone:
 receiving a bid from the online entity to increase the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone;   increasing the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone; and   after increasing the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone, allocating the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource to the online entity.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 assigning a priority score to each of the plurality of online entities, the priority score representing a measure of significance of the online entity; and   classifying the plurality of online entities into a plurality of groups of online entities based on the priority scores, wherein each group of online entities is attributed the priority that represents a measure of significance of the group of online entities.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein allocating the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource to the online entity comprises making an advance reservation for the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a self-imposed capacity limit from the online entity. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the requested amount of capacity of the computing resource is less than the maximum amount of unused capacity designated by the identified reservation zone and the self-imposed capacity limit of the online entity. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the resource capacity limitation of the computing resource is constrained by a physical size of the computing resource.