Energy based resource allocation across virtualized machines and data centers

1. In a data processing system configured with a plurality of computing electronic complexes (CECs) having one or more processors, one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors, at least one input/output (I/O) adapter that enables connection to an external network, and a virtualization management component executing within the data processing system and which generates a plurality of operating system (OS) partitions and one or more logical partitions (LPARs), a method comprising:

establishing a minimum energy entitlement for an LPAR;

determining at least one of: (a) an amount of energy consumed by the LPAR; and (b) an amount of energy respectively consumed by other LPARs;

determining whether: (a) said amount of energy consumed by the LPAR is adequate to satisfy the minimum energy entitlement; and (b) said amount of energy consumed by the other LPARs respectively satisfy corresponding minimum energy entitlements;

in response to the amount of energy consumed by the LPAR being adequate to satisfy the minimum energy entitlement and the other LPARS having satisfied the respective minimum energy entitlements, determining whether said amount of energy consumed by the LPAR is adequate to satisfy a maximum energy requirement;

in response to the amount of energy consumed by the LPAR not being adequate to satisfy the minimum energy entitlement, allocating an additional energy entitlement to said LPAR, according to an allocation policy;

wherein said allocation policy is based on one or more of: (a) respective energy consumption of LPARS that have not satisfied maximum energy entitlements; and (b) priorities of LPARS whose energy consumption has not satisfied maximum energy entitlements;

determining whether a level of energy consumption of a first CEC is below a specified limit;

broadcasting available entitlement to other CECs via a hypervisor in response to determining that (a) there is no LPAR on the first CEC that requires more resources and (b) that the level of energy consumption of the first CEC is below the specified limit;

receiving a request from one or more requesting CECs, wherein said request provides indication of priority information for a requesting CEC; and

selecting one or more requesting CECs to receive further entitlement based on an allocation policy for inter-CEC collaboration.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said establishing further comprises:

specifying one or more of: (a) a maximum energy entitlement for the LPAR; (b) a priority level for the LPAR; and (c) a maximum total consumption for the data processing system; and

allocating system resources according to specified energy entitlements;

wherein said system resources include CPU time.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

dynamically adjusting a priority level for the LPAR to efficiently control resource allocation, according to a current entitlement of the LPAR and energy that has been consumed by the LPAR;

wherein said LPAR is more likely to be allocated resources if the priority level is dynamically increased;

wherein said LPAR is less likely to be allocated resources if the priority level is dynamically decreased.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining an amount of energy consumed further comprises:

tracking via a hypervisor a level of energy consumed by one or more of: (a) the data processing system; and (b) individual components of the system including processor and memory resources; and

attributing an amount of energy consumed to the LPAR based on said level of energy consumed;

wherein said LPAR executes in a time period during which said level of energy consumed by components of said data processing system is tracked.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transferring unused, additional energy entitlement from the first CEC to one or more selected other CECs, according to an allocation policy.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining whether any LPAR on a first CEC requires more resources, wherein no energy entitlement is transferred from the first CEC when there are LPARs on the first CEC that require more energy resources.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to the one or more CECs being selected to receive further entitlement:

dynamically reducing entitlement from a maximum entitlement specified for the donor CEC;

dynamically increasing entitlement from maximum entitlement specified for the selected CEC(s); and

returning entitlement values to pre-specified values at an end of a respective allotment interval.