System and method for configuration admission control of service instances

1. A method for configuring admission control of service instances in a network element, comprising:

reading a pre-determined maximum service-idle utilization of a processor approximately equal to maximum utilization of the processor in the absence of services executing on the processor;

reading, for each particular service instance of a desired configuration of service instances, a pre-determined maximum utilization of the processor associated with the particular service instance;

calculating an aggregate maximum utilization for the desired configuration, based on the pre-determined maximum service-idle utilization and the pre-determined maximum utilizations for each of the particular service instances;

determining whether the aggregate maximum utilization is greater than a threshold maximum utilization for the processor;

allowing the desired configuration if the aggregate maximum utilization is not greater than the threshold maximum utilization for the processor; and

denying the desired configuration if the aggregate maximum utilization is greater than the threshold maximum utilization for the processor.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the desired configuration is the addition of one service instance to an existing configuration.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 , wherein calculating the aggregate maximum utilization for the desired configuration comprises adding the aggregate maximum utilization of the existing configuration to the pre-determined maximum utilization for the service instance to be added.

4. A method in accordance with claim 2 , wherein denying the desired configuration comprises:

denying execution of the service instance to be added; and

maintaining the existing configuration.

5. A method in accordance with claim 2 , wherein denying the desired configuration comprises:

allowing execution of the service instance to be added; and

terminating one or more service instances of the existing configuration that have a lower priority than the service instance to be added.

6. A method in accordance with claim 2 , wherein allowing the desired configuration comprises allowing execution of the service instance to be added.

7. A network element comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having embodied thereon:

one or more services, each of the one or more services comprising instructions configured to, when read and executed by the processor, perform a specific task;

utilization data, the utilization data comprising:

a pre-determined maximum service-idle utilization of the processor approximately equal to maximum utilization of the processor in the absence of any of the one or more services executing on the processor; and

for each of the one or more particular services, a pre-determined maximum utilization of the processor associated with an instance of the particular service;

a configuration access control monitor comprising instructions configured to, when read and executed by the processor:

read the pre-determined maximum service-idle utilization;

read, for each particular service instance of a desired configuration of the one or more services, the pre-determined maximum utilization of the processor associated with the particular service instance;

calculate an aggregate maximum utilization for the desired configuration, based on the pre-determined maximum service-idle utilization and the pre-determined maximum utilizations for each of the particular service instances;

determine whether the aggregate maximum utilization is greater than a threshold maximum utilization for the processor;

allow the desired configuration if the aggregate maximum utilization is not greater than the threshold maximum utilization for the processor; and

deny the desired configuration if the aggregate maximum utilization is greater than the threshold maximum utilization for the processor.

8. A network element in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the desired configuration is the addition of one service instance to an existing configuration.

9. A network element in accordance with claim 8 , the configuration access control monitor further configured to calculate the aggregate maximum utilization for the desired configuration by adding the aggregate maximum utilization of the existing configuration to the pre-determined maximum utilization for the service instance to be added.

10. A network element in accordance with claim 8 , the configuration access control monitor further configured to deny the desired configuration by:

denying execution of the service instance to be added; and

maintaining the existing configuration.

11. A network element in accordance with claim 8 , the configuration access control monitor further configured to deny the desired configuration by:

allowing execution of the service instance to be added; and

terminating one or more service instances of the existing configuration that have a lower priority than the service instance to be added.

12. A network element in accordance with claim 8 , the configuration access control monitor further configured to allow the desired configuration by allowing execution of the service instance to be added.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising logic for configuring admission control of service instances in a network element, the logic, when executed, configured to:

read a pre-determined maximum service-idle utilization of a processor approximately equal to maximum utilization of the processor in the absence of services executing on the processor;

read, for each particular service instance of a desired configuration of service instances, a pre-determined maximum utilization of the processor associated with the particular service instance;

calculate an aggregate maximum utilization for the desired configuration, based on the pre-determined maximum service-idle utilization and the pre-determined maximum utilizations for each of the particular service instances;

determine whether the aggregate maximum utilization is greater than a threshold maximum utilization for the processor;

allow the desired configuration if the aggregate maximum utilization is not greater than the threshold maximum utilization for the processor; and

deny the desired configuration if the aggregate maximum utilization is greater than the threshold maximum utilization for the processor.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the desired configuration is the addition of one service instance to an existing configuration.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 14 , wherein calculating the aggregate maximum utilization for the desired configuration comprises adding the aggregate maximum utilization of the existing configuration to the pre-determined maximum utilization for the service instance to be added.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 14 , wherein denying the desired configuration comprises:

denying execution of the service instance to be added; and

maintaining the existing configuration.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 14 , wherein denying the desired configuration comprises:

allowing execution of the service instance to be added; and

terminating one or more service instances of the existing configuration that have a lower priority than the service instance to be added.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 14 , wherein allowing the desired configuration comprises allowing execution of the service instance to be added.