Dynamically assigning priorities for the allocation of server resources to completing classes of work based upon achievement of server level goals

Abstract

A facility for ranking service classes in terms of their relative levels of need for additional server resources is described. The facility utilizes a set of goals, each identifying a service class to which it applies and a goal criterion for the service class, and each specifying a desired service level specifying a minimum percentage of transactions of the service class identified by the goal for which the goal criterion should be satisfied. Each goal further specifies an indication of the level of importance of the goal. For each goal, the facility determines an achieved service level indicating the percentage of completed transactions of the service class identified by the goal for which the goal criterion specified by the goal was satisfied. The facility further identifies any goals whose desired service level exceeds their achieved service level. The facility then selects, for each service class identified by at least one identified goal, the goal identified by the service class whose importance indication indicates that it is the most important. The facility then ranks the selected service classes identified by the selected goals in accordance with the importance indications of the selected goals.