Resource managing system for changing resource consumption state of the lower priority resource entity to more restrictive state when resource reached critical level

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for managing resources. In general terms, a resource manager manages resource consumption of several resource entities which are each capable of consuming resources. The resource manager tracks the availability of such resources and determines whether a resource is critically short or reaches a particular usage level. When a resource becomes critically short or reaches a particular usage level, the resource manager selects one or more resource entities based on one or more criteria. For example, a resource entity which has the least restrictive resource usage policy or state is selected. The resource manager then requests that the selected resource entity changes its resource usage state to a more restrictive state. Of course, when resource usage reaches an acceptable level, the resource manager may also inform each resource entity (or previously selected resource entities) that they may set their resource consumption state to a less restrictive state.