Balancing Fixed Number of Nodes Among Multiple Fixed Clusters

Abstract

Cloud infrastructure users often allocate a fixed number of nodes to individual container clusters (e.g., Kubernetes, OpenShift), resulting in underutilization of computing resources due to asynchronous and variable workload peaks across clusters. This research proposes a novel system and method for dynamic rebalancing of a fixed total number of nodes among multiple fixed clusters based on real-time resource utilization thresholds. By introducing a Node Balancing Cluster Group (NBCG), clusters are grouped and allowed to dynamically share nodes through a controlled reallocation mechanism, managed by a Node Balancing Cluster Balancer and a Resizing Rule Engine. The system identifies overutilized and underutilized clusters using threshold parameters, and reassigns nodes without incurring additional provisioning costs. If reallocation causes a violation of utilization thresholds, the system reverses the operation to maintain cluster stability. The proposed architecture not only optimizes resource utilization and operational cost but also introduces a strategic advantage for cloud service providers like IBM Cloud. Unlike existing solutions, this approach enables intra-account node sharing across clusters with strict adherence to user-defined constraints and ensures consistent cluster state management. This invention has the potential to significantly reduce computing resource waste and position IBM Cloud services as more efficient and competitive.