Toward a computing workload classifier

Midrange and mainframe computers have a history for supporting critical business systems. As businesses have adapted to technological changes, including the emergence of the Internet and the ubiquitous connectivity offered by mobile devices, these computers have evolved to support these trends. The availability of further server and deployment options such as x86 servers, virtualization, and cloud platforms have also presented compelling alternatives for some enterprises and their business applications. The emergence of these alternatives has challenged organizations to develop sound processes when deciding where to deploy IT applications. IT applications and supporting tools are generally referred to as workloads, and their placement is often based upon budgetary constraints rather than on a combined assessment of the qualities of service aspects such as service level, performance, security, and cost. We present an approach toward a workload classifier for several compute technologies that may assist system engineers and designers in their initial decisions of where to place particular workloads. This paper is not meant to be the final word in classifying workloads, but rather a step toward classification and to stimulate debate and thinking on the subject.