US Patent 8700768 Scheduling timelines of virtual machines

A method for scheduling timelines of virtual machines (VMs) is presented. The method includes determining, by a host controller device, a time span based on configurable timelines recorded in a plurality of timers stored in memory of the host controller device, wherein the time span comprises a time interval when a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) are started and does not include a run time of the plurality of VMs. The method further includes starting, by the host controller device during the determined time span, the plurality of VMs on a plurality of host machines managed by the host controller device, wherein start times of each of the plurality of VMs are distributed across the determined time span.