Apparatus and method for providing metered capacity of computer resources

• US 20050010502A1
• Filed: 07/10/2003
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Grimm, Randall Lane, Lewis, David Otto, Schardt, Terry Lyle, Birkestrand, Daniel Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

An apparatus and method provides the capability of metering temporary capacity on demand in a computer system. A resource-time is specified, such as processor-days. The actual usage of the resource is monitored, and the customer is charged for only the actual usage of the resource. In this manner a customer may purchase a specified resource-time, and is only charged for the time that the resource is actually used. The preferred embodiments extend to metering temporary capacity on demand in a logically partitioned computer system. If a resource is shared, the actual usage of the resource is monitored, and the customer is only billed for actual usage that exceeds a predetermined non-zero threshold.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

at least one resource coupled to the at least one processor that provides temporary capacity when requested by a user of the apparatus; and

a capacity manager residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the capacity manager managing access to the at least one resource when requested by the user, the capacity manager metering actual use of the at least one resource and billing for the actual use.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the capacity manager bills for the actual use by generating a bill for metered resource-time that represents actual use of the at least one resource.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the capacity manager bills for the actual use by deducting metered resource-time from a prepaid resource-time.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an enablement code mechanism that evaluates an enablement code to determine whether the code is valid, wherein the enablement code includes a specified resource-time.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a resource allocator that enables the at least one resource before the capacity manager meters the actual use of the at least one resource.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the resource allocator disables the at least one resource when the capacity manager metered actual use of the at least one resource exceeds a specified resource-time.

7. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

a plurality of logical partitions defined on the apparatus;

at least one resource that provides temporary capacity when requested by a user of the apparatus; and

a capacity manager residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the capacity manager managing access to the at least one resource by the plurality of logical partitions, the capacity manager metering actual use of the at least one resource by each logical partition and billing for the actual use by each logical partition.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the capacity manager bills for the actual use by each logical partition by generating a bill for metered resource-time for each logical partition that represents actual use of the at least one resource by the logical partition.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the capacity manager bills for the actual use by each logical partition by deducting metered resource-time for each logical partition from a prepaid resource-time for each logical partition.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising an enablement code mechanism that evaluates an enablement code to determine whether the code is valid, wherein the enablement code includes a specified resource-time.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a resource allocator that enables the at least one resource before the capacity manager meters the actual use of the at least one resource.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the resource allocator disables the at least one resource when the capacity manager metered actual use of the at least one resource exceeds a specified resource-time.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the capacity manager determines whether a resource is shared, and if so, meters usage of the shared resource above a predetermined non-zero threshold.

14. A computer-implemented method for providing metered capacity of at least one temporary resource on demand, the method comprising the steps of:

enabling the at least one resource for metered operation;

metering actual usage of the at least one resource; and

billing for the actual usage of the at least one resource.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of billing for the actual usage comprises the step of generating a bill for metered resource-time that represents actual use of the at least one resource.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of billing for the actual usage comprises the step of deducting metered resource-time from a prepaid resource-time.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of determining whether an enablement code is valid, wherein the enablement code includes a specified resource-time.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of disabling the at least one resource when the metered actual usage of the at least one resource exceeds a specified resource-time.

19. A computer-implemented method for providing metered capacity of at least one temporary resource on demand in a computer system that includes a plurality of logical partitions, the method comprising the steps of:

enabling the at least one resource for metered operation by a selected logical partition;

metering actual usage of the at least one resource by the selected logical partition; and

billing for the actual usage of the at least one resource by the selected logical partition.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of billing for the actual usage comprises the step of generating a bill for metered resource-time that represents actual use of the at least one resource.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of billing for the actual usage comprises the step of deducting metered resource-time from a prepaid resource-time.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of determining whether an enablement code is valid, wherein the enablement code includes a specified resource-time.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of disabling the at least one resource when the metered actual usage of the at least one resource exceeds a specified resource-time.

24. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of determining whether a resource is shared, and if so, metering usage of the shared resource above a predetermined non-zero threshold.

25. A method for doing business comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a computer system to a customer, wherein the computer system includes at least one resource that provides metered capacity on demand;

(2) at the request of the customer, enabling the at least one resource;

(3) metering actual usage of the at least one resource; and

(4) billing the customer for the actual usage of the at least one resource.

26. A method for doing business comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a computer system to a customer, wherein the computer system includes at least one resource that provides metered capacity on demand;

(2) receiving prepayment by the customer for a specified resource-time of the at least one resource;

(3) enabling the at least one resource;

(4) metering actual usage of the at least one resource; and

(5) deducting the actual usage from the prepaid specified resource-time.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of disabling the at least one resource when the actual usage is not less than the prepaid specified resource time.

28. A program product comprising:

a capacity manager that manages access to at least one resource in a computer system that provides temporary increased capacity when requested by a user, the capacity manager metering actual use of the at least one resource and billing for the actual use; and

computer readable signal bearing media bearing the capacity manager.

29. The program product of claim 28 wherein the signal bearing media comprises recordable media.

30. The program product of claim 28 wherein the signal bearing media comprises transmission media.

31. The program product of claim 28 wherein the capacity manager bills for the actual use by generating a bill for metered resource-time that represents actual use of the at least one resource.

32. The program product of claim 28 wherein the capacity manager bills for the actual use by deducting metered resource-time from a prepaid resource-time.

33. The program product of claim 28 further comprising an enablement code mechanism that evaluates an enablement code to determine whether the code is valid, wherein the enablement code includes a specified resource-time.

34. The program product of claim 28 further comprising a resource allocator that enables the at least one resource before the capacity manager meters the actual use of the at least one resource.

35. The program product of claim 34 wherein the resource allocator disables the at least one resource when the capacity manager metered actual use of the at least one resource exceeds a specified resource-time.

36. A program product comprising:

(A) a capacity manager that manages access to at least one resource by a plurality of logical partitions in a computer system, the capacity manager metering actual use of the at least one resource by each logical partition and billing for the actual use by each logical partition; and

(B) computer readable signal bearing media bearing the capacity manager.

37. The program product of claim 36 wherein the signal bearing media comprises recordable media.

38. The program product of claim 36 wherein the signal bearing media comprises transmission media.

39. The program product of claim 36 wherein the capacity manager bills for the actual use by each logical partition by generating a bill for metered resource-time for each logical partition that represents actual use of the at least one resource by the logical partition.

40. The program product of claim 36 wherein the capacity manager bills for the actual use by each logical partition by deducting metered resource-time for each logical partition from a prepaid resource-time for each logical partition.

41. The program product of claim 36 further comprising an enablement code mechanism that evaluates an enablement code to determine whether the code is valid, wherein the enablement code includes a specified resource-time.

42. The program product of claim 36 further comprising a resource allocator that enables the at least one resource before the capacity manager meters the actual use of the at least one resource.

43. The program product of claim 42 wherein the resource allocator disables the at least one resource when the capacity manager metered actual use of the at least one resource exceeds a specified resource-time.

44. The program product of claim 36 wherein the capacity manager determines whether a resource is shared, and if so, meters usage of the shared resource above a predetermined non-zero threshold.