Adjusting billing rates based on resource use
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- retrieving usage data for use of a resource by a plurality of processes; and
adjusting a billing rate for the use of the resource by the plurality of processes based on the usage data.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that, in an embodiment, adjust a billing rate for the use of a resource by processes based on usage data that indicates the demand for the resource either by one of the processes or by an aggregation of the processes. In an embodiment, the resource has a resource threshold, a resource billing rate, and a billing rate increment, and the aggregation of the processes has an associated system threshold and a system billing rate. In an embodiment the billing rate is incremented by the billing rate increment if an amount of use by one process exceeds the resource threshold and the number of processes exceeds a threshold. In an embodiment, if the aggregation of the processes uses the resource more than the system threshold, then the resource billing rate is set to be the system billing rate. In this way, the demand for resources may be accounted for in billing for resource use.
15 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
retrieving usage data for use of a resource by a plurality of processes; and
adjusting a billing rate for the use of the resource by the plurality of processes based on the usage data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A signal-bearing medium encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions when executed comprise:
-
retrieving usage data for use of a resource by a plurality of processes, wherein the resource has a resource threshold, a resource billing rate, and a billing rate increment, wherein an aggregation of the plurality of processes has an associated system threshold and a system billing rate;
determining, based on the usage data, whether the aggregation of the plurality of processes uses the resource more than the system threshold; and
if the determining is true, setting the resource billing rate for the plurality of processes to be the system billing rate. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method for configuring a computer comprising:
-
configuring the computer to retrieve usage data for use of a plurality of resources by a plurality of processes, wherein each of the plurality of resources has a resource threshold, a resource billing rate, and a billing rate increment, wherein an aggregation of the plurality of processes has an associated system threshold and a system billing rate;
configuring the computer to determine, based on the usage data, whether the aggregation of the plurality of processes uses the resource more than the system threshold; and
configuring the computer to set the resource billing rate for the plurality of processes to be the system billing rate if the determining is true. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
Specification