Function and Constraint Based Service Agreements

• US 20100318454A1
• Filed: 06/16/2009
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bahna, Eric, Zhao, Ferg, Schaefer, Stuart H., Gannon, Dennis B., Gauthier, David, Smith, Burton J., Warncke, Heather E., Helland, Patrick J., Dunagan, John D.
• Application Number:
  US12/485,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20100318454A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

An exemplary matching module includes instructions for receipt of information about sellable resources for running web-based services; for a solver for minimizing or maximizing a function subject to constraints; and for output of cost information for purchasing or buying sellable resources for running web-based services where the cost information is based at least in part on minimizing or maximizing the function. An exemplary matching module may be configured to receive information in a domain-specific language. Other methods, devices and systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A matching module comprising instructions stored in one or more computer-readable media for execution by one or more processors, the matching module comprising instructions for:

receipt of information from a buyer of resources for running a web-based service;

receipt of information about sellable resources for running web-based services;

an algorithm for matching one or more buyers of resources to sellable resources by maximizing an objective, the matching based at least in part on received information from one or more buyers of resources and based at least in part on received information about sellable resources; and

output of cost information for sellable resources matched to one or more buyers, the cost information based at least in part on maximizing the objective.

2. The matching module of claim 1 wherein the information from a buyer comprises information specified in a domain-specific language.

3. The matching module of claim 2 further comprising instructions for translating the information specified in the domain-specific language to constraints that constrain the matching algorithm.

4. The matching module of claim 2 wherein the domain-specific language comprises language to specify constraints on availability of resources for running web-based services.

5. The matching module of claim 2 wherein the domain-specific language comprises language to specify a set or sets of resources as a sellable unit.

6. The matching module of claim 1 wherein the algorithm for matching comprises a convex solver.

7. The matching module of claim 1 wherein the cost information for the sellable resources comprises spot prices and future prices.

8. The matching module of claim 1 wherein the sellable resources comprise resources owned or managed by different organizations.

9. The matching module of claim 1 wherein the information from a buyer of resources differs from the information about sellable resources.

10. The matching module of claim 9 wherein the information from a buyer of resources comprises abstracted information, abstracted at a higher level than the information about sellable resources.

11. The matching module of claim 1 further comprising instructions, responsive to receipt of an order from a buyer of resources, to generate a service level agreement for the buyer of resources.

12. An interpretation module comprising instructions stored in one or more computer-readable media for execution by one or more processors, the interpretation module comprising instructions for:

receipt of information in a domain-specific language, the domain-specific language for specifying properties of resources for hosting web-based services; and

interpreting the information in the domain-specific language to generate one or more constraints and an objective function for minimization or maximization subject to the one or more constraints by a solver to provide for pricing resources for hosting web-based services.

13. The interpretation module of claim 12 wherein the domain-specific language comprises language for expression of one or more constraints selected from a group consisting of positive cost constraints, negative cost constraints, time constraints, energy constraints, latency constraints, resource constraints, geography constraints, availability constraints, demand constraints and penalty constraints.

14. The interpretation module of claim 12 wherein the pricing of resources comprises generating one or more prices selected from a group consisting of spot prices, future prices, option prices and penalty prices.

15. The interpretation module of claim 12 wherein the domain-specific language comprises language to specify a set of resources and aggregate availability constraints over a set or sets of resources.

16. The interpretation module of claim 12 wherein the generated constraints comprise constraints amenable to use in a matching algorithm that comprises a convex solver.

17. The interpretation module of claim 16 wherein the generated constraints are convex.

18. A service agreement module comprising instructions stored in one or more computer-readable media for execution by one or more processors, the service agreement module comprising instructions for:

receipt of information about sellable resources for running one or more web-based services;

a convex solver for minimizing or maximizing a function subject to constraints associated with one or more web-based services;

output of cost information for sellable resources for running one or more web-based services wherein the cost information comprises one or more types of cost information selected from a group consisting of

fixed cost information,

cost information based at least in part on minimizing or maximizing the function subject to the constraints, and

auction cost information;

receipt of an order for resources for running one or more web-based services, the order based at least in part on output cost information; and

generation of a service agreement, the service agreement based at least in part on receipt of an order.

19. The service agreement module of claim 18 wherein the convex solver for minimizing or maximizing a function subject to constraints comprises constraints specified by a buyer of resources for running one or more web-based services.

20. The service agreement module of claim 19 wherein the constraints comprise constraints derived from information received from the buyer in a domain-specific language.