SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING SUBSCRIBED RESOURCE LIMITS IN CLOUD NETWORK USING VARIABLE OR INSTANTANEOUS CONSUMPTION TRACKING PERIODS

• US 20120131194A1
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: MORGAN, Christopher Edwin
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/508 Monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for managing subscribed resource limits in a cloud network using variable or instantaneous consumption tracking periods. A set of aggregate usage history data can record consumption of processor, memory, software, or other resources subscribed to by a user across multiple host clouds. An entitlement engine can analyze the usage history data to identify a subscription margin for the subscribed resources, reflecting under or over-consumption of cloud resources against subscription limits across multiple clouds. The entitlement engine can by default track the short-term subscription margin for one or multiple resources each hour of a day, and/or over other intervals. The entitlement engine can also generate a set of variable consumption periods over which to track the user'"'"'s resource consumption, based on trends or conditions demonstrated in that consumption pattern. In aspects, consumption can be metered on smaller intervals when the consumption rate is rapidly changing.

Claims

1. A method of managing cloud consumption periods, comprising:

accessing a set of aggregate usage history data for a user operating a set of machines consuming a set of resources in a set of host clouds;

generating a set of variable consumption periods over which the consumption of the set of resources will be tracked;

identifying a set of subscription margins for at least one resource in the set of resources based on a comparison of the consumption of the at least one resource in at least two of the set of host clouds to a resource subscription limit over the set of variable consumption periods;

generating a set of marginal consumption values for the at least one resource for the set of variable consumption periods across the at least two of the set of host clouds; and

generating at least one management action based on the marginal consumption value for the set of variable consumption periods.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of variable consumption periods comprise a set of time periods whose interval is based on relative changes in the set of marginal consumption values over the set of time periods.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the interval is configured to decrease based on increasing relative changes in the set of marginal consumption values over the set of time periods.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the interval is configured to increase based on decreasing relative changes in the set of marginal consumption values over the set of time periods.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one management action comprises adjusting the resource consumption limit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one management action comprises generating a restriction on the consumption of the set of resources.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one management action comprises initiating a rollover operation to migrate the consumption of at least a portion of the resources to at least one additional host cloud.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of variable consumption periods comprises an instantaneous consumption value indicating the set of subscription margins in substantially real-time.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating a running average of the instantaneous consumption value.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating an alert when the instantaneous consumption value exceeds the running average of the instantaneous consumption value.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of subscription margins comprises at least one of an over-limit consumption total for the at least one resource or an under-limit consumption total for the at least one resource.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of variable consumption periods comprise a set of time periods metered in units of at least one of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of aggregate usage history data comprises at least one of processor usage data, memory usage data, storage usage data, communications bandwidth usage data, operating system usage data, application usage data, service usage data, virtual machine instance data, or appliance usage data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource consumption limit comprises at least one of an instance limit for a set of virtual machines, an instance limit for a set of appliances, an instance limit for an operating system, an instance limit for at least one application, a communications bandwidth throughput limit, or a storage amount limit.

15. A system for managing cloud consumption periods, comprising:

an interface to a data store, the data store storing a set of aggregate usage history data for a user operating a set of machines consuming a set of resources in a set of host clouds; and

a processor, communicating with the data store via the interface, the processor being configured to—

access the set of aggregate usage history,

generate a set of variable consumption periods over which the consumption of the set of resources will be tracked,

identify a set of subscription margins for at least one resource in the set of resources based on a comparison of the consumption of the at least one resource in at least two of the set of host clouds to a resource subscription limit over the set of variable consumption periods,

generate a set of marginal consumption values for the at least one resource for the set of variable consumption periods across the at least two of the set of host clouds, and

generate at least one management action based on the marginal consumption value for the set of variable consumption periods.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the set of variable consumption periods comprise a set of time periods whose interval is based on relative changes in the set of marginal consumption values over the set of time periods.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the interval is configured to decrease based on increasing relative changes in the set of marginal consumption values over the set of time periods.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the interval is configured to increase based on decreasing relative changes in the set of marginal consumption values over the set of time periods.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one management action comprises adjusting the resource consumption limit.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one management action comprises generating a restriction on the consumption of the set of resources.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one management action comprises initiating a rollover operation to migrate the consumption of at least a portion of the resources to at least one additional host cloud.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the set of variable consumption periods comprises an instantaneous consumption value indicating the set of subscription margins in substantially real-time.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a running average of the instantaneous consumption value.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured to generate an alert when the instantaneous consumption value exceeds the running average of the instantaneous consumption value.