SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR METERING CLOUD RESOURCE CONSUMPTION USING MULTIPLE HIERARCHICAL SUBSCRIPTION PERIODS

• US 20120226808A1
• Filed: 03/01/2011
• Published: 09/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2011
• 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 8,959,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for metering cloud resource consumption using multiple hierarchical subscription periods. A set of aggregate usage history data can record consumption of processor, software, or other resources subscribed to by a set of users, in one cloud or across multiple clouds. An entitlement engine can analyze the usage history data to identify a subscription margin for the subscribed resources, reflecting collective under-consumption of resources by the set of users on a collective basis, over different and/or dynamically updated subscription periods. In aspects, the entitlement engine or other logic can generate multiple hierarchical time periods or layers over which resource consumption can be tracked. For instance, processor usage can be tracked over blocks of two hours or other intervals, but can also be tracked over 24 hour intervals for which additional subscription costs, terms, or factors may apply. In aspects, the consumption of not just one but multiple resources can be tracked over the hierarchical time periods, with cost adjustments being keyed to joint consumption levels of those resources, and/or over different time periods or layers.

Claims

1. A method of processing resource consumption, comprising:

accessing a set of aggregate usage history data for a set of users each operating a set of machines consuming a set of resources in at least one host cloud;

generating a set of short-term consumption margins for each user in the set of users based on the consumption of the set of resources over one or more short-term consumption periods in the at least one host cloud;

identifying a set of hierarchical subscription periods each spanning two or more of the short-term consumption periods for at least one resource in the set of resources; and

applying a set of compound service level agreements to the consumption of the at least one resource over the set of hierarchical subscription periods.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of compound service level agreements comprises a set of consumption limits that apply to the set of hierarchical subscription periods.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of consumption limits are in addition to consumption limits that apply in the one or more short-term subscription periods.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one resource comprises a plurality of resources.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the set of consumption limits comprises a set of compound overage rules for processing the consumption of at least two resources in the plurality of resources.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the set of overage rules comprises a set of cost factors to be applied to the consumption for the at least two resources over the set of hierarchical subscription periods.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the set of cost factors for the second resource comprises a predetermined value to be applied to a recorded consumption of the first resource.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the set of cost factors for the second resource comprises at least one cost factor configured as a function of the consumption of the first resource.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of compound service level agreements comprises a set of user-selected values.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of compound service level agreements comprises a set of automatically-generated values.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an updated set of hierarchical subscription periods based on one or more additional short-term subscription periods.

14. The system of claim 3, wherein the set of consumption limits are in addition to consumption limits that apply in the one or more short-term subscription periods.

12. A system for processing resource consumption, comprising:

an interface to a data store, the data store storing a set of aggregate usage history data for a set of users 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 short-term consumption margins for each user in the set of users based on the consumption of the set of resources over one or more short-term consumption periods in the at least one host cloud,

identify a set of hierarchical subscription periods each spanning two or more of the short-term consumption periods for at least one resource in the set of resources, and

apply a set of compound service level agreements to the consumption of the at least one resource over the set of hierarchical subscription periods.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the set of compound service level agreements comprises a set of consumption limits that apply to the set of hierarchical subscription periods.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one resource comprises a plurality of resources.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the set of consumption limits comprises a set of compound overage rules for processing the consumption of at least two resources in the plurality of resources.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the set of overage rules comprises a set of cost factors to be applied to the consumption for the at least two resources over the set of hierarchical subscription periods.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the set of cost factors for the second resource comprises a predetermined value to be applied to a recorded consumption of the first resource.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the set of cost factors for the second resource comprises at least one cost factor configured as a function of the consumption of the first resource.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the set of compound service level agreements comprises a set of user-selected values.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the set of compound service level agreements comprises a set of automatically-generated values.

22. The system of claim 12, further comprising generating an updated set of hierarchical subscription periods based on one or more additional short-term subscription periods.