METHOD AND SYSTEM TO DECREASE MEASURED USAGE LICENSE CHARGES FOR DIAGNOSTIC DATA COLLECTION

• US 20170315853A1
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Addison, Edward A., Bulfin, William J., Clark, Andre C., DeMarrais, Suzanne L., DeVal, Peggy A., McClure, Scott W., Wright, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 10,769,051 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/302 where the computing system component is a software system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/34 Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation ; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3648 using additional hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/366 using diagnostics G06F11/0703 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

Techniques are provided for executing, by one or more first processors, one or more software products associated with a measured usage pricing model. An indication is received, during the execution of the software products, to execute a set of diagnostic machine instructions related to the execution of the software products. Responsive to that received indication, the one or more first processors initiate execution, by one or more distinct second processors, of the set of diagnostic machine instructions. The initiating of the execution by the distinct second processors of that set of diagnostic machine instructions is based at least in part on such execution not being associated with the measured usage pricing model.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

executing, by one or more first processors, one or more software products associated with a measured usage pricing model;

receiving, by the one or more first processors and during execution of the one or more software products, an indication to execute a set of diagnostic machine instructions related to execution of the one or more software products;

initiating, by the one or more first processors and responsive to receiving the indication, execution by one or more distinct second processors of the set of diagnostic machine instructions, wherein the initiating is based at least in part on the execution of the set of diagnostic machine instructions by the one or more distinct second processors not being associated with the measured usage pricing model.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the measured usage pricing model specifies monetary usage fees that are associated with an amount of computing resources used for execution of the one or more software products by the one or more first processors, and wherein computing resources used for execution by the one or more distinct second processors are associated with no monetary usage fees or with monetary usage fees that are less than the monetary usage fees specified by the measured usage pricing model.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the specified monetary usage fees are associated with an amount of CPU time used for the execution of the one or more software products.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising continuing to execute the one or more software products by the one or more first processors during the execution of the set of diagnostic machine instructions by the one or more distinct second processors.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein initiating execution by the one or more distinct second processors of the set of diagnostic machine instructions includes initiating execution of the set of diagnostic machine instructions by a specialty engine comprising the one or more distinct second processors.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising, prior to initiating execution by the one or more distinct second processors of the set of diagnostic machine instructions, invoking the specialty engine.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein initiating execution by the one or more distinct second processors of the set of diagnostic machine instructions includes offloading to the one or more distinct second processors all diagnostic instructions that are related to the execution of the one or more software products during the execution of the one or more software products.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable program code stored thereon that, when executed, performs a method, the method comprising:

executing, by one or more first processors, one or more software products associated with a measured usage pricing model;

receiving, by the one or more first processors and during execution of the one or more software products, an indication to execute one or more sets of diagnostic machine instructions related to execution of the one or more software products;

initiating, by the one or more first processors and responsive to receiving the indication, execution by one or more distinct second processors of the one or more sets of diagnostic machine instructions, wherein the initiating is based at least in part on the execution of the one or more sets of diagnostic machine instructions by the one or more distinct second processors not being associated with the measured usage pricing model.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the measured usage pricing model specifies monetary usage fees that are associated with an amount of computing resources used for execution of the one or more software products by the one or more first processors, and wherein computing resources used for execution by the one or more distinct second processors are associated with no monetary usage fees or with monetary usage fees that are less than the monetary usage fees specified by the measured usage pricing model.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein the specified monetary usage fees are associated with an amount of CPU time used for the execution of the one or more software products.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the performed method further comprises continuing to execute the one or more software products by the one or more first processors during the execution of the one or more sets of diagnostic instructions by the one or more distinct second processors.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein initiating execution by the one or more distinct second processors of the one or more sets of diagnostic machine instructions includes initiating execution of the one or more sets of diagnostic machine instructions by a specialty engine comprising the one or more distinct second processors.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein the performed method further comprises, prior to initiating execution by the one or more distinct second processors of the one or more sets of diagnostic machine instructions, invoking the specialty engine.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein initiating execution by the one or more distinct second processors of the one or more sets of diagnostic machine instructions includes offloading to the one or more distinct second processors all diagnostic machine instructions that are related to the execution of the one or more software products during the execution of the one or more software products.

15. A system comprising one or more first processors, one or more distinct second processors, a system memory, and a bus that couples various system components including the system memory to the one or more first processors and to the one or more distinct second processors, the system configured to perform a method that includes:

executing, by the one or more first processors, one or more software products associated with a measured usage pricing model;

receiving, by the one or more first processors and during execution of the one or more software products, an indication to execute a set of diagnostic machine instructions related to execution of the one or more software products;

initiating, by the one or more first processors and responsive to receiving the indication, execution by the one or more distinct second processors of the set of diagnostic machine instructions, wherein the initiating is based at least in part on the execution of the set of diagnostic machine instructions by the one or more distinct second processors not being associated with the measured usage pricing model.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the measured usage pricing model specifies monetary usage fees that are associated with an amount of computing resources used for execution of the one or more software products by the one or more first processors, and wherein computing resources used for execution by the one or more distinct second processors are associated with no monetary usage fees or with monetary usage fees that are less than the monetary usage fees specified by the measured usage pricing model.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the specified monetary usage fees are associated with an amount of CPU time used for the execution of the one or more software products.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising continuing to execute the one or more software products by the one or more first processors during the execution of the one or more sets of diagnostic instructions by the one or more distinct second processors.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein initiating execution by the one or more distinct second processors of the set of diagnostic machine instructions includes initiating execution of the set of diagnostic machine instructions by a specialty engine comprising the one or more distinct second processors.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein initiating execution by the one or more distinct second processors of the set of diagnostic machine instructions includes transferring to the one or more distinct second processors all diagnostic instructions that are related to the execution of the one or more software products during the execution of the one or more software products.