System, method and computer program product for a network analyzer business model

• US 7,483,861 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Musarubra US LLC (Musarubra US SellCo LLC)
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Verma, Ravi, Joiner, Herbert V., Raghuraman, Praveen
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson Boyce; Akiba K
• Application Number:
  US10/029,591
• Time in Patent Office: 2,594 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/400, 705/32, 705/52, 709/220, 709/222, 709/223, 709/224, 709/226
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for charging for network analysis. Initially, network traffic information is collected utilizing a plurality of agents. Next, the network traffic information is collected utilizing a plurality of host controllers coupled to the agents. The network traffic information may then be reported to a user utilizing a plurality of zone controllers coupled to the host controllers. In use, a reoccurring fee associated with the reporting may be determined based on a number of the agents, the host controllers, and/or the zone controllers.

Claims

1. A method for charging for network analysis, and executing on a computer including a computer readable medium, comprising:

(a) collecting network traffic information utilizing a plurality of agents;

(b) consolidating the network traffic information utilizing a plurality of host controllers coupled to the agents;

(c) reporting on the network traffic information to a user utilizing a plurality of zone controllers coupled to the host controllers; and

(d) determining a reoccurring fee associated with the reporting based on a number of at least one of the agents, the host controllers, and the zone controllers.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising determining the reoccurring fee associated with the reporting based on the number of the agents.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising determining the reoccurring fee associated with the reporting based on the number of the host controllers.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising determining the reoccurring fee associated with the reporting based on the number of the zone controllers.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising adding additional agents coupled to the host controllers.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, and further comprising adjusting the reoccurring fee based on the number of additional agents.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising charging the user the recurring fee.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising charging the user the recurring fee utilizing a network.

30. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the reoccurring fee is based on a tiered system.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the number of the at least one of the agents, the host controllers, and the zone controllers are set for each tier.

32. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the reoccurring fee is based on a non-linear function.

33. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the reoccurring fee is a monthly fee.

34. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each agent incurs a first reoccurring fee, each host controller incurs a second reoccurring fee greater than the first reoccurring fee, and each zone controller incurs a third reoccurring fee greater than the second reoccurring fee.

9. A computer program product embodied on a tangible computer readable medium for charging for network analysis, comprising:

(a) computer code for collecting network traffic information utilizing a plurality of agents;

(b) computer code for consolidating the network traffic information utilizing a plurality of host controllers coupled to the agents;

(e) computer code for reporting on the network traffic information to a user utilizing a plurality of zone controllers coupled to the host controllers; and

(d) computer code for determining a reoccurring fee associated with the reporting based on a number of at least one of the agents, the host controllers, and the zone controllers.

10. The computer program product as recited in claim 9, and further comprising computer code for determining the reoccurring fee associated with the reporting based on the number of the agents.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 9, and further comprising computer code for determining the reoccurring fee associated with the reporting based on the number of the host controllers.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 9, and further comprising computer code for determining the reoccurring fee associated with the reporting based on the number of the zone controllers.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 9, and further comprising computer code for adding additional agents coupled to the host controllers.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 13, and further comprising computer code for adjusting the reoccurring fee based on the number of additional agents.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 9, and further comprising computer code for charging the user the recurring fee.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 9, and further comprising computer code for charging the user the recurring fee utilizing a network.

17. A system for charging for network analysis updates, comprising:

a processor

a computer program embodied on a tangible computer readable medium

the processor configured to execute the computer program and to cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

(a) logic for collecting network traffic information utilizing a plurality of agents;

consolidating the network traffic information utilizing a plurality of host controllers coupled to the agents;

reporting on the network traffic information to a user utilizing a plurality of zone controllers coupled to the host controllers; and

determining a reoccurring fee associated with the reporting based on a number of at least one of the agents, the host controllers, and the zone controllers.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, and further comprising logic for determining the reoccurring fee associated with the reporting based on the number of the agents.

19. The system as recited in claim 17, and further comprising logic for determining the reoccurring fee associated with the reporting based on the number of the host controllers.

20. The system as recited in claim 17, and further comprising logic for determining the reoccurring fee associated with the reporting based on the number of the zone controllers.

21. The system as recited in claim 17, and further comprising logic for adding additional agents coupled to the host controllers.

22. The system as recited in claim 21, and further comprising logic for adjusting the reoccurring fee based on the number of additional agents.

23. The system as recited in claim 17, and further comprising logic for charging the user the recurring fee.

24. The system as recited in claim 17, and further comprising logic for charging the user the recurring fee utilizing a network.

25. A method for charging for network analysis, and executing on a computer including a computer readable medium, comprising:

(a) collecting network traffic information utilizing a plurality of agents;

(b) consolidating the network traffic information utilizing a plurality of host controllers coupled to the agents;

(c) reporting on the network traffic information to a user utilizing a plurality of zone controllers coupled to the host controllers;

(d) determining a reoccurring fee associated with the reporting based on a number of the agents, the host controllers, and the zone controllers; and

(e) charging the user the recurring fee.

26. A method for charging for distributed network analysis, and executing on a computer including a computer readable medium, comprising:

collecting network traffic information utilizing a plurality of information collectors;

consolidating the network traffic information utilizing at least one information collector manager coupled to the information collectors;

reporting on the network traffic information to a user utilizing at least one interface; and

determining a fee associated with the distributed network analysis based on a number of the information collectors.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the fee is reoccurring.

28. A computer program product embodied on a tangible computer readable medium for charging for distributed network analysis, comprising:

computer code for collecting network traffic information utilizing a plurality of information collectors;

computer code for consolidating the network traffic information utilizing at least one information collector manager coupled to the information collectors;

computer code for reporting on the network traffic information to a user utilizing at least one interface; and

computer code for determining a fee associated with the distributed network analysis based on a number of the information collectors.

29. The computer program product as recited in claim 28, wherein the fee is reoccurring.