Cloud computing resource broker

• US 8,244,559 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Horvitz, Eric J., Cochrane, Harold L., Vega, Rene A., Calvo, Angel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US12/492,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20100332262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 705 4- 44
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

Embodiments for interacting with cloud computing providers are disclosed. In accordance with at least one embodiment, a resource broker receives a request for a computing task that is to be performed from a customer. The resource broker selects one of the cloud computing providers to perform at least a part of the computing task. In turn, the resource broker may obtain a gain from performance of the at least one part of the computing task by the cloud computing provider.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

soliciting bids from a plurality of cloud computing providers for providing a block of cloud computing service capability;

purchasing the block of cloud computing service capability from a cloud computing provider selected from the plurality of cloud computing providers in response to determining that the cloud computing provider charges a lowest cost for the block of cloud computing service capability;

selling at least the block of cloud computing service capability to one or more customers for a monetary gain, the block of cloud computing service capability enabling a computing task to be processed via cloud computing;

receiving monetary payment from a customer for providing a commitment that the block of clouding computing service capability meets performance metrics of the customer for a time period;

obtaining first performance attribute data on a performance of the block of cloud computing service capability from the cloud computing provider during the time period; and

providing compensation to the customer when the performance of the block of cloud computing capability fails to meet the performance metrics;

analyzing the block of cloud computing service capability using independent analytics to generate second performance attribute data for the block of cloud computing service capability; and

providing the independent analytics to the cloud computing provider in exchange for monetary payment when the second performance attribute data indicates that the performance of the block of cloud computing service capability is superior than indicated by the first performance attribute data.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising an instruction that when executed, cause one or more processors to perform an act of dividing the block of the cloud computing service capability into a plurality of portions, wherein the selling at least the block includes selling the plurality of portions to one or more customers for gain.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions that when executed, cause one or more processors to perform further acts comprising

providing an incentive to the cloud computing provider when the actual performance of the block of cloud computing service capability meets or exceeds the performance metrics;

and

receiving a compensation from the cloud computing provider when the actual performance of the block of cloud computing service capability falls below the performance metrics.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein the incentive is a purchase of an additional block of cloud computing service capability from the cloud computing provider.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions that when executed, cause one or more processors to perform further acts comprising:

purchasing an additional block of cloud computing service capability from another cloud computing provider; and

aggregating the block of cloud computing service capability and the additional block of cloud computing service capability into a package,

wherein the selling includes selling the package to one or more customers for the monetary gain.

6. The computer readable of claim 1, further comprising instructions that when executed, cause one or more processors to perform further acts comprising:

purchasing an additional block of cloud computing service capability from another cloud computing provider;

dividing the additional block of cloud computing service capability into a plurality of additional portions; and

aggregating the block of cloud computing service capability and one of the plurality of additional portions of cloud computing service capability into a package,

wherein the selling includes selling the package to one or more customers for the monetary gain.

7. A computer-implemented method for a computing resource broker that is an intermediary between customers and cloud computing providers to facilitate performance of computing tasks, comprising:

under control of one or more servers comprising one or more processors,

receiving a request for a computing task to be performed from a customer;

selecting a cloud computing provider from the cloud computing providers on behalf of the customer to perform the computing task; and

obtaining a monetary gain from performance of the computing task by the cloud computing provider, the monetary gain being a difference between a value paid by the customer to the computing resource broker for having the computing task performed and a compensation paid by the computing resource broker to the cloud computing provider for performance of the computing task.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising providing a result obtained from the performance of the computing task to the customer.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising soliciting bids for the performance of the computing task from the cloud computing providers, wherein the selecting includes selecting the cloud computing provider based on the cloud computing provider submitting a most economical bid for the customer.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising soliciting bids for the performance of the computing task from the cloud computing providers, wherein the selecting includes selecting the cloud computing provider based on prior performance capability or prior performance cost of the cloud computing provider when no bids are received for the performance of the computing task.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

Storing a result of the computing task performed by the cloud computing provider in a database controlled by the computing resource broker; and

providing the result from the database to an additional customer in response to receiving an additional request for the computing task from the additional customer.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a monetary payment from the additional customer for the result.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the computing task is a first portion of an overall computing task requested by the customer, further comprising selecting an additional cloud computing provider to perform a second portion of the overall computing task on behalf of the customer.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the cloud computing provider uses personal computing devices of multiple users to perform at least a portion of the computing task.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

monitoring a metric of a power utility that supplies power to the cloud computing provider;

releasing at least a portion of the computing task for processing by the cloud computing provider when the metric meets a requirement; and

suspending the processing of the computing task when the metric fails to meet the requirement,

the requirement including that a cost of power from the power utility is below a threshold, a minimum percentage of power from the power utility is from a green source, or the power utility complies with regulation.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

purchasing insurance from an insurance entity to insure that the cloud computing provider is able to adequately perform the computing task; and

receiving compensation from the insurance entity when the cloud computing entity is unable to adequately perform the computing task.

17. A computer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

receiving a request from a customer for a computing task to be performed by a cloud computing provider;

soliciting one or more bids for performing the computing task from one or more computing resource brokers that contract with one or more cloud computing providers having computing resources to perform computing tasks;

disbursing the computing task to a computing resource broker with a lowest bid for performance of the computing task, the performance of the computing task to be accomplished by a contracted cloud computing provider that is selected by the computing resource broker; and

providing a results from the performance of the computing task as received from the computing resource broker to the customer, wherein the computing resource broker obtains a monetary gain from the performance of the computing task by the contracted cloud computing provider that is a difference between a value paid by the customer to the computing resource broker for having the computing task performed and a compensation paid by the computing resource broker to the contracted cloud computing provider for performance of the computing task.