System and method for billing for hosted services

• US 8,280,790 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2009
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: GoGrid LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Peterson, Nicholas F., Keagy, John Martin, Lappas, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haider, Fawaad
• Application Number:
  US12/353,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20090182605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 705/34
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1224 Client or server resources management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a system and method for projecting billing of a specified server configuration. In some embodiments, the projected billing is determined by identifying a set of allocated resources for the server configuration. In some embodiments, the set of resources include an amount of allocated RAM, network bandwidth, disk storage, processing power, etc. The set of resources are then projected over a billing period. Some embodiments determine a projection for the configuration as each component of the configuration is specified within a graphical user interface. Additionally, some embodiments determine a projection for the configuration after the entire configuration is specified within the graphical user interface.

Claims

1. For a computer hosting service that provides a plurality of physical computers for hosting a plurality of different virtual server configurations for a plurality of different users, a machine implemented method comprising:

receiving a particular virtual server configuration for a particular user that (1) specifies a set of virtual servers that is to be deployed across a set of physical computers and (2) specifies, for each virtual server in the set of virtual servers, first and second amounts of first and second computer hosting resources that are to be allocated to the particular virtual server configuration across the set of physical computers for a billing period;

receiving a first billing plan for the particular virtual server configuration that specifies a first allotment amount for each of the first and second computer hosting resources that the particular virtual server configuration is allowed to use in the billing period before incurring overage charges;

in an automated manner, computing in real time an overall amount of projected usage for each of the first and second computer hosting resources by the particular virtual server configuration for the entire billing period based on the sets of amounts of the first and second computer hosting resources that are to be allocated across the set of physical computers;

when the computed overall amount of projected usage of one of the computer hosting resources exceeds the corresponding first allotment amount;

displaying to the particular user a notification to notify the particular user that the amount of projected usage of one of the computer hosting resources by the particular virtual server configuration across the set of physical computers exceeds the corresponding allotted amount of the computer hosting resource; and

providing the particular user with a second billing plan that specifies a second allotment amount of the one computer hosting resource that is equal to or greater than the overall amount of projected usage of the one computer hosting resource that is to be allocated across the set of physical computers.

2. The machine implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first computer hosting resource is random access memory (RAM).

3. The machine implemented method of claim 1 further comprising deploying the particular virtual server configuration by allocating the first and second computer hosting resources across the set of physical computers.

4. The machine implemented method of claim 3, wherein computing the overall amounts of projected usage occurs prior to deploying the particular virtual server configuration.

5. The machine implemented method of claim 3, wherein computing the overall amounts of projected usage occurs after deploying the virtual server configuration.

6. The machine implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a modification to the particular virtual server configuration; and

in an automated manner, recomputing in real time the overall amount of projected usage for each of the first and second computer hosting resources by the particular virtual server configuration that is to be allocated across the set of physical computers based on the modification.

7. The machine implemented method of claim 6, wherein the modification comprises removing a previously specified virtual server of the particular virtual server configuration.

8. The machine implemented method of claim 6, wherein the modification comprises reducing the amount of one of the computer hosting resources that is to be allocated across the set of physical computers.

14. The machine implemented method of claim 1, wherein computing the overall amounts of projected usage comprises determining an amount for each of the first and second computer hosting resources allocated to the particular virtual server configuration over a plurality of periods of the billing period.

15. The machine implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second computer hosting resource is network bandwidth.

9. A computer-implemented method for simultaneously hosting virtual server configurations for a plurality of users on a plurality of shared physical computers, the method comprising:

receiving a first plan for a particular virtual server configuration of a particular user that specifies a first allotted amount of at least one computer hosting resource that the particular virtual server configuration is allowed to use in a particular billing period before incurring overage charges;

deploying the particular virtual server configuration by allocating an amount of the computer hosting resource across a set of said shared physical computers, wherein at least one physical computer in the set of said shared physical computers is also used to deploy another virtual server configuration for another user;

at a subsequent point in time within the particular billing period, receiving a second plan for the particular virtual server configuration that specifies a second allotted amount of the computer hosting resource for the particular billing period;

calculating a difference between (i) the second allotted amount of the computer hosting resource for the particular billing period and (ii) usage of the computer hosting resource from a start of the particular billing period to the point in time within the particular billing period;

computing an amount of projected usage of the computer hosting resource by the particular virtual server configuration for a portion of the particular billing period based on the amount of the computer hosting resource allocated across the set of shared physical computers, wherein the portion of the particular billing period is an interval within the particular billing period from the point in time within the particular billing period to an end of the particular billing period; and

when the computed amount of projected usage of the computer hosting resource is determined to exceed the calculated difference, providing to the particular user a third plan that specifies a third allotted amount of the computer hosting resource for the particular billing period.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the computer hosting resource is random access memory (RAM) expressed in terms of RAM per unit of time.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein computing the amount of projected usage occurs after deploying the particular virtual server configuration.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the second allotted amount of the computer hosting resource is greater than the first allotted amount of the computer hosting resource.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the unit of time is an hour.

16. For a computer hosting service that provides a plurality of physical computers for hosting a plurality of different virtual server configurations for a plurality of different users, a computer readable medium storing a computer program executable by at least one processor, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a particular virtual server configuration for a particular user that (1) specifies a set of virtual servers that is to be deployed across a set of physical computers and (2) specifies, for each virtual server in the set of virtual servers, first and second amounts of first and second computer hosting resources that are to be allocated to the particular virtual server configuration across the set of physical computers for a billing period;

receiving a first billing plan for the particular virtual server configuration that specifies a first allotment amount for each of the first and second computer hosting resources that the particular virtual server configuration is allowed to use in the billing period before incurring overage charges;

computing, in an automated manner, in real time an overall amount of projected usage for each of the first and second computer hosting resources by the particular virtual server configuration for the entire billing period based on the sets of amounts of the first and second computer hosting resources that are to be allocated across the set of physical computers;

when the computed overall amount of projected usage of one of the computer hosting resources exceeds the corresponding first allotment amount;

displaying to the particular user a notification to notify the particular user that the amount of projected usage of one of the computer hosting resources by the particular virtual server configuration across the set of physical computers exceeds the corresponding allotted amount of the computer hosting resource; and

providing the particular user with a second billing plan that specifies a second allotment amount of the one computer hosting resource that is equal to or greater than the overall amount of projected usage of the one computer hosting resource that is to be allocated across the set of physical computers.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first computer hosting resource is random access memory (RAM).

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for deploying the particular virtual server configuration by allocating the first and second computer hosting resources across the set of physical computers.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the set of instructions for computing the overall amounts of projected usage is executed prior to the set of instructions for deploying the particular virtual server configuration.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the set of instructions for computing the overall amounts of projected usage is executed after the set of instructions for deploying the virtual server configuration.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer program further comprises sets of instructions for:

receiving a modification to the particular virtual server configuration; and

recomputing, in an automated manner, in real time the overall amount of projected usage for each of the first and second computer hosting resources by the particular virtual server configuration that is to be allocated across the set of physical computers based on the modification.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the modification comprises removing a previously specified virtual server of the particular virtual server configuration.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the modification comprises reducing the amount of one of the computer hosting resources that is to be allocated across the set of physical computers.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the set of instructions for computing the overall amounts of projected usage comprises a set of instructions for determining an amount for each of the first and second computer hosting resources allocated to the particular virtual server configuration over a plurality of periods of the billing period.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second computer hosting resource is network bandwidth.

26. A computer readable medium storing a computer program which when executed by at least one processor simultaneously hosts virtual server configurations for a plurality of users on a plurality of shared physical computers, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a first plan for a particular virtual server configuration of a particular user that specifies a first allotted amount of at least one computer hosting resource that the particular virtual server configuration is allowed to use in a particular billing period before incurring overage charges;

deploying the particular virtual server configuration by allocating an amount of the computer hosting resource across a set of said shared physical computers, wherein at least one physical computer in the set of said shared physical computers is also used to deploy another virtual server configuration for another user;

receiving, at a subsequent point in time within the particular billing period, a second plan for the particular virtual server configuration that specifies a second allotted amount of the computer hosting resource for the particular billing period;

calculating a difference between (i) the second allotted amount of the computer hosting resource for the particular billing period and (ii) usage of the computer hosting resource from a start of the particular billing period to the point in time within the particular billing period;

computing an amount of projected usage of the computer hosting resource by the particular virtual server configuration for a portion of the particular billing period based on the amount of the computer hosting resource allocated across the set of shared physical computers, wherein the portion of the particular billing period is an interval within the particular billing period from the point in time within the particular billing period to an end of the particular billing period; and

providing to the particular user a third plan that specifies a third allotted amount of the computer hosting resource for the particular billing period when the computed amount of projected usage of the computer hosting resource is determined to exceed the calculated difference.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the computer hosting resource is random access memory (RAM) expressed in terms of RAM per unit of time.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, wherein the unit of time is an hour.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the set of instructions for computing the amount of projected usage is executed after the set of instructions for deploying the particular virtual server configuration.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the second allotted amount of the computer hosting resource is greater than the first allotted amount of the computer hosting resource.