System for metering in an on-demand utility environment

• US 8,615,455 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2012
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Albaugh, Virgil A., Madduri, Hari H., Keller, Grisselle M., Waldroff, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert, Ella
• Application Number:
  US13/401,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20120209992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.26, 705/35, 707/609, 707/899, 707/960, 707/790, 709/209
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1432 Metric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/52 for operator independent billing system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/53 using mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0172 Mediation, i.e. device or program to reformat CDRS from one or more switches in order to adapt to one or more billing programs formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/70 Administration aspects, modify settings or limits or counter-check correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7072 Validate charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method for metering on-demand service (ODS) resource consumption by a user comprising a web services interface, a processing engine, and configuration data. A data gathering agent in the ODS stores the usage data in records, combines the records into packets, and transmits the packets to the web services interface. The web services interface passes the packets onto the processing engine, which stores the records in the packet into a database. The generalized format of the record is critical because it allows the metrics to be stored in the record table with the usage data. When a record contains an instruction to close a UOW, the processing engine applies the configuration data comprising composition rules and record selection rules to the database. The record selection rules select the desired records from the database. The composition rules aggregate, normalize, and compose the selected records to produce a metric.

Claims

1. A method for metering use of at least one of a plurality of resources in an on-demand service environment, the method comprising the steps of:

a computer receiving a usage record that indicates a particular state and includes an identifier that identifies a group of records, wherein the group of records includes the usage record;

the computer including in each one of the group of records an identification of one of the plurality of resources, an identification of one of a plurality of users that used the one of the plurality of resources, and an amount of usage of the one of the plurality of resources by the one of the plurality of users;

the computer storing the usage record in a record table, wherein the record table includes values of different types of usages of different ones of the plurality of resources, and wherein the group of records is stored in the record table;

the computer using a first rule to select a plurality of the group of records, wherein the first rule identifies at least one of the plurality of users and at least one of the plurality of resources that was used by the identified at least one of the plurality of users

the computer adding each amount of usage included in each one of the plurality of the group of records to determine a total usage; and

the computer using the total usage and a formula that is included in a second rule to calculate a metric, wherein the second rule includes an identification of the at least one of the plurality of users that used the at least one of the plurality of resources.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the computer storing the metric as a first entry in a format in the record table and storing the usage record as a second entry in the format in the record table, wherein the second entry is a virtual record.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein

the particular state is either closed or close pending, and wherein additional new records can be added to the group of records when the state is open, wherein the metric has been calculated when the particular state is closed, and wherein an instruction has been received to close the group of records when the particular state is close pending.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

in response to the computer receiving the usage record that indicates the particular state, the computer changing, in a state table, a status of the group of records to close pending; and

wherein the usage record indicates the particular state using a flag that is stored in a required field of the usage record.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to the computer calculating the metric, the computer changing a state of the group of records to closed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the different types of usages include an amount of a usage of a memory, an amount of a usage of a processor, and a quantity of forms that were accessed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular state is closing a unit of work, and wherein the unit of work is a specified time period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the formula uses a first value of a usage of a first one of the plurality of resources by a first one of the plurality of users and a second value of a usage of a second one of the plurality of resources by a second one of the plurality of users.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the computer using a rule field in a format to identify the second entry as the virtual record by storing an identification of the second rule in the rule field.

10. A program product for metering use of at least one of a plurality of resources in an on-demand service environment, the program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to receive a usage record that indicates a particular state and includes an identifier that identifies a group of records, wherein the group of records includes the usage record;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to include in each one of the group of records an identification of one of the plurality of resources, an identification of one of a plurality of users that used the one of the plurality of resources, and an amount of usage of the one of the plurality of resources by the one of the plurality of users;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to store the usage record in a record table, wherein the record table includes values of different types of usages of different ones of the plurality of resources, and wherein the group of records is stored in the record table;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to use a first rule to select a plurality of the group of records, wherein the first rule identifies at least one of the plurality of users and at least one of the plurality of resources that was used by the identified at least one of the plurality of users

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to add each amount of usage included in each one of the plurality of the group of records to determine a total usage; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to use the total usage and a formula that is included in a second rule to calculate a metric, wherein the second rule includes an identification of the at least one of the plurality of users that used the at least one of the plurality of resources.

11. The program product of claim 10 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to store the metric as a first entry in a format in the record table and store the usage record as a second entry in the format in the record table, wherein the second entry is a virtual record.

12. The program product of claim 10, wherein

the particular state is either closed or close pending, the program product further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to the state being open, to permit additional new records to be added to the group of records.

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to the state being closed, to calculate the metric; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to receiving an instruction to close the group of records, to change the particular state to close pending.

13. The program product of claim 10 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to receiving the usage record that indicates the particular state, to change, in a state table, a status of the group of records to close pending; and

wherein the usage record indicates the particular state using a flag that is stored in a required field of the usage record.

14. The program product of claim 10 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to calculating the metric, to change a state of the group of records to closed.

15. The program product of claim 10, wherein the different types of usages include an amount of a usage of a memory, an amount of a usage of a processor, and a quantity of forms that were accessed.

16. The program product of claim 10, wherein the particular state is closing a unit of work, and wherein the unit of work is a specified time period.

17. The program product of claim 10 wherein the formula uses a first value of a usage of a first one of the plurality of resources by a first one of the plurality of users and a second value of a usage of a second one of the plurality of resources by a second one of the plurality of users.

18. The program product of claim 10 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to use a rule field in a format to identify the second entry as the virtual record by storing an identification of the second rule in the rule field.

19. A computer system for metering use of at least one of a plurality of resources in an on-demand service environment, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to receive a usage record that indicates a particular state and includes an identifier that identifies a group of records, wherein the group of records includes the usage record;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to include in each one of the group of records an identification of one of the plurality of resources, an identification of one of a plurality of users that used the one of the plurality of resources, and an amount of usage of the one of the plurality of resources by the one of the plurality of users;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to store the usage record in a record table, wherein the record table includes values of different types of usages of different ones of the plurality of resources, and wherein the group of records is stored in the record table;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to use a first rule to select a plurality of the group of records, wherein the first rule identifies at least one of the plurality of users and at least one of the plurality of resources that was used by the identified at least one of the plurality of users;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to add each amount of usage included in each one of the plurality of the group of records to determine a total usage; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to use the total usage and a formula that is included in a second rule to calculate a metric, wherein the second rule includes an identification of the at least one of the plurality of users that used the at least one of the plurality of resources.

20. The computer system of claim 19 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to store the metric as a first entry in a format in the record table and store the usage record as a second entry in the format in the record table, wherein the second entry is a virtual record.

21. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the particular state is either closed or close pending, the computer system further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, responsive to the state being open, to permit additional new records to be added to the group of records;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, responsive to the state being closed, to calculate the metric; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, responsive to receiving an instruction to close the group of records, to change the particular state to close pending.

22. The computer system of claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, responsive to receiving that usage record that indicates the particular state, to change, in a state table, a status of the group of records to close pending; and

wherein the usage record indicates the particular state using a flag that is stored in a required field of the usage record.

23. The computer system of claim 19 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, responsive to the program instructions calculating the metric, to change a state of the group of records to closed.

24. The computer system according to claim 19, wherein the different types of usages include an amount of a usage of a memory, an amount of a usage of a processor, and a quantity of forms that were accessed.

25. The computer system according to claim 19, wherein the particular state is closing a unit of work, and wherein the unit of work is a specified time period.

26. The computer system according to claim 19 wherein the formula uses a first value of usage of a first one of the plurality of resources by a first one of the plurality of users, and a second value of usage of a second one of the plurality of resources by a second one of the plurality of users.

27. The computer system according to claim 19 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to use a rule field in a format to identify the second entry as the virtual record by storing an identification of the second rule in the rule field.