Managing subscribed resource in cloud network using variable or instantaneous consumption tracking periods

• US 8,825,791 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Morgan, Christopher Edwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, THAO DUC
• Application Number:
  US12/954,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20120131194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/226, 709/229, 709220-224
• US Class Current: 709/216
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/508 Monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for managing subscribed resource limits in a cloud network using variable or instantaneous consumption tracking periods. A set of aggregate usage history data can record consumption of processor, memory, software, or other resources subscribed to by a user across multiple host clouds. An entitlement engine can analyze the usage history data to identify a subscription margin for the subscribed resources, reflecting under or over-consumption of cloud resources against subscription limits across multiple clouds. The entitlement engine can by default track the short-term subscription margin for one or multiple resources each hour of a day, and/or over other intervals. The entitlement engine can also generate a set of variable consumption periods over which to track the user'"'"'s resource consumption, based on trends or conditions demonstrated in that consumption pattern. In aspects, consumption can be metered on smaller intervals when the consumption rate is rapidly changing.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing a set of aggregate usage history data by a user operating a set of machines consuming a set of resources in a set of host clouds;

generating, by a processor, a set of consumption periods to track consumptions of the set of resources;

identifying, by the processor, a set of subscription margins for a resource in the set of resources in view of a comparison of a consumption of the resource in a plurality of the host clouds to a resource subscription limit over the set of consumption periods;

generating, by the processor, a set of marginal consumption values for the resource for the set of consumption periods across the plurality of host clouds; and

generating a management action in view of the marginal consumption value for the set of consumption periods,

wherein a durational length of at least one of the set of consumption periods is determined in view of a rate of relative changes in the set of marginal consumption values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of consumption periods comprise a set of time periods whose interval is in view of relative changes in the set of marginal consumption values over the set of time periods.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the interval is to decrease in view of increasing relative changes in the set of marginal consumption values over the set of time periods.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the interval is to increase in view of decreasing relative changes in the set of marginal consumption values over the set of time periods.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the management action comprises adjusting a resource consumption limit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the management action comprises generating a restriction on the consumption of the set of resources.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the management action comprises initiating a rollover operation to migrate the consumption of at least a portion of the resources to at least one additional host cloud.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of variable consumption periods comprises an instantaneous consumption value indicating the set of subscription margins in substantially real-time.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating a running average of the instantaneous consumption value.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating an alert when the instantaneous consumption value exceeds the running average of the instantaneous consumption value.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of subscription margins comprises at least one of an over-limit consumption total for the resource or an under-limit consumption total for the resource.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of consumption periods comprise a set of time periods metered in units of at least one of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of aggregate usage history data comprises at least one of processor usage data, memory usage data, storage usage data, communications bandwidth usage data, operating system usage data, application usage data, service usage data, virtual machine instance data, or appliance usage data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a resource consumption limit comprises at least one of an instance limit for a set of virtual machines, an instance limit for a set of appliances, an instance limit for an operating system, an instance limit for at least one application, a communications bandwidth throughput limit, or a storage amount limit.

15. A system, comprising:

an interface to a data store to store a set of aggregate usage history data by a user operating a set of machines consuming a set of resources in a set of host clouds; and

a processor, to communicate with the data store via the interface, to;

access the set of aggregate usage history,

generate a set of consumption periods to track consumptions of the set of resources,

identify a set of subscription margins for a resource in the set of resources in view of a comparison of a consumption of the resource in a plurality of the host clouds to a resource subscription limit over the set of consumption periods,

generate a set of marginal consumption values for the resource for the set of consumption periods across the plurality of host clouds, and

generate a management action in view of the marginal consumption value for the set of consumption periods,

wherein a durational length of at least one of the set of consumption periods is determined in view of a rate of relative changes in the set of marginal consumption values.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the set of consumption periods comprise a set of time periods whose interval is in view of relative changes in the set of marginal consumption values over the set of time periods.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the interval is to decrease in view of increasing relative changes in the set of marginal consumption values over the set of time periods.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the interval is to increase in view of decreasing relative changes in the set of marginal consumption values over the set of time periods.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the management action comprises adjusting a resource consumption limit.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the management action comprises generating a restriction on the consumption of the set of resources.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the management action comprises initiating a rollover operation to migrate the consumption of at least a portion of the resources to at least one additional host cloud.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the set of consumption periods comprises an instantaneous consumption value indicating the set of subscription margins in substantially real-time.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor further is to generate a running average of the instantaneous consumption value.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor further is to generate an alert when the instantaneous consumption value exceeds the running average of the instantaneous consumption value.