Billing usage in a virtual computing infrastructure
First Claim
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1. A method of billing usage of a cloud computing environment, the method comprising:
- executing, on a cluster of computer systems in the cloud computing environment, a distributed control plane, wherein the cluster of computer systems comprises a plurality of virtual machine nodes, wherein the distributed control plane comprises an infrastructure controller and a metering and billing module, wherein the distributed control plane is replicated on each of the plurality of virtual machine nodes in the cluster of computer systems, and wherein one of the plurality of virtual machine nodes comprises a master node;
metering, by the metering and billing module of the master node on the cluster of computer systems, usage of one or more cloud resources within the cloud computing environment by one or more users based on one or more rules, wherein the one or more cloud resources are hosted on the cluster of computer systems in the cloud computing environment or on one or more remote cloud sites accessible to the cluster of computer systems, wherein the one or more users is associated with at least one entity, and wherein each of the one or more rules comprises one or more predicate defined when a rule is applied and one or more associated actions taken when the rule is applied;
converting, by the metering and billing module of the master node on the cluster of computer systems, the metered usage of the one or more cloud resources to a revenue-generating value, wherein converting the metered usage of the one or more cloud resources to the revenue-generating value comprises applying the one or more rules to usage files for the one or more users; and
billing, by the metering and billing module of the master node on the cluster of computer systems, the revenue-generating value to the at least one entity associated with the one or more users, wherein billing the revenue-generating value to the at least one entity associated with the one or more users comprises generating one or more settlement files.
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Abstract
Billing usage of a cloud computing environment is described. Usage is metered of one or more resources within the cloud computing environment by one or more users. The one or more users may be associated with at least one entity. The metered usage of one or more cloud resources is converted to a revenue-generating value. The revenue-generating value is billed to the at least one entity associated with the one or more users. Revenue is collected from the at least one entity for the metered usage of one or more cloud resources. The collected revenue is shared with a plurality of parties.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of billing usage of a cloud computing environment, the method comprising:
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executing, on a cluster of computer systems in the cloud computing environment, a distributed control plane, wherein the cluster of computer systems comprises a plurality of virtual machine nodes, wherein the distributed control plane comprises an infrastructure controller and a metering and billing module, wherein the distributed control plane is replicated on each of the plurality of virtual machine nodes in the cluster of computer systems, and wherein one of the plurality of virtual machine nodes comprises a master node; metering, by the metering and billing module of the master node on the cluster of computer systems, usage of one or more cloud resources within the cloud computing environment by one or more users based on one or more rules, wherein the one or more cloud resources are hosted on the cluster of computer systems in the cloud computing environment or on one or more remote cloud sites accessible to the cluster of computer systems, wherein the one or more users is associated with at least one entity, and wherein each of the one or more rules comprises one or more predicate defined when a rule is applied and one or more associated actions taken when the rule is applied; converting, by the metering and billing module of the master node on the cluster of computer systems, the metered usage of the one or more cloud resources to a revenue-generating value, wherein converting the metered usage of the one or more cloud resources to the revenue-generating value comprises applying the one or more rules to usage files for the one or more users; and billing, by the metering and billing module of the master node on the cluster of computer systems, the revenue-generating value to the at least one entity associated with the one or more users, wherein billing the revenue-generating value to the at least one entity associated with the one or more users comprises generating one or more settlement files. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer-readable memory device comprising a set of instructions stored therein which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to bill usage of a cloud computing environment by:
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executing, on a cluster of computer systems in the cloud computing environment, a distributed control plane, wherein the cluster of computer systems comprises a plurality of virtual machine nodes, wherein the distributed control plane comprises an infrastructure controller and a metering and billing module, wherein the distributed control plane is replicated on each of the plurality of virtual machine nodes in the cluster of computer systems, and wherein one of the plurality of virtual machine nodes comprises a master node; metering, by the metering and billing module of the master node on the cluster of computer systems, usage of one or more cloud resources within the cloud computing environment by one or more users based on one or more rules, wherein the one or more cloud resources are hosted on the cluster of computer systems in the cloud computing environment or on one or more remote cloud sites accessible to the cluster of computer systems, wherein the one or more users is associated with at least one entity and wherein each of the one or more rules comprises one or more predicates defined when a rule is applied and one or more associated actions taken when the rule is applied; converting, by the metering and billing module of the master node on the cluster of computer systems, the metered usage of the one or more cloud resources to a revenue-generating value, wherein converting the metered usage of the one or more cloud resources to the revenue-generating value comprises applying the one or more rules to usage files for the one or more users; and billing, by the metering and billing module of the master node on the cluster of computer systems, the revenue-generating value to the at least one entity associated with the one or more users, wherein billing the revenue-generating value to the at least one entity associated with the one or more users comprises generating one or more settlement files. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system comprising:
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a plurality of processors; and a memory coupled with and readable by each of the plurality of processors and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the plurality of processors, causes the plurality of processors to bill usage of a cloud computing environment by; executing, on a cluster of computer systems in the cloud computing environment, a distributed control plane, wherein the cluster of computer systems comprises a plurality of virtual machine nodes, wherein the distributed control plane comprises an infrastructure controller and a metering and billing module, wherein the distributed control plane is replicated on each of the plurality of virtual machine nodes in the cluster of computer systems, and wherein one of the plurality of virtual machine nodes comprises a master node; metering, by the metering and billing module of the master node on the cluster of computer systems, usage of one or more cloud resources within the cloud computing environment by one or more users based on one or more rules, wherein the one or more cloud resources are hosted on the cluster of computer systems in the cloud computing environment or on one or more remote cloud sites accessible to the cluster of computer systems, wherein the one or more users is associated with at least one entity, and wherein each of the one or more rules comprises one or more predicates defined when a rule is applied and one or more associated actions taken when the rule is applied; converting, by the metering and billing module of the master node on the cluster of computer systems, the metered usage of the one or more cloud resources to a revenue-generating value, wherein converting the metered usage of the one or more cloud resources to the revenue-generating comprises applying the one or more rules to usage files for the one or more users; and billing, by the metering and billing module of the master node on the cluster of computer systems, the revenue-generating value to the at least one entity associated with the one or more users, wherein billing the revenue-generating value to the at least one entity associated with the one or more users comprises generating one or more settlement files. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification