Systerm for determining unreturned standby resource usage

• US 20040215774A1
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Grimm, Randall Lane, Lewis, David Otto, Schardt, Terry Lyle, Birkestrand, Daniel Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,395,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/508 Monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5011 the resources being hardware resources other than CPUs, Servers and Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

An apparatus, program product and method for determining unreturned standby resource usage. Unreturned standby resource data is monitored and stored separately from other standby resource data for billing and other accounting purposes.

Claims

1. A method for determining unreturned resource usage for a standby resource within a data processing system, the standby resource having a specified window of activity, the method comprising:

determining expected usage data of the standby resource operating within the specified window of activity;

determining unreturned usage data of the standby resource operating outside of the specified window of activity;

processing the unreturned usage data of the standby resource separately from the expected usage data of the standby resource; and

outputting the processed unreturned usage data.

2. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, wherein determining the unreturned usage data further includes initiating a count associated with the unreturned usage data in response to the standby resource operating outside of the specified window of activity.

3. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 2, further comprising incrementing the count in response to detecting a measurable billing occurrence.

4. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 3, wherein detecting the measurable billing occurrence further includes detecting at least one event selected from a group consisting of:

a time unit, a day, a processor cycle, a software prompt and resource usage.

5. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, wherein determining the unreturned usage data further includes sampling a memory including an activity record associated with the standby resource.

6. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, wherein determining the unreturned usage data further includes determining that the standby resource is unreclaimable based upon a designation within the data processing system of at least one setting selected from a group consisting of:

a minimum resource requirement, an operating system setting and a program setting.

7. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, wherein determining the unreturned usage data further includes restricting the activity of a second standby resource in response to determining the unreturned resource usage.

8. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, wherein determining the unreturned usage data further includes reclaiming the standby resource.

9. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, wherein determining the unreturned usage data further includes determining the unreturned resource usage data on a periodic basis.

10. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, wherein determining the unreturned usage data further includes determining the unreturned resource usage without interrupting operation of the standby resource.

11. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, further comprising storing a record of the standby resource operating outside of the specified window of activity.

12. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, further comprising decrementing a count associated with the expected usage data in response to detecting a measurable billing occurrence.

13. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, wherein processing the unreturned usage data of the standby resource further includes processing the unreturned usage data as a function of a billable cost per measurable unit.

14. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, wherein processing the unreturned usage data of the standby resource further includes storing the unreturned usage data separately from the expected usage data.

15. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, wherein processing the unreturned usage data of the standby resource further includes comparing the unreturned usage data to redundant data stored separately from the unreturned usage data.

16. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, wherein outputting the processed unreturned usage data further includes storing the processed unreturned usage data within a memory.

17. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, wherein outputting the processed unreturned usage data further includes generating an invoice including the processed unreturned usage data.

18. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, wherein outputting the processed unreturned usage data further includes communicating the processed unreturned usage data to a billing computer.

19. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, wherein outputting the processed unreturned usage data further includes encoding a communication of the processed unreturned usage data.

20. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, wherein outputting the processed unreturned usage data further includes authenticating the processed unreturned usage data.

21. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, further comprising generating a request configured to initiate activation of the standby resource.

22. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, further comprising setting the specified window of operation.

23. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, further comprising generating a preconfigured standby resource request option.

24. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, further comprising inputting an enablement code to activate the standby resource.

25. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, further comprising designating the standby resource as unreclaimable.

26. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, further comprising manually assigning the standby resource to the data processing system.

27. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, further comprising automatically assigning the standby resource to the data processing system.

28. The method for determining unreturned resource usage of claim 1, further comprising designating the standby resource to be returned.

29. An apparatus comprising:

a computer including a standby resource having a specified window of activity; and

program code in communication with the computer, the program code configured to determine expected usage data of the standby resource operating within the specified window of activity, as well as unreturned usage data of the standby resource operating outside of the specified window of activity, the program code further configured to process the unreturned usage data of the standby resource separately from the expected usage data of the standby resource, and to output the processed unreturned usage data.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the program code initiates a count associated with the unreturned usage data in response to the standby resource operating outside of the specified window of activity.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the program code initiates incrementing the count in response to detecting a measurable billing occurrence.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the measurable billing occurrence includes at least one event selected from a group consisting of:

a time unit, a day, a processor cycle, a software prompt and resource usage.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the program code initiates restricting the activity of a second standby resource in response to determining the unreturned resource usage.

34. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the program code initiates storing a record of the standby resource operating outside of the specified window of activity.

35. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the program code initiates processing the unreturned usage data as a function of a billable cost per measurable unit.

36. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the program code initiates storing the unreturned usage data separately from the expected usage data.

37. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the program code initiates communicating the processed unreturned usage data to a billing computer.

38. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the standby resource includes at least one computing resource selected from a group consisting of:

a processor, memory, an interface, an input/output controller, an adaptor, a hardware device and a card.

39. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the program code initiates determining that the standby resource is unreclaimable.

40. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the program code initiates designating the standby resource as unreclaimable.

41. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the computer is a logically partitioned computer.

42. A program product, comprising:

(a) program code configured to determine expected usage data of the standby resource operating within a specified window of activity, as well as unreturned usage data of the standby resource operating outside of the specified window of activity, the program code further configured to process the unreturned usage data of the standby resource separately from the expected usage data of the standby resource, and to output the processed unreturned usage data; and

(b) a signal bearing medium bearing the program code.

43. The program product of claim 42, wherein the signal bearing medium includes at least one of a recordable medium and a transmission-type medium.