METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MANAGING SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR CLOUD-BASED VIRTUAL MACHINES

• US 20090300608A1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Ferris, James Michael, Darcy, Aaron Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,943,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/301 where the computing system is a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems virtual machines G06F9/45533; logical partitioning of resources G06F9/5077
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45562 Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

A cloud management system can track the usage of the virtual machines in order to determine the fees associated with the user'"'"'s subscription to the cloud computing environment. The usage can include the resources consumed to support the virtual machines and can include the utilization of the virtual machines by the user or third parties. The cloud management system can determine the fees charged to the user for utilizing the cloud computing environment based on the tracked usage.

Claims

1. A method of managing a subscription in a cloud computing environment, comprising:

instantiating at least one virtual machine in a cloud computing environment;

tracking a usage of the at least one virtual machine in the cloud computing environment;

storing the usage of the at least one virtual machine in a cloud management system; and

determining a charge for the tracked usage of the at least one virtual machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking the usage comprises tracking at least one of a time period for the at least one virtual machine, a duration of the at least one virtual machine, or a resource usage of the at least one virtual machine.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a record of the usage and the charge to a requester of the at least one virtual machine.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining payment of the charge from a requester of the at least one virtual machine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein instantiating at least one virtual machine in a cloud computing environment comprises instantiating a set of virtual machines, the method further comprising:

tracking a group usage of the set of virtual machines in the cloud computing environment;

storing the group usage of the set of virtual machines in a cloud management system; and

determining a group charge for the tracked group usage of the set of virtual machines.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein tracking the usage comprises tracking at least one of a time period for the set of virtual machines, a duration of the set virtual machines, or a resource usage of the set of virtual machines.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering a requesting user of the at least one virtual machine in the cloud management system, prior to instantiating the at least one virtual machine; and

determining a base charge for instantiating the at least one virtual machine in the cloud computing system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cloud computing environment comprises a set of resource servers configured to deliver resources to instantiate the at least one virtual machines.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking the usage of the at least one virtual machine in the cloud computing environment, comprises:

tracking an individual usage of components of the at least one virtual machine;

storing the individual usage of the components in a cloud management system; and

determining a individual charge for the individual usage of the components.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a base component charge of the components.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein tracking the individual usage comprises tracking at least one of a time period for the components, a duration of the components, or a resource usage of the components.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

tracking a group component usage of the components;

storing the group component usage of the components in a cloud management system; and

determining a charge for the group component usage of the components.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the components comprise at least one of an operating system, an application, middleware, or an appliance.

14. A system for managing the identification of entities in a cloud computing environment, comprising:

a network interface to at least one virtual machine in a cloud computing environment; and

a cloud management module, communicating with the network interface, the cloud management module being configured to

instantiate the at least one virtual machine in a cloud computing environment;

track a usage of the at least one virtual machine in the cloud computing environment;

store the usage of the at least one virtual machine in a cloud management system; and

determine a charge for the tracked usage of the at least one virtual machine.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the cloud management module is configured to track at least one of a time period for the at least one virtual machine, a duration of the at least one virtual machine, or a resource usage of the at least one virtual machine.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the cloud management module is configured to provide a record of the usage and the charge to an owner of the at least one virtual machine.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the cloud management module is configured to determine payment of the charge from a requester of the at least one virtual machine.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the cloud management module is further configured to

instantiate a set of virtual machines, the method further comprising:

track a group usage of the set of virtual machines in the cloud computing environment;

store the group usage of the set of virtual machines in a cloud management system; and

determine a group charge for the tracked group usage of the set of virtual machines.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the cloud management module is configured to track at least one of a time period for the set of virtual machines, a duration of the set virtual machines, or a resource usage of the set of virtual machines.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the cloud management module is further configured to

register a requesting user of the at least one virtual machine in the cloud management system, prior to instantiating the at least one virtual machine;

and

determine a base charge for instantiating the at least one virtual machine in the cloud computing system.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the cloud computing environment comprises a set of resource servers configured to deliver resources to instantiate the at least one virtual machines.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the cloud management module is further configured to

track an individual usage of components of the at least one virtual machine;

store the individual usage of the components in a cloud management system; and

determine a individual charge for the individual usage of the components.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the cloud management module is further configured to determine a base component charge of the components.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein tracking the individual usage comprises tracking at least one of a time period for the components, a duration of the components, or a resource usage of the components.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the cloud management module is further configured to

track a group component usage of the components;

store the group component usage of the components in a cloud management system; and

determine a charge for the group component usage of the components.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the components comprise at least one of an operating system, application, middleware, or appliance.

27. A virtual machine, the virtual machine being managed by a method comprising:

instantiating at least one virtual machine in a cloud computing environment;

tracking a usage of the at least one virtual machine in the cloud computing environment;

storing the usage of the at least one virtual machine in a cloud management system; and

determining a charge for the tracked usage of the at least one virtual machine.

28. The virtual machine of claim 27, the method further comprising:

registering a requesting user of the at least one virtual machine in the cloud management system, prior to instantiating the at least one virtual machine; and

determining a base charge for instantiating the at least one virtual machine in the cloud computing system.

29. The virtual machine of claim 27, wherein the cloud computing environment comprises a set of resource servers configured to deliver resources to instantiate the at least one virtual machines.

30. The virtual machine of claim 27, wherein the at least one virtual machine comprises components, the components including at least one of an operating system, application, middleware, or appliance.