Detecting resource consumption events over sliding intervals in cloud-based network

• US 9,219,669 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2014
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• 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): Wasel, Mohamed
• Assistant Examiner(s): WU, TSUNG YIN
• Application Number:
  US14/328,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20140325061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3072 where the reporting involves data filtering, e.g. pattern matching, time or event triggered, adaptive or policy-based reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3433 for load management allocation of a server based on load conditions G06F9/505; load rebalancing G06F9/5083; redistributing the load in a network by a load balancer H04L67/1029
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual middleware or OS functionality using virtual machines to implement generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking G06F11/1484
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/00 Data switching networks interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level

Abstract

A processor accesses usage history data, which includes subscription events for a virtual machine, and generates translatable time periods to which the subscription events can be assigned. Each of the translatable time periods is temporally shifted and each of the subscription events is assigned to one or more translatable time periods. The processor generates translation outcomes for a user of the virtual machine for the translatable time periods in view of assigned subscription events. The translation outcomes include an identified change in subscription costs of the user over the translatable time periods. The processor identifies a translated base period from the translatable time periods for which the subscription parameters will be applied to the usage history data in view of applying selection criteria to the translation outcomes and tracks resource usage of the user in view of the identified translated base period to determine an alternate set of subscription costs.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing a set of usage history data comprising a set of subscription events for a virtual machine;

generating, by a processor, a set of translatable time periods to which the set of subscription events can be assigned, wherein each of the set of translatable time periods is temporally shifted from others of the set of translatable time periods and each of the set of subscription events is assigned to one or more corresponding translatable time periods of the set of translatable time periods;

generating, by the processor, a set of translation outcomes for a user of the virtual machine for the translatable time periods in view of assigned subscription events, wherein the set of translation outcomes comprises an identified change in a set of subscription costs of the user over the set of translatable time periods;

identifying a translated base period from the set of translatable time periods for which the set of subscription parameters will be applied to the set of usage history data in view of applying selection criteria to the set of translation outcomes, wherein the set of subscription parameters comprises a resource consumption limit for a set of resources consumed by the virtual machine; and

tracking resource usage of the user in view of the identified translated base period to determine an alternate set of subscription costs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of subscription events comprises events at least one of meeting or exceeding the resource consumption limit for at least one resource in the set of resources.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of subscription events comprises execution of malicious software on the virtual machine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of subscription events comprises exceeding a message transmission threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the set of translatable time periods comprises:

identifying a time point in a first translatable time period; and

generating remaining translatable time periods in the set of translatable time periods by incrementing the time point in the first translatable time period.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the incrementing of the time point comprises incrementing the time point by a smallest time interval recorded in the set of usage history data.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the set of translatable time periods comprises:

sliding the first translatable time period by an amount to create remaining translatable time periods in the set of translatable time periods.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified change comprises determining that the set of subscription costs decreases in view of the translated base period.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified change comprises determining that the set of subscription costs increases in view of the translated base period.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the set of translation outcomes comprises:

analyzing the set of subscription parameters in view of the set of translatable time periods to determine at least one of a source over-consumption event, a resource under-consumption even, or an effect related to subscription costs.

11. A system comprising:

a memory to store a set of subscription parameters comprising a resource consumption limit for a set of resources consumed by a virtual machine, and a set of usage history data comprising a set of subscription events for the virtual machine;

a processor, coupled to the memory, to;

generate a set of translatable time periods to which the set of subscription events can be assigned, wherein each of the set of translatable time periods is temporally shifted from others of the set of translatable time periods and each of the set of subscription events is assigned to one or more corresponding translatable time periods of the set of translatable time periods;

generate a set of translation outcomes for a user of the virtual machine for the translatable time periods in view of assigned subscription events, wherein the set of translation outcomes comprises an identified change in a set of subscription costs of the user over the set of translatable time periods;

identify a translated base period from the set of translatable time periods for which the set of subscription parameters will be applied to the set of usage history data in view of applying selection criteria to the set of translation outcomes, wherein the set of subscription parameters comprises a resource consumption limit for a set of resources consumed by the virtual machine; and

track resource usage of the user in view of the identified translated base period to determine an alternate set of subscription costs.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the set of subscription events comprises events at least one of meeting or exceeding the resource consumption limit for at least one resource in the set of resources.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the set of subscription events comprises execution of malicious software on the virtual machine.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the set of subscription events comprises exceeding a message transmission threshold.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein to generate the set of translatable time periods comprises:

identifying a time point in a first translatable time period; and

generating remaining translatable time periods in the set of translatable time periods by incrementing the time point in the first translatable time period.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the incrementing of the time point comprises incrementing the time point by a smallest time interval recorded in the set of usage history data.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein to generate the set of translatable time periods comprises:

sliding the first translatable time period by an amount to create remaining translatable time periods in the set of translatable time periods.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the identified change comprises determining that the set of subscription costs decreases in view of the translated base period.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the identified change comprises determining that the set of subscription costs increases in view of the translated base period.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein to generate the set of translation outcomes comprises:

analyzing the set of subscription parameters in view of the set of translatable time periods to determine at least one of a source over-consumption event, a resource under-consumption even, or an effect related to subscription costs.