Variable Consumption Tracking for Cloud Resource Subscription Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cloud management systems lack the ability to accurately track and manage resource consumption across multiple independent host clouds, leading to difficulties in enforcing subscription limits, detecting transient resource usage peaks, and applying timely billing adjustments, due to fixed consumption intervals and lack of visibility between clouds.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that dynamically adjusts and manages variable subscription periods based on consumption conditions, allowing for instantaneous or real-time tracking of resource consumption, and using a central entitlement engine to aggregate and reconcile marginal consumption values across multiple clouds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If fixed consumption intervals are used to track resource usage, then billing and subscription management becomes simpler, but the ability to detect transient resource usage peaks and apply timely billing adjustments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from fixed consumption intervals to variable consumption periods that dynamically adjust based on usage patterns. The system monitors resource consumption in real-time and modifies tracking intervals to capture transient peaks while maintaining manageable billing complexity through automated adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of consumption tracking intervals from static to dynamic values. By adjusting the consumption period length and frequency based on detected usage patterns, the system achieves both simplicity in management and precision in measurement, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and measurement precision.
2Adaptability or versatility
If independent host clouds operate without coordination, then cloud deployment flexibility and scalability improve, but the ability to aggregate and enforce subscription limits across clouds deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud management system as an intermediary layer between independent host clouds and users. This mediator aggregates consumption data from multiple clouds, enforces subscription limits uniformly, and provides centralized visibility while allowing each cloud to operate independently. The intermediary resolves the contradiction by adding coordination without compromising deployment flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The cloud management system performs multiple functions: it tracks consumption across clouds, enforces subscription limits, provides billing management, and maintains visibility. This multi-functional approach enables aggregated control and information sharing across independent clouds without requiring changes to individual cloud operations, thus preserving flexibility while improving coordination.
3Measurement precision
If consumption tracking is performed in real-time across multiple clouds, then billing accuracy and subscription limit enforcement improve, but system complexity and computational overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the consumption tracking system into modular components: individual cloud providers report consumption data to a centralized management system, which then processes and enforces subscription limits. This segmentation allows real-time tracking accuracy while managing complexity through distributed architecture, where each component has well-defined responsibilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where consumption data flows from clouds to the management system, which then provides feedback in the form of billing adjustments and limit enforcement actions. This automated feedback loop maintains high measurement precision for subscription enforcement while reducing operational complexity through algorithmic processing rather than manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
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.