| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20110055034 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PRICING SOFTWARE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT - A software provider system can provide and price software infrastructure for a cloud to a cloud provider based on expected utilization and actual utilization of the cloud. The software provider system can provide the software infrastructure of the cloud and technical support for the software infrastructure under a varying price structure which is dependent on the expected utilization and the actual utilization of the software infrastructure. The software provider system can determine the initial price of the software infrastructure based on the expected utilization of the cloud and a purpose of the cloud. The software provider system can monitor the actual utilization of the software infrastructure, over time, in order to modify the initial price based on the actual utilization of the software infrastructure. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110055378 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR METERING SOFTWARE INFRASTRUCTURE IN A CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT - A metering tool can monitor the software resources of the cloud to meter the software utilization of the cloud. The metering tool can cooperate and communicate with a cloud management system to determine the software resources utilized by processes instantiated in the cloud and to track the duration of the utilization. The metering tool can store the tracked utilization in a record. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110131134 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR GENERATING A SOFTWARE LICENSE KNOWLEDGE BASE FOR VERIFYING SOFTWARE LICENSE COMPLIANCE IN CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENTS - A monitoring system can monitor computing processes in clouds. The monitoring system can verify software license compliance in the computing processes instantiated in the clouds. The monitoring system can generate and maintain a software license knowledge base. The software license knowledge base can include the software license requirements for various software programs. To generate the software license knowledge base, the monitoring system can communicate with various sources (software vendors, clouds, publicly available sources, etc.) to determine license requirements for the various software programs. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110131306 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SERVICE AGGREGATION USING GRADUATED SERVICE LEVELS IN A CLOUD NETWORK - Embodiments relate to systems and methods for service aggregation using graduated service levels in a cloud network. In embodiments, a service aggregation platform can encode a service delivery profile to manage the delivery of support services to both vendors, such as independent software vendors (ISVs), and their users in a cloud-based network or networks. Vendors may choose to host their technical support and related services in the service aggregation platform, and define a graduated set of levels of service to which their customers, subscribers, and/or other users may be registered or entitled Users of virtual machines hosted in the one or more cloud can receive technical support, help desk, updating, and/or other support directly from the service aggregation platform, or indirectly through the vendor. The aggregation platform can serve as a trusted portal for delivery of software certification, dependency testing, issue resolution, and/or other degrees or types of support. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110131315 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR VERIFYING SOFTWARE LICENSE COMPLIANCE IN CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENTS - A monitoring system can monitor computing processes in clouds. The monitoring system can verify software license compliance in the computing processes instantiated in the clouds. The monitoring system can generate and maintain a software license knowledge base. The software license knowledge base can include the software license requirements for various software programs. To verify software license compliance, the monitoring system can determine the software programs utilized by the computing processes instantiated in the clouds. The monitoring system can compare the software programs utilized by the computing processes to the software license knowledge base to determine the number of software licenses required by the computing processes. The monitoring system can compare the number of software licenses required to the number of software licenses currently held by the user to determine if the user is in compliance. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110131316 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING EVENTS IN CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENTS AND PERFORMING ACTIONS UPON OCCURRENCE OF THE EVENTS - A monitoring system can monitor computing processes in clouds. The monitoring system can monitor the clouds for certain events associated with the computing processes. The monitoring system can receive, from the user, a particular event and an action to perform upon the occurrence of the event. Once received, the monitoring system can compare the information collected during monitoring against the event specified by the user. Once the event occurs, the monitoring system can perform the action associated with the event. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110131499 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MONITORING CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENTS - A monitoring system can provide monitoring services to users of cloud computing environment. The monitoring system can receive access information from users subscribing to the monitoring services. Once received, the monitoring system can access clouds utilizing the access information and monitor the computing processes instantiated in the clouds and associated with the user. The monitoring system can monitor the computing processes and collect information such as usage of cloud resources, number and type of computing processes instantiated, software programs utilized by the computing processes. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110213686 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING A SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTION IN A CLOUD NETWORK - Embodiments relate to systems and methods for managing a software subscription between an independent software vendor (ISV) and a cloud network provider. In embodiments, the software subscription can be a Software as a Service (SaaS) agreement whereby an amount of resources of the cloud network to be operated by end users can be specified. In embodiments, a resource tracking module associated with the cloud network can track the actual amount of resources operated by the end users in executing applications associated with the ISV. The resource tracking module can compare the actual amount to the amount specified in the SaaS, and adjust the resources of the cloud network accordingly. In embodiments, the SaaS can be updated based on the adjustment. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110213687 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OR A USAGE MANAGER FOR CROSS-CLOUD APPLIANCES - Embodiments relate to systems and methods for a usage manager for cross-cloud appliances. A vendor, developer, or other user can generate one or more sets of computing appliances, comprising special-purpose pre-configured physical or virtual machines. The vendor can register an image of the one or more appliances to an image generation service, which can store that image along with the subscription model desired for that set of appliances. The image generation service can generate, test, and install a set of cloud-based images of the underlying appliances to a cloud environment including multiple, diverse clouds. The image generation service can adjust the cloud-based images as well as the subscription model to match the services and other resources of individual clouds, and ensure compatibility across multiple clouds. The image generation service can track usage data for billing or other management purposes. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110213691 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CLOUD-BASED BROKERAGE EXCHANGE OF SOFTWARE ENTITLEMENTS - Embodiments relate to systems and methods for cloud-based brokerage exchange of software entitlements. A user can host on-premise software applications on physical hardware, and extend those applications to the cloud based on a set of entitlements developed in conjunction with the vendor(s) of the software. The set of entitlements enjoyed by the user and/or offered by the vendor(s) can be exposed to a bidding marketplace via a brokerage engine and associated bidding service, which can be hosted on a Web site. Other users, and/or other vendors interesting in consuming or supplying premise or loud-based images of the software, or related services, can be to obtain or supply those resources through the brokerage service. The license terms including usage rates, number of users or images, security constraints, and/or other terms of software delivery and usage can be recorded in a dynamically updated entitlement database. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110213713 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR OFFERING ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS DURING CONVERSION OF STANDARD SOFTWARE LICENSES FOR USE IN CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENTS - A “Bring Your Own License” (BYOL) service can convert users' “off-the-shelf” (OTS) software licenses for use in public clouds according to rules provided by independent software vendors (ISVs). The BYOL service can offer additional license terms to the users during conversion of the OTS software license on behalf of the ISVs. The additional license terms can be an expansion of the use of the software, an expansion of the technical support offer by the new cloud license, and expansion of the duration of use. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110213719 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONVERTING STANDARD SOFTWARE LICENSES FOR USE IN CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENTS - A “Bring Your Own License” (BYOL) service can convert users' “off-the-shelf” (OTS) software licenses for use in public clouds according to rules provided by independent software vendors (ISVs). The rules provided by an ISV can convert the terms associated with the ISV's OTS software licenses (e.g. number of instances, number of users, duration, technical support provided) to terms associated with public clouds (e.g. number of concurrent users, number of virtual machines, number of different clouds, technical support). The BYOL license service can convert the OTS software licenses according to the rules provided by the ISVs. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110213875 | Methods and Systems for Providing Deployment Architectures in Cloud Computing Environments - A decision system for providing customized deployment architectures to users of a cloud computing environment. The decision system can identify one or more parameters for analyzing applications and processes running in a cloud, monitor the applications and processes executed in the cloud, and collect information such as usage of cloud resources, number and type of computing processes instantiated, software programs utilized by the computing processes. The decision system can then generate customized deployment architectures based on the collected information. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110213884 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MATCHING RESOURCE REQUESTS WITH CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENTS - A matching system can provide matching services to users of cloud computing environments. The matching system can receive user requests for sets of services. Once received, the matching system can collect information about available cloud appliances. The matching system can match the cloud appliances with the user requested services and provide the user with information related to available cloud appliances that meet the user's request. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110214124 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING CROSS-CLOUD COMPUTING APPLIANCES - Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating cross-cloud computing appliances. A vendor, developer, or other user can generate one or more sets of computing appliances, comprising special-purpose pre-configured physical or virtual machines. The vendor can register an image of the one or more appliances to an image generation service, which can store that image along with the subscription model desired for that set of appliances. The image generation service can generate, test, and install a set of cloud-based images of the underlying appliances to a cloud environment including multiple, diverse clouds. The image generation service can adjust the cloud-based images as well as the subscription model to match the services and other resources of individual clouds, and ensure compatibility across multiple clouds. The image generation service can also track usage data for billing or other purposes. | 09-01-2011 |
