Charging for the use of resources in a distributed network

A distributed network comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein

• each of the plurality of nodes comprises a processor and a memory and is configured to run one or more application units for providing application services to users of the distributed network;
• each of the application units comprises its own unit state;
• the distributed network comprises a plurality of subnets;
• and
• each of the plurality of subnets comprises one or more of the plurality of nodes;
• wherein the distributed network is configured to:
• provide resources for the application units;
• assign each of the application units to one of the plurality of subnets;
• run, by the one or more application units, an application unit gas account which is owned by the respective application unit, wherein the unit states of the one or more application units comprise as system states the application unit gas accounts;
• use, by the one or more application units, the application unit gas account to pay for its use of network resources;
• use, by the one or more application units, the application unit gas account to receive payments from other application unit gas accounts;
• send a payment message between a first application unit of the one or more application units and a second application unit of the one or more application units to transfer a gas amount from the application unit gas account of the first application unit to the application unit gas account of the second application unit;
• and
• replicate the unit states of the application units including the application unit gas accounts across the respective subnet by performing an active replication in space of the unit states of the application units including the application unit gas accounts on each node of the respective subnet.

A computer program product for operating a distributed network, the distributed network comprising a plurality of nodes, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by one or more of the plurality of nodes, each comprising a processor and a memory, to cause the one or more of the plurality of nodes to perform a method comprising:

• running, by the plurality of nodes, one or more application units for providing application services to users of the distributed network,
• wherein each of the application units comprises its own unit state;
• the distributed network comprises a plurality of subnets and each of the plurality of subnets comprises one or more of the plurality of nodes;
• assigning each of the application units to one of the plurality of subnets;
• running, by the one or more application units, an application unit gas account which is owned by the respective application unit, wherein the unit states of the one or more application units comprise as system states the application unit gas accounts;
• using, by the one or more application units, the application unit gas account to pay for its use of network resources;
• using, by the one or more application units, the application unit gas account to receive payments from other application unit gas accounts;
• sending a payment message between a first application unit of the one or more application units and a second application unit of the one or more application units to transfer a gas amount from the application unit gas account of the first application unit to the application unit gas account of the second application unit;
• and
• replicating the unit states of the application units including the application unit gas accounts across the respective subnet by performing an active replication in space of the unit states of the application units including the application unit gas accounts on each node of the respective subnet.

A computer program product for operating a node of a distributed network, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor of the node to cause the node to perform a method comprising:

• running, by the node, one or more application units for providing application services to users of the distributed network;
• running, by the one or more application units, an application unit gas account which is owned by the respective application unit, wherein the unit states of the one or more application units comprise as system states the application unit gas accounts;
• using, by the one or more application units, the application unit gas account to pay for its use of network resources;
• using, by the one or more application units, the application unit gas account to receive payments from other application unit gas accounts;
• sending a payment message between a first application unit of the one or more application units and a second application unit of the one or more application units to transfer a gas amount from the application unit gas account of the first application unit to the application unit gas account of the second application unit;
• and
• replicating the unit states of the application units including the application unit gas accounts across the respective subnet by performing an active replication in space of the unit states of the application units including the application unit gas accounts on each node of the respective subnet.