Printer transformation service

A data processing system for providing a fee based print data transformation service to a user, the data processing system comprising:

• a client/server host computer including a processor;
• and
• a memory connected to the processor storing executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of
• receiving, by a computer, a first format print datastream from a client device;
• creating, by the computer, one or more work units, each comprising a portion of the first format print datastream;
• transmitting, by the computer, the one or more work units to a transform engine;
• generating a second format datastream by the transform engine by processing the one or more work units;
• monitoring, by the computer, the transform engine, the monitoring comprising obtaining information regarding resources used by the transform engine while performing the processing of the one or more work units;
• calculating, by the computer, a fee based on the information obtained by the monitoring;
• receiving, by the computer, the calculated fee;
• and
• transmitting, by the computer, the second format datastream to the client device in response to receiving the calculated fee.

A computer readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions, when executed by a computer system causes the computer to perform the steps of:

• receiving, by a computer, a first format print datastream from a client device;
• creating, by the computer, one or more work units, each comprising a portion of the first format print datastream;
• transmitting, by the computer, the one or more work units to a transform engine;
• generating a second format datastream by the transform engine by processing the one or more work units;
• monitoring, by the computer, the transform engine, the monitoring comprising obtaining information regarding resources used by the transform engine while performing the processing of the one or more work units;
• calculating, by the computer, a fee based on the information obtained by the monitoring
• receiving, by the computer, the calculated fee;
• and
• transmitting, by the computer, the second format datastream to the client device in response to receiving the calculated fee.